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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Episode 2 Recap: Goats, Boats and Votes

March 15, 2017

“Survivor: Game Changers” (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Last Week: Sandra proved she’s the queen, Sierra found an advantage just by loo-king, and Tony and Ciera said “Good knight.”

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

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Aubry, 30
Caleb, 28
Hali, 26
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41
Troyzan, 54

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Andrea, 27
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Debbie, 51
JT, 31
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52
Zeke, 28

We kick things off immediately with both tribes being invited to, “Come in, guys.” Sarah is shocked to see that her former Cops R Us buddy has been sent packing.

Probst asks the players if they know what’s going on, and they’re smart enough to know that it’s time for the ol’ buff exchange. Let’s look at these new tribes, shall we?

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)
Brad, 47
Caleb, 28
Debbie, 51
Hali, 26
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)
Aubry, 30
JT, 31
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41

The Tavua Tribe (wearing green)
Andrea, 27
Cirie, 45
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Troyzan, 54
Zeke, 28

Tai is super psyched to be back on a tribe with his beauty buddy, Caleb. He is finally able to give Caleb the peck on the cheek he wanted to give him. Adorbs.

JT isn’t concerned that he’s alone on Nuku. Troyzan tries to play it off too, but he doesn’t do as good of a job. If only he had a “Boston” Rob capable of saying, “Take care of him.”

Oof…also Tavua will have to start from scratch. That seems extremely unfair considering how much food the tribes got during the marooning.

Over at New Nuku, the former Manaians are blown away that their new camp includes trained chickens and interior decorations. (Er…exterior decorations?) Wait, what? Who’s doing the interior decorating? Zeke? Andrea?

CUT TO: Brad Culpepper hanging up decorations at Mana Beach. Hilarious.

Back at Nuku, JT hatches a plan to take everyone out fishing and then strand them out there while he goes idol hunting. Malcolm gives JT the perfect opportunity to enact this plan when he bends the fishing spear. JT selflessly agrees to swim back to camp to get a pair pliers for a quick repair job. The problem with this plan is JT takes waaaaay too long to retrieve those pliers. Everyone knows what’s up. And what’s worse is that it’s all for naught as JT ends up empty handed.

Politicking starts up immediately at Mana beach with the former Nukians wanting to target Caleb or Hali. During a chat, Tai tells Brad that he’d rather keep Caleb over Debbie. Cool your jets, dude. We’re talking Hali vs. Caleb right now.

Brad lets us know that he’s very wary of a “Kaoh Rong” alliance and he’d like to see Caleb go home first. That’s also a good way to show that Brad isn’t interested in a bro-down.

From there, we finally get our first look at Tavua beach. I think I liked it better how they split the tribes into three during “Millennials vs. Gen-X” where at least the new tribe was given one more person.

With their reduced numbers, both Cirie and Ozzy realize that they need each other and that Troyzan is an easy first boot. Troyzan, appreciating that as well, goes on a mad idol hunt. He locates a message in a bottle (“Sending out an S…O…S”) that tells him that the idol will be hidden at the next challenge.

Later on, the Nuku tribe manages to chase down a mother goat and a baby goat. This sparks a huge philosophical debate. Sandra wants to cook them up and everyone else feels terrible about turning the cutest baby goat in the world into an orphan.

Personal Note: I have no problem eating meat. Chickens, cows, pigs, seafood; I eat these things all the time. And I wouldn’t have a problem assisting in their slaughter and preparation. But, to see that baby goat and its mother? I couldn’t do it. And the weird thing is; if you’d asked me a few hours ago, I probably would have said I’m OK with it. I guess you never know until you’re faced with it.

Another Personal Note: Take into account the fact that I’m not starving as I’m writing this.

The tribe votes and decides to free the goats and eat a chicken instead. If only those chickens had an idol.

Seriously, Nuku could gain a huge psychological edge over Tai by bringing a handful of feathers to the challenge.

Immunity Challenge Time: Three players from each tribe will be tethered together and run through an obstacle course. They’ll retrieve a bucket and use it to fill up a larger bucket. Once that bucket is heavy enough, it’ll raise a gate. Once the gate is raised, one member of each team will have to untie puzzle pieces. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity, a tarp, and their choice of comfort goods or spices. The second place tribe will win immunity and the reward the first place tribe didn’t choose.

Michaela, Malcolm, and JT run for Nuku, Caleb, Tai, and Debbie will run for Mana, and Andrea, Ozzy, and Sarah will run for Tavua.

The Survivor are ready…and they totally go.

Nuku is the first tribe to get to the puzzle portion, but not before Michaela takes a nasty spill on the teeter-totter portion. Mana and Tavua aren’t far behind them.

Varner and Sandra manage to maintain that lead and win immunity for their tribe. Varner wins his first immunity since 2000!

It seems super close between Hali and Culpepper and Cirie and Zeke, with Cirie and Zeke taking home the win for Tavua.

During the celebration, Troyzan is able to nab the idol without anyone noticing. Well done.

Nuku chooses the comfort rewards.

Also, the secondary immunity idol is the weird stand that the original immunity idol sat on. Enjoy your immunity stump, Tavua.

At Mana Beach, Caleb is a little worried that he might be sent home on the ninth day again. Well, better to go out with a snuffed torch than a snuffed life, dude.

Hali doesn’t like her chances because Caleb is a challenge stallion.

Brad, on the other hand, doesn’t love the idea of being on a tribe that has a “Kaoh Rong” majority. But, he doesn’t want to be the one to push to send Caleb home.

He approaches Tai and tells him that it might look bad if he and Caleb get to the merge together.

Quick Aside: Tai is rubbing sand all over himself during this exchange, What’s the purpose of that? Skin exfoliation? Tai does have a wonderful glow.

That night at Tribal, Probst says something about fire and life. It was pretty deep.

Caleb doesn’t think that his friendship with Tai will come into play because Tai spent seven days away from him. He’s got a point. If my friends don’t like any of my tweets after seven days, I totally write them off.

Sierra is very worried about Caleb and Tai, but people shouldn’t be worried about her and Hali because she hates Hali’s dumb face.*

*I may have made up that last part.

Hali thinks the Kaoh Rong connection gives Caleb more angles to work.

Caleb follows up with this gem where he says he’s good in challenges and loyal while Hali is easier to manipulate and easier to take along.

Caleb…Caleb, Caleb, Caleb.

Hali jumps on this and points out that Caleb is going to be tougher to work with.

Brad gets the line of the night, saying that Hali is a “Budding attorney” and that she’s doing really well.

Another Quick Aside: Is it too late to jump on the Brad Culpepper bandwagon? Oh wait, it’s empty? I get to drive! Who’s riding shotgun with me?! Who’s going to help me host the CulPep Rallies?

Tai lets us know that he’s playing the long game. Or, he’s going to follow the last person who talked to him before Tribal.

Caleb points out that Hali has more connections at the merge.

Hali disagrees and says she wants to play with her current tribe.

Voting Time: Hali votes for Caleb, Caleb votes for Hali, and Tai takes a half an hour to vote. Maybe his Spidey senses were telling him that at that moment Nuku was killing one of his chickens.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Caleb, one vote for Hali, two votes for Caleb, and the third person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Caleb.

Verdict: Super glad to see the return of the idol hidden in the challenge. And, it’s nice to see some non-strategy segments like Goat-gate. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to come to terms with my new feelings of admiration for Brad.

Power Rankings Results: Adam Klein had Caleb in spot eighteen while I had him in spot sixteen. So, the current score is Team Adam 18, Team Gordon 16.

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

Tags:survivor, survivor game changers
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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Power Rankings Round One: Queen’s Greatest Hits Edition

March 14, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

The Rules: Each week our two 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 players will earn. For example, if Michaela is voted out this episode, Adam will receive one point and Gordon will receive twelve points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Game Changers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Quick Note: Rankings are not based on who the player thinks is most likely to win. The smart strategy is to rank the contestants based on who is the most likely to be voted out in the next episode.

Donate to the #LiveLikeSusie Memorial Fund for Lung Cancer Research


Adam’s Score = 0 Any questions for Adam? Drop him a line on Twitter: @AdamScottKlein	Gordon’s Score = 0 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Michaela: This is a tough week for Power Rankings, since we only know one of the tribes from the preview. That tribe is the Nuku tribe, consisting of 5 old Mana members (Sandra, Aubry, Michaela, Varner, and Malcolm) and one old Nuku member (JT). To me, the safest person on this tribe is Michaela, as she is solidly in the majority of the majority and will be needed for her strength in challenges. According to Tony’s exit interviews, Michaela was never really a target on Mana, and so the danger she was in seems to have been artificially inflated by the edit.	1. Sarah: Seriously? A swap right before the first round of Power Rankings? Probst is messing with me. And I just made these graphics! Urgh… Alright, one of the benefits of being an original Nukunian is the fact that you never went to Tribal and thus, never had to show your hand. Someone like Sarah who’s viewed as loyal and a challenge asset should have no problems.

2. Malcolm: Malcolm, like Michaela, will be in a strong position on new Nuku, as he is also in the majority and an asset for challenges. The only thing that I could see going wrong for him right now is if Michaela continues to be frustrated by having to play second fiddle to Malcolm as the challenge closer.	2. Brad: It doesn’t matter if they swap the tribes 40 times. Brad is still this season’s dream final three companion.

3. Brad: Without much else to go on for the other tribes, I am going to assume that old Nuku has the majority on both of the other tribes. At best, if Caleb, Troyzan, and Hali are on the same tribe, they will have a split tribe, but it’s more likely that two of them are on one tribe and one is left alone on the third. So I am looking towards the people who looked most solid on old Nuku to continue to be safe in their new tribes. So far so good for Brad, who has laid low early and started to rack up allies.	3. Sierra: You got a legacy advantage? Awesome. You can only use it when there or 13 or 6 people left in the game? That’s so weirdly specific. Do you have to give it to Probst with your left hand while repeating the alphabet?

4. Sarah: I can’t imagine the ‘silent assassin’ going home in the 3rd episode before we get to see her in action. She should be in a solid position in a majority, and her early quotes in the premiere suggest longevity and maybe a villainous rise for Sarah down the line.	4. Malcolm: After dropping the first two immunity challenges, you can bet the former Manaians are going to have no problem cutting a former Nukuian loose. This might also give Malcolm a chance to fulfill his pregame wish and start a strong alliance with Aubry.

5. Sierra: With the legacy advantage in hand, we have no reason to believe Sierra is in any kind of immediate danger. Like Brad and Sarah, she is laying low and collecting allies (and advantages!). I don’t think anyone is looking at Sierra as someone to take out of the game soon.	5. Andrea: We get to hear about Zeke bathing in blood. We get to hear about Debbie having the tenacity of a squid. But, we barely get to hear from Andrea?! Booooo…

6. Andrea: We didn’t get to see much of Andrea in the premiere. Not sure what that means for her chances long-term, but for now, she seems safe.	6. Ozzy: Ozzy’s still a challenge champ and it looks like he’s getting along with everybody. The only mistake he’s made so far is trusting Tai with anything ever. He should be good till the merge.

7. Zeke: Zeke is an excitable superfan in a game changer candy store, and you have to imagine the others love hearing how much Zeke adores them. He seems well integrated and in no immediate danger.	7. Troyzan: Troyzan’s transformation from loud, arrogant island owner to lovable surf watcher is almost complete. As long as he keeps smiling and being useful around camp, he’ll be fine. Much bigger fish to fry.

8. Ozzy: Ozzy did well in the premiere, trying to let old grudges go and focusing on tribe strength and making good connections. His challenge strength should keep him safe in a small tribe, as long as Cirie doesn’t go after him and create the 2nd iteration of Sandra v. Tony.	8. Zeke: Zeke’s starstruck “Survivor” fan gimmick is gold. The Ciries, Malcolms, Ozzys, and JTs of the world deal with those folks all the time and they’re not intimidated by them. Unfortunately for them, Zeke is a shark in fan’s floral-print clothing.

9. Jeff: Varner got a great tribe draw. He is locked into the majority of the tribe surrounded by bigger threats (Sandra, JT, Aubry). If Varner sits tight he should be just fine, as long as he doesn’t become a significant challenge liability.	9. Hali: Hali went toe-to-toe (fin-to-fin?) with one of the most impressive swimmers in “Survivor” history and did a fantastic job. My only worry about her is Ciera saying that s he’s pushy around camp. Lay low and let the big dogs battle it out.

10. Debbie: Debbie got an intro confessional, laid low, and should be in a solid Nuku majority. Her wild antics are sure to come up again, but the Debbie story doesn’t seem to be close to over just yet.	10. Debbie: This feels like a season that is going to slow down a bit. The big players aren’t going to want to end up like Tony. If I were Debbie, I’d hang back and start making friends.

11. Sandra: Sandra got a great draw as well. She has another winner on her tribe to take the heat if people come for more trophies, as well as a solid group of allies that seem to want her on their side, at least for now. (Some, as Troyzan admitted in a secret scene, even want to take her to the final 3!!). #TheQueenStaysQueen at least for another round.	11. Jeff: The Varner we saw in “Second Chance” was destined to burn out quickly. The Varner we saw last week can go a long way.

12. Troyzan: There is nothing to indicate that we should be worried about Troyzan, but he will most likely be in a minority on his new tribe. So far, he seems to be doing a good job of building a group of allies and no one would have any specific reason to gun for him.	12. Michaela: Michaela is at her best when she’s proving her worth in a challenge. Hopefully this swap will give her the fresh slate she needs and the next challenge will be something she can knock out of the park.

13. Hali: Hali is in the same boat as Troyzan. Nothing in particular that should put her in danger, besides being in a minority. If old tribe loyalties hold, then Hali will be in trouble, but otherwise there is plenty of time for the “cobra” to strike.	13. Cirie: Nobody needed a swap more that Cirie did. And the good news is; all that work she did when she felt like she was on the bottom should help her out when she ends up on her new tribe.

14. Cirie: While Cirie will likely be with majority Nuku, she doesn’t seem to have solidified herself within the core of that group. If she is with Ozzy, the brewing tension could come to a head, and I think Cirie would lose that battle at this point. In a small tribe with a long way to go until the merge, few would get rid of a challenge legend like Ozzy over the strategic mastermind Cirie. I have faith, of course, that Cirie will work her way out of this jam.	14. Aubry: Ooof…it can’t feel good to be the idol alternate. Especially when the person capable of playing that idol is Tony Vlachos. But, tomorrow is a new day and you’re getting a new tribe. Time to mend fences and regroup.

15. JT: JT is in a rough position. He already has a huge target on his back as a winner, and now he is the lone member of his old tribe in post-swap Nuku. It would seem easy for them to pick off JT, but JT isn’t going to make it easy for them. He’ll be idol hunting, maneuvering, and hopefully finding a way out of a really tough spot.	15. JT: Whaaaaat is going on in next week’s trailer? You let your fellow castmates drift off to sea? And we thought Tony had weird strategies. I think you’re in trouble this week if you’re surrounded by former Manaians. Hopefully your challenge prowess or your castaway stratagem will buy you some time.

16. Aubry: Aubry is still in hot water. If the JT focus in the previews is a red herring, as it often is, and Sandra and JT decide to team up as the only winners left in the game, Aubry could take the hit. Sandra has to be worried that Aubry will never trust her after putting two votes on her and playing with her life in the game, and Sandra won’t like to leave any ‘liabilities’ in the game.	16. Caleb: As Tony’s former “right-hand man,” I’m betting you’re the person the former Manaians trust the least.

17. Tai: If anyone from old Nuku is going to go, I think it might be Tai. Patience from his own old tribe members seemed to be wearing thin early, with Tai’s antics with the chickens being heavily criticized (Zeke in a secret scene called it ‘pageantry’), as well as seemingly getting caught up in the Cirie/Ozzy battle. If people consider him a solid ally he could go far, but so far I am nervous about people’s perceptions of Tai.	17. Sandra: Sandra is a legend. She’s a pleasure to watch. She’s the queen. She’s “literally a wizard.” But, she’s also never going to be safe. Tales of her domination of Tony will be spun around all three campfires. And for that reason she will never get too high in my Power Rankings.

18. Caleb: To me, the editing of the premiere did everything it could to set up the downfall of Caleb. He was emphasized to be Tony’s right-hand man, and now without Tony, who is going to (literally) pick him up off the rocks when he falls? He is likely to be in a minority on a new tribe, possibly with someone he was not closely aligned with on Mana (Hali or Troyzan). His challenge strength should get him through on a small tribe, but something about Caleb’s edit in the premiere reeked of impending doom.	18. Tai: Oh man…again with the chickens! It’s one thing to not let me eat a chicken. It’s quite another to take food that I would put in my face and give it to a chicken. And again with the loose lips! Cirie played you like a fiddle. She’s was like Tai-chaikovsky. I love me some Tai as a TV character. But, I’m not sure why anyone would keep him around at this point.

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

Tags:adam klein, survivor, survivor game changers
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Tony: “The Writing Was on the Wall and It Was in Plain English”

March 9, 2017

Tony Vlachos (CBS)

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Game Changers”

Gordon Holmes: I feel terrible.
Tony Vlachos: Oh…man!
Holmes: You broke my heart.
Vlachos: Oh, I’m sorry. I really am.
Holmes: This is going to hurt, but we’ve got to do this.
Vlachos: (Laughs) I know. I know.
Holmes: Did you know you were done for when you were heading into that Tribal?
Vlachos: I knew I was done. Right before Tribal I was trying to talk to Caleb. “Let’s do this. Let’s play this game.” But there was just a blank face. Malcolm, same thing. We were supposed to vote for Aubry, but Malcolm lied to me. He just walked away. Jeff Varner, he gave me the thumbs up from a mile away when I tried to talk to him. Troyzan said, “I’m just trying to have a zen moment on the beach, I don’t want to talk right now.” Aubry told me, “I’m going to let fate take its course.” Michaela says, “Tony, I’m on the bottom here. I’m going to do what they told me and that’s vote for Aubry.” The writing was on the wall and it was in plain English. I tried my best, Gordon. But, I really didn’t think Sandra would want to go against me. Why would she want to stay with non-threats like Hali, Varner and Troyzan? I was pitching that to her. “They’re not threatening enough to protect you. You need me, Caleb, Malcolm…”

Holmes: It seemed like you two were going to work together until that moment where Sandra and Troyan walked up while you were working on the Spy Bunker™.
Vlachos: What happened was, we moved our camp closer to the water well. Which made it harder for me to work on my Spy Bunker™. It was 50-75 feet away. So I didn’t have much of a chance to build my bunker that I desperately needed. Every chance I got I’d start digging on it. At night was my best chance. I’d wait for everyone to go to sleep. I’d watch them until they’d close their eyes. So, I see Sandra and Troyzan walking by and I said, “Oh snap.” I crawled away and was hiding when I heard my name. That’s not a good sign. It doesn’t matter what they said, but I heard my name at four in the morning. I bum rushed them, cause if they’re lying to me I’ll catch them off guard. That’s what I did. Troyzan tells me he’s looking at the tide. Sandra tells me she’s talking to Troyzan about a crate being too close to a fire. I thought, “I’m done. It’s over for me.”
Holmes: You couldn’t repair that rift after that moment?
Vlachos: No, that was it. Once they saw that, whatever they said didn’t matter. I thought they were gunning for me, maybe they weren’t at that point. But, Sandra got a little spooked by me. He can’t be looking me in the eyes and interrogating me. She started scrambling on her side, and I needed to get my troops together. And, she got the best of me.

Holmes: A lot of people don’t understand why Sandra has been so successful, but last night there was a moment where you pressed Sandra to join in a strategy conversation and she responded with something along the lines of, “You tell me who you’re thinking of targeting and I’ll give you my thoughts.” That’s next-level gameplay.
Vlachos: I always had respect for Sandra’s game. You can’t win a game like that two times unless you play a good game. I knew she was a good player. I asked her to tell me what she’s thinking and she avoided it. And we were clashing then already. But again, kudos to her. To pull Malcolm and Caleb away from me. We had three strong guys and we wanted to keep the tribe strong. She was still able to do it.

Holmes: There was a lot of animosity as you left. Was there any of that before the vote or did it start when you told people to be wary of her?
Vlachos: She looks like she takes things a lot more personal than I do. It’s a game. I don’t take things personal. I burned so many people in Cagayan and they didn’t take it personal with me. I knew my time was up. And I said, “Sheep being lead to the slaughter.” I was thinking, “C’mon, Malcolm. You’re going to let her lead you around? Caleb…Aubry? You’re going to let this lady manipulate you and vote off this big shield? Come merge time you’re going to need me.” They did it like it was nothing. I was very surprised. And Sandra started running her mouth, “That’s what you get. That’s what you get.” I give her the props. She’s the queen bee. I got stung by the queen bee.

Holmes: Were there any other cracks that you tried to exploit? Were there people who weren’t getting along?
Vlachos: You know what, Gordon? There was no malice. Nobody was gunning for anybody. Michaela and Aubry were on the bottom, but I couldn’t make it happen. I tried to get them to give me a chance.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Sandra.
Vlachos: Queen bee.
Holmes: Malcolm?
Vlachos: Thoroughbred.
Holmes: Ciera?
Vlachos: Sneaky.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Vlachos: Awesome dude.
Holmes: Caleb?
Vlachos: All American boy.
Holmes: Hali?
Vlachos: Invisible.
Holmes: Varner?
Vlachos: Smiley.
Holmes: Aubry?
Vlachos: I guess…laid back.
Holmes: Michaela?
Vlachos: Unknown.

Holmes: I wish I had told you this before the show started, but when you arrive on tribe beach, don’t go running into the woods screaming that you’re going to find an idol.
Vlachos: What was I supposed to do, man?! All eyes were on me, I couldn’t even go pee. I was like, “You know what? I’ll get in their face and make a joke of it.” And you know behind every joke lies the truth. Let me rewind; we took a field trip around the whole campsite. We saw where treemail was, we saw where the water was. And when we were walking together like a big happy family, I saw the mail had a lot of props there. I thought, “Wow, there’s got to be an idol there.” When we got back to camp I was itching. I wanted to look at the mail. And nobody was letting me walk nowhere. I said, “You guys play nice, I’m going looking for the idol.” And that’s exactly what I did. Nobody came behind me, so I took my time and looked everywhere. And I didn’t find anything. And because a typhoon had hit before we got there, every tree was knocked down, there were palm fronds everywhere. There were so many places to look. I was looking non-stop for six days.

Holmes: When we spoke before the game and you said if you lost you would never play again. That is absolutely unacceptable.
Vlachos: (Laughs)
Holmes: Just because you said something in a pre-game interview does not make it legally binding.
Vlachos: You know what, Gordon man? I got voted off and I said, “I’ll never play this game again.” Two months later I said, “I want to go back for a third time.” Last night after I watched it I said, “I never want to play again.”
Holmes: Damnit, Vlachos!
Vlachos: I’m a roller coaster. You know that.
Holmes: I came into this interview fully prepared to spend all fifteen minutes of it begging you to come back.
Vlachos: (Laughs)
Holmes: Word association be damned.
Vlachos: In another three months I’ll be calling Jeff begging him to come back.

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

Tags:survivor, survivor game changers, tony vlachos
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Ciera: “Sandra Is Literally a Wizard”

March 9, 2017

Ciera Eastin (CBS)

Gordon Holmes: Ciera played too fast, Ciera named names…it felt like there was something we missed. Were you setting up sub-alliances? Were you digging Spy Bunkers™?
Ciera Eastin: (Laughs) It was hard for me to watch back and figure out what really happened. But I think it’s a couple of things. I’d just come off of “Second Chance,” like less than a year ago. And the first day everyone hit the beach running. It was crazy. I thought this would be similar. So, when I came in I wasn’t even playing full crazy Ciera. I was pretty mild. But, compared to everyone else, I guess it was too much. But, when Malcolm said I was the only one throwing out names, that wasn’t true. I thought everyone wanted Tony gone. Tony was looking for idols. He had to go. The scene where I walked to the well, they were already talking about Tony.
Holmes: I was there for that. I can confirm that.
Eastin: Right. And so for me, I joined in the conversation. I didn’t walk in and say, “Hey, this is what we’re going to do.” I think what sealed the deal for me was I said, “If we think Tony has an idol, we can go for Caleb.” And I think there were people in that group like Malcolm who wanted to work with Caleb. And Tony and Caleb were so close those first days. Tony and Caleb were gone one night. We woke up one night and they were gone, we didn’t know what they were doing. And so, I thought it was obvious.

Holmes: What was it about Hali’s “loose lips” comment that tipped you off?
Eastin: It was because I was under the impression that it was Michaela and not for those reasons. Everybody was saying she wasn’t doing great in the challenges and in the water she wasn’t the strongest. She was an outcast. People thought she had a little bit of an attitude. So “loose lips” isn’t why we’re targeting Michaela.

Holmes: When the six of you were at the water well, Malcolm pointed out Tony’s Spy Bunker™ hole. Did you have any concept that he could’ve possibly been digging a hole that an adult-sized man could hide in?
Eastin: (Laughs) No! We thought he was digging for idols. It made me think he had a clue because it was a weird spot to dig.

Holmes: When you got you buff on day one. How did you feel about the tribe alignment?
Eastin: I thought I was in trouble. It’s so hard to describe. So much of my play is on gut and feeling. And looking around I didn’t think I was going to click with a lot of these people. And looking at the other tribe, I thought, “Damn, those are my people.” I already have relationships with Brad, I know Sierra, I know Andrea. So, I was super bummed out of the gate. And at camp, nobody was talking to me. I think Malcolm didn’t talk strategy with me one time alone. So, I knew I was in trouble. When nobody is talking to you, there’s usually a reason.

Holmes: Did anyone on your tribe see Sierra pick up the legacy advantage?
Eastin: Nope, that was the first time I’d ever heard about it.

Holmes: Sandra is someone who when you watch her on TV…it’s hard to quantify why she’s a two-time winner. If I were trying to explain it to someone, I’d use the moment last night where they were asking for her opinion and she said something along the lines of, “You tell me who you’re targeting and I’ll tell you my thoughts.” Did your opinion of her change when you were out there?
Eastin: It only got better. I’ve always thought Sandra was the queen, but getting to play with her it gave me such a greater perspective on why she does so well. Sandra is literally a wizard. She says the perfect thing. And if she doesn’t say the perfect thing, people take it as a joke. It’s this thing where you can be a total (expletive deleted) and I’m not saying Sandra is, but you can make a snide comment and people view it as, “Oh, Sandra!” And when she says, “You tell me what you’re thinking,” that’s so simple and so brilliant. When you’re living day-to-day there and there are so many conversations, Sandra is constantly on.

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start with Malcolm.
Eastin: Witty.
Holmes: Sandra?
Eastin: Queen.
Holmes: Michaela?
Eastin: Strong.
Holmes: Tony?
Eastin: Funny.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Eastin: Genuine.
Holmes: Hali?
Eastin: Know-it-all.
Holmes: Caleb?
Eastin: All American.
Holmes: Aubry?
Eastin: Unique.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Jeff.
Eastin: Handsome.
Holmes: You’re not wrong.
Eastin: We’ve had this conversation before.

Holmes: Let’s jump back into that. You called Hali a “Know-it-all.” Was there something we missed? Was there tension there?
Eastin: I really don’t hold grudges, it’s a game. So, in the game, Hali, for someone who wasn’t really in my opinion a Game Changer. And I get that Ciera’s opinion is not gold. But from my perspective, I didn’t remember her. But, she came in and she knew what to do with everything. She knew what to do with the fire, she knew how to do the food, she knew the best strategy for the game. Everything. But, at the time I was thinking, “You know we’ve all done this before, right?” It rubbed me the wrong way out there, but out of the game I have no hard feelings.

Holmes: Dude, I lost so many bets on the challenge last night.
Eastin: (Laughs)
Holmes: I said to everyone, everyone, “Ciera’s done this puzzle. She’s gonna bring it home for Mana.”
Eastin: You know what? I think lesson learned, if I ever play again, don’t bet on me to win any challenge ever. I’m terrible. I get such bad anxiety. But, I knew the concept and how it works. It took forever for both teams to do the puzzle. It took so long. I can’t tell you what happened, but I can tell you that I sucked.
Holmes: The hardest part is getting all eight of the spokes even. The press ran it while we were out there and Parade’s Josh Wigler and I managed to beat the puzzle in about four minutes. And last night, a former Survivor named Laura bragged that she beat it in three.
Eastin: (Laughs) She would! My mom is a freak of nature when it comes to challenges and puzzles. She says she’s going to win and she does it. She says I have to be positive, and even when I am I lose. And I heard her voice in the challenge last night, she said you have to create a skeleton key. The key is to make one spoke that fits perfectly, then match it across all of them. The problem was I made a key and it was perfect and when I was making the rest, one of them had to be reversed because one end had a thing sticking out. And when I went back to figure it out, that’s when we got scrambled.
Holmes: I said to your mom, “If you’re so great, why don’t you teach your kid?” And her response was that you don’t listen.
Eastin: (Laughs) I really don’t. That’s very true. If I ever go back I need to get in better shape and practice my puzzles. The social aspect I can navigate, it’s those dang challenges that get me.

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

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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Premiere Recap – Full of Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits!

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITY.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

I was on location for the first three days of filming. So, the first half of this recap will be jam-packed with behind-the-scenes tidbits. Unfortunately, the second half will only be filled with obvious jokes. You can’t win them all.

Let’s do this!

We start off with our castaways on a boat…so technically they’ve yet to be cast away.

Tony immediately breaks down his Game Changing resume. And it’s pretty impressive; spy shacks, special idols, etc.

Malcolm is next, he tells us about the big moves he’s made in the past. The Three Amigo double-idol stratagem being the one that is highlighted.

Sandra, the show’s only two-time winner, lets us know that the “Queens stays queen.”

Cirie getting Erik to give up immunity in Micronesia is also called out.

Man, these folks changed…the…game.

Then, Debbie tells us that she has the tenacity of a squid.

Brad follows this up by saying they’ve all change the game.

All? Like everyone there?

It’s then that a guy in a logo-riddled cap says something about…

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

Alright, let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…

The Mana Tribe (wearing orangey-red)

Aubry, 30
Caleb, 28
Ciera, 27
Hali, 26
Jeff, 50
Malcolm, 29
Michaela, 25
Sandra, 41
Tony, 42
Troyzan, 54

The Nuku Tribe (wearing blue)

Andrea, 27
Brad, 47
Cirie, 45
Debbie, 51
JT, 31
Ozzy, 34
Sarah, 32
Sierra, 29
Tai, 52
Zeke, 28

The ship drops anchor and Jeff welcomes everyone to “Survivor: Game Changers.” He tells them that they all make moves, some big, some quiet. Fair enough.

JT thinks this season will crown the next two-time winner. Cirie disagrees.

After pleasantries are exchanged, Probst tells them that they’ll have a minute to grab what they can off of the boat. And in a fun twist, a large cache of tools is located in the water. The first person to reach it and untie it can claim it for their tribe.

Jeff sets them loose and Ozzy immediately dives for the tools. And, because it’s Ozzy, nobody bothers trying to compete with him.

Everyone else scrambles to grab what they can. In the chaos, Andrea uncovers an advantage, but doesn’t see it. Sierra eventually stumbles upon it and stashes it away. That’s gotta be rough for Andrea to watch after the fact.

As they dive into the water, Tai almost meets his maker when a chicken cage falls on top of him. Although, I imagine that’s how he’d want to go.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I can make fun of that now because Tai is OK, but when it happened, everyone on the crew freaked out. It looked really bad.

Once the chaos has died down, the two tribes paddle off to their respective beaches.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: The tribes paddling away with all of their goods is always a hilarious trainwreck. At one point Probst screamed, “(Expletive deleted), my kids paddle better!”

When the Mana tribe arrives at their beach, Tony immediately runs off into the woods to find the idol. He wasn’t trying to be subtle either, as he was screaming about it the whole way. Sandra is cool with that because he just made himself a target.

Tony claims that he was making a joke. But…you know…Tony.

Sandra and Caleb eventually catch up with Tony and tell him that he’s managed to upset everyone.

Over at Nuku Beach, Zeke tells us how excited he is to bathe in his opponents’ blood. I know that isn’t a literal statement, but c’mon.

The tribe finds a trio of goats, but Brad tells them not to bother because they’d have to kill Tai before they kill any goat. OK, that’s funny.

Also, nice to see that Brad isn’t the only goat on Nuku Beach.

Sierra sneaks away to check out her advantage. Apparently it’s a legacy advantage where she’ll be able to use it as an immunity idol when there are thirteen or six people left in the game. That’s oddly specific. She can also will the advantage to someone if she’s voted out.

Meanwhile, the Ozzy vs. Cirie narrative has immediately kicked off. They seem to make peace during a shelter building session, but Tai accidentally lets Cirie know that Ozzy might have it out for her.

The three quickest ways to spread info; telephone, telegraph, and tell-a-Tai. (Millennials will not get that joke.)

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Both tribes got a ton of food from the drop. The camps look like a WholeFoods produce section.

At Mana, Tony sneaks away so he can start building his Spy Bunker. And I was right! When I was on location I saw this weird hole…

Troyzan catches him digging and assumes he’s looking for an idol. Because you’d never expect a rational adult to dig himself a hidey hole.

Hali, Jeff, Ciera, Aubry, Malcolm, and Michaela meet at the water hole to discuss the latest development. Ciera wants to get rid of Tony or Caleb who is now considered Tony’s “Right-hand man.”

Quick Aside: While she’s talking, they show a cut-away of poor Caleb wiping out on the rocks at the beach. Dude’s trying to earn his second med-evac.

Jeff disagrees with this course of action because he wants to stay strong for challenges. This concerns Malcolm too because he wants to keep as many threats around as possible.

Ciera thinks she has an advantage because she has played with winners. Everyone who’s ever donned a buff has played with winners.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: I was totally there when this scene was shot. Apparently Sandra is a part of this clique, but she doesn’t want to get rid of Tony or Caleb either.

Oh…and by being the person to throw out names, Ciera has earned a target on her back. So sensitive these Game Changers.

Immunity Challenge Time: Seven players from each tribe will push a raft into the water. They’ll paddle out to a platform. From there, one player will swim to a second platform to retrieve a key. When the key has been obtained, all seven players will have to go over some obstacles on the way back to the beach. They’ll dig in the sand to retrieve two bags of puzzle pieces. Then one person will use the keys to unlock a third bag of puzzle pieces. The first tribe to complete the puzzle will win immunity and flint.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Debbie asked if they could play for a tarp, but Probst shut her down.

Debbie and Jeff will do the key portion. Zeke and Cirie and Sandra and Ciera will do the puzzle.

Before the game starts, Jeff tells everyone that tie votes will not lead to a revote. If there is a tie, a unanimous decision will have to be made amongst the remaining players. If a decision can’t be reached, they have to pull rocks.

The Survivors are ready…and they go.

It’s pretty even up until the swimming for the keys portion. Ozzy swims for Nuku and Hali swims for Mana. No offense to Hali, but you can imagine how that turned out.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Probst couldn’t tell who was swimming for Mana at first and kept calling her Malcolm.

Nuku is the first tribe back to the beach, they maintain this lead through the digging portion.

Varner is having some trouble with the keys and he gives Probst some serious attitude when he mentions it.

Debbie is the first to open her crate, Jeff isn’t far behind her.

The two duos go to work with Cirie and Zeke figuring it out to give Nuku the win.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: During the press challenge, it took Josh Wigler and I four minutes to complete this puzzle. In the game it took about twenty minutes. I was so sure that Ciera was going to remember this puzzle and win it for her tribe. I was very wrong.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: It was pointed out that Jeff Varner hasn’t won an immunity challenge since October 2000.

Politicking back at Mana beach starts off with Tony, Malcolm, Caleb, Jeff, and Aubry wanting to target Ciera. Sandra approaches this group and tells them that she’ll do whatever they want. Classic Sandra.

When Tony pushes her for an opinion, she tells him to tell her who they’re considering and then she’ll give her opinions. So good. She’s like a “Survivor” master class.

Ciera sidles up on the group and they tell her that they’re targeting Michaela. As you’d imagine, this news does not sit well with our favorite Millennial challenge beast.

Michaela has a low-key freak out, which is enough to have Tony and Sandra wondering if she’s worth keeping around.

That night at Tribal Council, there’s some ritual about having fire in your life or something.

Tony thinks this cast is way tougher than Cagayan.

Caleb hopes that his game being a bit of a mystery will help him.

Michaela isn’t sure if she made a great first impression. She thinks she’d be too easy of a first vote on a big season like “Game Changers.”

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbit: Malcolm’s torch blew out three times during this Tribal. I was freaking out.

Sandra calls Michaela a “pleasure” and says that everyone loves her.

Probst points out that voting out Sandra would make a big statement. Shut up, Jeff.

Sandra pitches herself as the perfect person to take to the end.

Hali wants to keep the tribe strong. She also says that “loose lips sink ships.”

Ciera is very concerned with Hali’s “loose lips” comment.

Voting Time: Ciera votes for Michaela, Michaela votes for Ciera, Sandra says, “Queen stays queen” for the fortieth time, and the rest of the votes are secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Michaela, five votes for Ciera, and the first person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Ciera.

Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits:

• Aubry was worried that there was a target on her back because there are so many “Kaoh Rong” players in the game. She said that she doesn’t know Caleb and Debbie didn’t vote for her. Malcolm said that sounds good, but he’s not sure he believes it.
• Varner expected a fast game like in “Second Chance,” but that’s not happening.
• Sandra didn’t think she was responsible for the challenge loss because they never had a lead.
• Ciera rolled her eyes when Tony said the whole tribe was one alliance.

What Was Said In the Voting Booth:

Note: I was in a dark room, so these quotes aren’t verbatim.

• Caleb voted for Ciera and said that she should have never named him as a target.
• Michaela voted for Ciera and said that honest people don’t play with stinky people.
• Tony voted for Ciera and said if anyone appreciates aggressive gameplay, it’s him. But Ciera’s timing was off.
• Ciera voted for Michaela and said she’d rather play with the devil she knows than the devil she doesn’t.
• Troyzan voted for Ciera and said he was voting with the majority.
• Sandra voted for Ciera and said she would have rather had Aubry go home, but Ciera wanted to split up Tony and Caleb.
• Varner voted for Ciera and said, “You wanted fireworks, boom!”
• Aubry voted for Ciera because she went from 0 to 60 too fast and didn’t know the terrain she was on.
• Malcolm voted for Ciera and said he had no interest in playing with her.
• Hali voted for Ciera and said she talks too much about other people in camp.

Note: Check out what Jeff Probst had to say after this Tribal.

The next morning, Sandra, Aubry, Malcolm, Caleb, and Tony form an alliance. Oh man, Malcolm, Sandra, and Tony?! DREAMLLIANCE!

That night, Tony sneaks out to work on his Spy Bunker™ again. He literally crawls into this hole and starts burying himself. So good. However, he’s interrupted by Sandra and Troyzan. He manages to sneak out without them seeing him. The duo is talking about who to vote out next. Tony approaches them and they give him a story about a crate being too close to the fire. Tony does not buy this.

Oh man.

Sure enough, this kicks off a Tony vs. Sandra war.

NOOOOOOOO! Work it out, guys. Please?

Gah…Sandra immediately gets Troyzan, Jeff, Michaela, and Hali onboard with her plan to boot Tony.

Tony realizes that something is up and approaches Aubry with a counterattack. He thinks they have Malcolm and Caleb on their side, so they only need to pull one other person.

Caleb thinks he can trust Tony more than he can trust Sandra. That’s like saying you’d enjoy a punch in the face more than a punch in the groin.

In even more crappy news, Cirie is having some troubles over at Nuku. Ozzy and JT are getting really close and she is clearly their first target. Cirie tries to make inroads with Sarah, Zeke, and Debbie, but it doesn’t seem like she has anything solid.

Also, Debbie is concerned with Tai’s love of chickens. She thinks they’ll eventually start looking like angus cattle. Wait, why do they have to look like other kinds of food?

Immunity Challenge Time: Six players from each team will run across a balance beam and then climb into a cage. They’ll then have to untie a 400-pound snake and pull it out of the cage. They’ll carry it back across the balance beam and then place it into a cradle. The other three members will open the snake to find tiles that have the combination to a lock. Once the lock is open they’ll be able to retrieve a set of rings. The first tribe to throw all eight of their rings onto a series of paddles will win immunity and a fishing kit.

Cirie will sit out for Nuku.

The first half of this challenge is a disaster for Mana. In fact, Nuku has five rings in place before Malcolm throws his first ring for Mana.

Malcolm manages to gain some ground, but it’s too little too late. Nuku wins their second immunity challenge and Jeff Varner’s losing streak continues.

As you’d imagine, Cirie is ecstatic.

Back at camp, Michaela is bummed that she didn’t get a chance to throw rings when Malcolm was clearly getting tired.

Hali, Troyzan, and Sandra are trying to get Caleb to vote with them. Tony approaches them, and they tell him that they’re targeting Aubry.

Tony doesn’t want Aubry to go home, but he’ll do whatever he needs to do to stay in the game. Dude didn’t do all that digging for nothing.

Caleb and Tony decide that getting Michaela to flip is their best bet because Michaela wants to win challenges. Caleb makes this pitch to Michaela and Jeff and it seems like they’re into it.

That night at Tribal Council, Tony thinks they need to keep the tribe strong for challenges. Malcolm and Michaela agree with Tony’s assessment.

This freaks Sandra out a little bit, so she points out that they had the strongest players in the right positions and still lost.

Troyzan doesn’t want to have to worry about someone running off at four in the morning.

A giant bug then attacks Sandra’s hair and everyone freaks out. You sleep in the woods! One bug?!

Tony says that he hasn’t been scamming anyone. Varner, Caleb, and Malcolm believe him.

Varner finishes it up by claiming that they’re a round hole and they’re going to get rid of the square peg.

Voting Time: Sandra votes for Aubry and says that Tony is going home, the rest of the votes are secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Aubry, one vote for Tony, one vote for Aubry, three votes for Tony, and the second person voted out of “Survivor: Game Changers” is…Tony.

NOOOOOOOOOO!

And what’s worse is Tony and Sandra get into it as Tony’s leaving. Rewind this whole episode! Be friends and work together!

Verdict: Neither of the votes was much of a surprise. Everyone was wary of Tony and Ciera in their pre-game interviews. But, watching Sandra stick and move was a pleasure. All future players should be forced to watch her seasons and dissect her game.

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

Tags:survivor, survivor game changers
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‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Host Jeff Probst Breaks Down the First Tribal Council of the Season

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

Gordon Holmes: You haven’t seen the testimonials from the vote yet, but one of the themes was that Ciera was playing too hard, too fast.
Jeff Probst: Interesting…
Holmes: Right? In a season of Game Changers, the first person voted out was hindered by her desire to play too quickly.
Probst: Well, the players decide how the game is going to be played. I think the most interesting comment to come out of Tribal was when Ciera said, “Maybe the new school players can learn something from the old school players.” Because the game has been on a trajectory for quite some time of going up in terms of the game being amped up and alliances being even less and less clear. And what I felt like what she was saying is that they need to slow down a bit. Unfortunately, it sounds like she didn’t take her own advice. Or, she wasn’t aware early enough.

Holmes: It reminded me a lot of “Second Chance” where Shirin was accused of the same thing where someone is playing hard, but they don’t have the challenge prowess to give them that must-keep status in the tribe.
Probst: Yeah, absolutely. I like Ciera. I think she could win the whole thing. I even predicted that. And I like that she embodies game changers. And she got caught. She made a move at camp, she was talking about who she wanted to vote out when nobody else was talking about it yet. So, the fact that she talked, was enough. Sounds like there isn’t much wiggle room this season. If you make one mistake it could cost you. And that’s where a player like Sandra is so lethal. She doesn’t make many mistakes.

Holmes: How good is Sandra?
Probst: Sandra is great. I think you watch the first Tribal and you think, “She could win again.”
Holmes: She shushed you in the challenge. I’ve never seen that before.
Probst: She and Varner. I like that. My job really is to give the audience a play by play. But, I like it when the players are a part of it and talk back. It tells me they’re there and their head is in it.

Holmes: Michaela was the name used to throw Ciera off. She didn’t like that one bit. Her and Caleb were the most nervous up there.
Probst: Yeah.
Holmes: Michaela mentioned that her and Caleb are both challenge threats whose games are still unknown. She said something about Caleb getting a wider birth because he’s a guy. Was there anywhere to go to follow up on that?
Probst: I thought it was interesting. I think she felt like she was getting into deep water and wanted to get back out. I think what she was saying is that Caleb and I are both unknowns. You don’t know how Caleb plays this game, so why am I the one getting heat? Michaela’s in a tough spot, because if she isn’t gifted enough to turn the uncertainty into an asset, then it is scary. It’s scary to play with someone you don’t know. Everyone has a past or a question around them. Hers is, “Who are you?”

Holmes: As a journalist I’m supposed to stay impartial. As a fan I want Tony to find 37 idols and stay to the end.
Probst: (Laughs)
Holmes: Seems like we saw a kinder, more reserved Tony tonight.
Probst: I got a sense tonight that he is able to play another game and it’s a more understated game. He knows he’s in a season of true all-star players. He’s not going to get as many looks. He’s not going to get his hands on the balls as often. So, I’ve got to be quiet and go with the flow. He’ll have an opportunity. But, I think he has to change, because I don’t think that Cagayan personality can win. I think Tony wins by saying, “Look, I was playing with people I thought I could school. Now I’m playing with people I respect.”

Holmes: What did you think of Hali taking the swimming portion today?
Probst: Damn, I should’ve asked about that. I was shocked. In fact, my vantage point was so bad that I first thought it was Malcolm, then I thought it was Troyzan.
Holmes: They look a lot alike.
Probst: (Laughs) And when she got out of the water I realized it was her.
Holmes: We can fix that in post.
Probst: Thank you. I believe that when Hali played the first time, she came into the game as a smart lawyer type but was labeled a no-collar and tried to fit in. She hooked up with Jenn and it was a disastrous move. She’s a sharp woman and that’s the game she’s going to play now.

Holmes: How are you feeling about this season so far?
Probst: So good, I couldn’t believe I was talking to Tony, Varner, Sandra, Malcolm…it was great. Usually, that many people in one show is good and this is one tribe!

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

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor game changers
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‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst Plays Align/Malign/Take to the End

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor’ Host Jeff Probst (CBS)

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I hold in my hand a deck of cards that features all twenty of this season’s players. I’m going to hand you three random cards at a time. You tell me who you’re going to vote out first, who you’re going to work with and eventually eliminate, and who you are going to take to the end.
Jeff Probst: Oh, so it’s like (expletive deleted), marry, kill?
Holmes: Exactly.
Probst: Cool.
Holmes: If we have time we can play that too.
Probst: Oh man, I should not play that game with a cast.
Holmes: Yeah, cause I’m sure you’d (expletive deleted) all twenty.
Probst: (Laughs) Holmes…
Holmes: Alright, focus.

Round One: Aubry, Troyzan, and Hali
Probst: I’d vote out Troyzan, I’d work with Aubry, and I’d take Hali to the end. Aubry is a really good player and I believe that I could convince Aubry that we could work together. But, I know she’s going to come for me at a certain point. I’m going to trust that it won’t be early. I’m thinking that we’re going to keep looking at each other and when you stop looking at me, I’m in trouble…and vice versa. I’d love to sit next to Hali at the end.
Holmes: Sitting with a lawyer?
Probst: I just think she’d be fun to go against. I think she’s super well-spoken and I love the way she can turn an argument like she did with flippers. And Troyzan is out because he offers me the least and he’s a threat to me physically.

Round Two: Malcolm, Ciera, and Debbie
Probst: I hate to do this, but I’m voting out Malcolm. I can’t beat him in anything. And I’m going to need to at some point. I’m going to work with Ciera and then try to blindside her and hope she doesn’t get me first. Which…is a big question. She could probably beat me to the punch. I’m going to take Debbie to the end and I’d make her look like the most crazy, whacked-out nutjob by the time I’m done with her.

Round Three: Tai, Sierra, and Sandra
Probst: I hate to do this, because I love her, but Sandra is going home. She is a lethal weapon. I’m going to work with Sierra because her biggest asset is that she has shown loyalty. I’m taking Tai to the end because I don’t think he can pull it off in the end.

Round Four: Michaela, Caleb, and Brad
Probst: This is a tough one. I’m actually getting rid of Michaela first because I think she could win. I’m going to work with Brad, but I don’t trust him at all. And, I’m going to take Caleb to the end because I think I can outtalk him in the end.

Round Five: Andrea, Zeke, and Ozzy
Probst: I’m going to roll the dice and get rid of Andrea, she’s trouble. I’m going to work with Zeke knowing full well that he will probably take me out. It’d be hard for me to take Zeke out because I like him so much. I’d take Ozzy to the end because I can beat Ozzy. I can outtalk him easy.

Round Six: Jeff, JT, and Tony
Probst: Holy moly.
Holmes: These are the best games because I just sit here and you do all the work.
Probst: (Laughs) I’m in trouble on this one because I don’t want to go to the end with any of them. I think I lose against all of them.
Holmes: You’ve gotta play the cards you’re dealt, Jeff. That’s how life works.
Probst: OK, then I’m saying up front that I lose to all three of them. My best shot…is against Tony. I’m going to take him to the end. But, he’s a winner. I’m going to work with Varner and get rid of JT. That’ll allow me to get rid of one big threat early. He’s likable, he’s physical, he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Varner, I think I can find an alliance with the catty side of him. I think I can play that catty side as well. And I think he might trust me a little bit.

Holmes: Alright, we’ve got two left, so align one and malign the other.

Round Seven: Cirie and Sarah
Probst: Well, just because I love her so much, I’m working with Cirie. And if I lose to her I’m OK. That’s a great story. And I’m voting out Sarah because she’s up against Cirie. Nothing against Sarah.

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers,” Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET.

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

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‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ Champ Adam Klein Accepts the XFINITY Power Rankings Challenge

March 8, 2017

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ Champion Adam Klein (CBS)

The Rules: Each week our two 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 players will earn. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Game Changers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Quick Note: The pre-season rankings are for exhibition purposes only. No points will be awarded based on their content. Ideally, the players are being ranked based on their likelihood of being named Sole Survivor.

Adam Klein’s Pre-Season Rankings


1. Brad: So many people want to take him to the end and think they can beat him. But that perception is based on public bursts of rage directed at him that weren’t totally warranted. That reminds me of someone… By most accounts, Brad is actually a nice guy, and has shown that he has the chops to be in strategic control. From experience, I know that once someone decides you’re beatable at final Tribal Council, it’s hard to shake that idea, even when the evidence in front of you says otherwise. I’m looking towards those that are underestimated to do well on this season.	2. Sarah: Sarah is coming into this game with a very low threat level, and almost no one is talking about her. That’s a great place to be, especially when you actually are strategic, physical, and social. If Sarah can keep a low profile early, and then strike towards the end game, she has a great chance.

3. Zeke: Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I know from experience how good Zeke is at working people and building great connections. He’s very likable and very strategic. A powerful and winning combo. But with Russell’s legacy on “Heroes vs. Villains” in the minds of the others pre-game, he may have a bigger target as an unknown than he would have had otherwise.	4. Andrea: Andrea is my highest rated known ‘schemer’ in the cast. The others seem to understand that she is strategic, but they aren’t quite sure how threatened they are by her. All someone like Andrea needs is a window, and she seems to have that with this group. She’s got the charm to get them to drop their guard even when they know they shouldn’t.

5. Troyzan: Troyzan is similar to Brad in that he is wholly underestimated and people seem poised to want to take him far. This is the perfect kind of season for him, with a plethora of people that ought to be targets ahead of him, giving him time to build the strong bonds he needs. But he’s been blindsided to his real place in an alliance twice before (One World and the Durham Warrior Survival Challenge) – he’ll either learn from that or maybe he just doesn’t have that killer instinct.	6. Michaela: Michaela has all the tools. She is smart, likable, loyal, and insanely valuable in challenges. I think a significant majority of this cast will want to work with her. My only worry is that she hasn’t had enough time to learn from her mistakes: namely, keeping her thoughts and plans closer to the chest.

7. Ozzy: Ozzy’s stock has jumped the highest for me since the cast was announced. I used to think his social game would never allow him to win, but it does appear that Ozzy is more humble and soft-spoken than I would have guessed. If he can connect in a real way, he has everything else he needs to do well.	8.Hali: Hali is similar to Sarah in her pre-game threat level and that she has the potential to be a social, strategic, and physical threat, but also has the most refreshing humility of the whole cast. She knows she didn’t really do much to change the game last time out, but she is excited at the chance to change that. My worry is that she will swing too hard as a result, and that she has not done her homework and knows very little about the people she’s up against.

9. JT: JT is my highest rated winner. Everyone is looking at Sandra and Tony, which is great when you also happen to be a flawless winner. Don’t get me wrong, JT still has a massive target, but he is easily one of the best players out there and has a chance to overcome it.	10. Aubry: Aubry comes into this game with a massive target, having just been a strategic force on the most recently watched season. Her best bet would be to rally the other strategic threats together and then slide into their shadows. Plus, how epic of a season would that be?

11. Cirie: Cirie’s threat level is as massive as anyone’s, but I’m counting on her incredible charm to somehow still find a group of loyal allies. Even if she manages to go far, she’ll have a hell of a time getting all the way to the end.	12. Malcolm: Malcolm was my winner’s pick when I first heard the cast. He is social, strategic, and athletic, but not too much of anything to be an immediate target. But after reading pre-game interviews, I don’t think he has the humility to let the other huge egos around him shine. Sure, a lot of what he says is in jest, but it doesn’t always come off that way, and I don’t think this cast will stand for it.

13. Sierra: Sierra played a loyal game last time and I think a lot of people will want to work with her here. In my opinion, that will be a mistake for many of them. She knows that loyalty and not making a move was her downfall, so I’m looking towards Sierra to be the unexpected throat-cutter of the season. I think there’s a great chance she makes the final 3 with a solid game behind her, but I have a hard time imagining the jury awarding Sierra the win in a season entitled “Game Changers.”	14. Tai: Tai is lovely and adorable and someone I would love to see do well. My worry is that he has a hard time articulating his thought processes, something that you have to do not just at final Tribal, but throughout the game, in order to inspire confidence.

15. Jeff: Don’t be fooled into thinking Varner is old-school. He is as new-school as it gets, and is probably a bit too over-eager to ‘play the game.’ Patience is key, and I’m not sure Varner has enough of it to win.	16. Debbie: In a sea of competing egos, I’m not sure Debbie has it in her to fade into the background like she will need to in order to reach the end game. Her best bet is to entertain and stroke the egos around her, something I do think she is capable of.

17. Sandra: I actually think that Sandra could do very well with this group. She doesn’t have the perception of being as much of a ‘schemer’ as Tony, and could be seen as a loyal ally. The problem? Without a loss on her record, only the foolish are going to be willing to let her reach day 39.	18. Ciera: She is talking a huge game and underestimating virtually all of her competitors. She’s known as a ‘schemer’ and I don’t see many out there who will look to Ciera for steady loyalty.

19. Caleb: Anyone who goes into the game thinking Sandra doesn’t deserve the title of Game Changer but thinks they do even without going to Tribal Council doesn’t have the kind of reads or honest self-perception that are necessary to win “Survivor.”	20. Tony: This breaks my heart, but Tony’s target is massive entering the game and he is not doing anything at pre-game Ponderosa or planning on doing anything in the game (#SpyBunker anyone?) to lower that threat level. I will be the first to celebrate if I eat my words, as so many did over and over again every time Tony survived when Cagayan was airing.

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers,” Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET.

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

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Gordon Holmes Presents His Patented Terrible ‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Pre-Season Rankings

March 7, 2017

‘Survivor: Game Changers’ (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: The good folks at XFINITY sent me deep into the Fijian wilderness to bring you an exclusive look at “Survivor: Game Changers.” While I was there I conducted interviews with “Survivor” host Jeff Probst and the entire 20-person cast. I also captured exclusive photos and other behind-the-scenes tidbits. So, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Alright, you all know the drill; I go out on location. I interview everyone, I hang out for a few days, I get a sunburn. Then I come back and rank the players from most-likely-to-win to least-likely-to-win. Inevitably these rankings are horribly wrong. Let’s all ignore that mathematically, I probably should have picked a winner by now.

Note: Betting on Gordon Holmes’ Patented Terrible ‘Survivor: Game Changers’ Pre-Season Rankings is frowned upon.


1. Malcolm: I’m not just picking Malcolm because he batted his eyes at me. I’m picking Malcolm because it looks like he has matured and learned from his mistakes. The “Boston” Rob who won “Redemption Island” was much different than the one who alienated everyone in “All-Stars.” And, with challenge threats like JT and Ozzy around, Malcolm’s going to have room to maneuver after the merge. Read Malcolm’s Interview	2. Sarah: There’s something really dangerous about someone who has a reputation for being honest but is totally prepared to lie. Sarah could shock us all. Read Sarah’s Interview

3. Sierra: In a season of big swingers, it’s the quiet threats that you have to keep an eye on. Nobody expects anything from Sierra, so she’ll have plenty of time to plot out a move that could win the whole thing. Read Sierra’s Interview	4. Zeke: Anyone who’s worried that Zeke is Russell Hantz 2.0 is in for a rude awakening. Zeke’s worse. He pairs Hantz’s ability to sway people and make moves with a social game that would have won Hantz at least one…if not two…final Tribal Councils. Read Zeke’s Interview

5. Aubry: Aubry…you were…the hardest person to rank. You’ve clearly got the skills to get yourself out of sticky situations. But…everybody knows that. So, I’m going to put you relatively high on this list because I don’t think you’re tops on anyone’s hit list. Read Aubry’s Interview	6. Brad: You’d better get used to seeing Brad on your TV screen, because he’s going to be around for a looooong time. Everyone is viewing him as the perfect goat to take to the end. That might not be the safe bet everyone assumes it is because Brad is actually a likable guy. Read Brad’s Interview

7. Troyzan: I’m putting Troyzan in the same boat as Brad. A LOT of people want to take him to the end. And remember, even Phillip Sheppard received votes at final Tribal. Read Troyzan’s Interview	8. Andrea: Andrea’s biggest weakness in Caramoan seemed to be that she was always going a mile a minute. I think that kind of activity can rattle your alliance-mates. She should take a page from Tyson’s playbook and hang back a bit. Read Andrea’s Interview

9. Michaela: I don’t think the show has done a great job showing how likable Michaela is. She is a sweetheart. If she can get to the end, she can beat almost anyone. Read Michaela’s Interview	10. Jeff: I’m putting Jeff right in the middle of the pack because he has the highest ceiling and the lowest floor. He could keep his wits about him and take the whole thing, or he could panic and be one of the first people out. Read Jeff’s Interview

11. JT: Soooo…JT totally won “Survivor.” It was like a hundred seasons ago and it was before Tyler Perry idols and voting blocs, but it totally happened. This is a guy who dominated challenges and charmed a jury. I feel like everyone is forgetting that. Read JT’s Interview	12. Ozzy: “Boston” Rob finally picked up the big win on his fourth trip. Rupert didn’t even get to see his tribe’s beach. I’m guessing Ozzy’s strategic game won’t make up for what a big threat he is and he’ll end up somewhere between them. Read Ozzy’s Interview

13. Hali: I don’t know what it is about Hali. She seems to have all the tools to get the job done. She’s likable, she’s fit, she’s smart. But for whatever reason, I don’t see it in her. Don’t get me wrong, she could do it, but it’d be like a Fabio-level event. Read Hali’s Interview	14. Debbie: Puzzles lay down for Debbie like lovers. But will jurors lay down their ballots? I just can’t see it. Read Debbie’s Interview

15. Sandra: I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t fangirl over returning players. Strike that, I have only ever fangirled over one returning player; Sandra Diaz-Twine. She is SO much more than you see on TV. Likable, real, and super smart. It would take a miracle for her to get to the end. But if she got there, she’d win. Read Sandra’s Interview	16. Cirie: There is never a bad time to get rid of Cirie. From day one to day thirty eight, there’s always going to be a reason. You don’t need her at the beginning because she isn’t strong in challenges. You don’t want her at the end because she’s savvy enough to cut your throat. Read Cirie’s Interview

17. Ciera: Ciera and Cirie are in the same boat. There just isn’t enough upside to keep them early in the game. And if they do find allies, they might lose them during the day-six swap. Read Ciera’s Interview	18. Tai: Everyone is afraid to work with you, Tai. You have a reputation for spilling the beans, working with whoever talked to you last, and befriending dinner. You might go far, but you won’t win. Read Tai’s Interview

19. Caleb: Whenever newbies square off against returning players, the newbies almost always get squashed. With his zero lifetime Tribal Council visits, Caleb is basically a newbie. Read Caleb’s Interview	20. Tony: I put Tony last in Cagayan and he won the whole thing. I’d love (ahem…LOVE) for him to make me look stupid again, but I doubt the others will give him the chance. Read Tony’s Interview

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers,” Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET.

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

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‘Survivor’ Aubry: “I’m Not Going to Change Who I Am. I’m Proud of the Game I Played”

March 7, 2017

Aubry Bracco (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: The good folks at XFINITY sent me deep into the Fijian wilderness to bring you an exclusive look at “Survivor: Game Changers.” While I was there I conducted interviews with “Survivor” host Jeff Probst and the entire 20-person cast. I also captured exclusive photos and other behind-the-scenes tidbits. So, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Name: Aubry Bracco
Age: 30
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Previously Played On:
“Survivor: Kaoh Rong” – Runner Up
Best Known For: Almost quitting early, then rallying to make it to the end.

Gordon Holmes: The popular opinion seems to be that you should have won “Survivor: Kaoh Rong.”
Aubry Bracco: I get that a lot.
Holmes: And you’ve had to live with this for a year before the world knew.
Bracco: (Laughs)
Holmes: The jury awarding the game to Michele over you…does that affect how you approach this second go-around?
Bracco: I’m not going to change who I am. I’m proud of the game I played. I’d never say I was robbed. Michele gave that jury what they needed at that moment. I’d never say she didn’t play a great social game. She had relationships that were deep enough, but not so deep that it really hurt when she turned on people. That was a great read on her part. But, there are many layers to it. It was a wild year. When I first got home I was staying at my parents’ house and I would wake up and I would be like, “Where’s Cyd? Where’s Michele?” And I knew the vote when it happened. I knew that it was five to two. I could tell by the body language of the jurors. I could let it bury me or I could make changes for the better. I decided to try to look at the positives and what I learned about myself. And when this second chance came along, I could really try to ground myself and realize how I was perceived. I did get a lot of conflicting messages from a lot of people. I was told to be confident by Nick at the final Tribal, yet Scot, Jason, and Julia in their final videos before Tribal said I played a fear-based game. They said they didn’t see my game. But, Scot and Jason also said they recognized my game when I was in a position of power. So, it really taught me how dynamic “Survivor” is. I always said when I watched the show, “I wish people would take responsibility for their actions.” And I always take responsibility for my actions. I don’t blame the end of the game on anyone but myself. Yes, there were factors, but the biggest lesson I got was the opposite of what everyone else got. You can’t control everything. You can play your cards as hard as you can and it still might not work out.

Holmes: Are you worried that people might not align with you for fear of getting injured?
Bracco: That’s my strategy. If I want someone gone, I’ll align with them so they’ll be med-evaced.
Holmes: Probably the unluckiest player of all time. Well, the people who got taken out were probably less lucky.
Bracco: Yeah, Neil wasn’t dealt the best hand.
Holmes: Caleb almost died.
Bracco: Yeah, that little detail. That was horrifying. And Joe ate too much meat.
Holmes: That’s how I want to be med-evaced.
Bracco: He gorged himself. He was like a Roman emperor. He just gunned that meat like it was nothing. And he hadn’t eaten meat in twenty years. His girlfriend, I don’t remember if she’s a vegan or vegetarian, but they don’t eat meat.
Holmes: The lesson is; you need to babysit your alliance members.
Bracco: I love Joe and Tai is wonderful, but I did spend a lot of time and emotional energy with the people I was with last time to keep them in line. You can’t control people, I understand that. But, there was a lot of effort put into having a balance between someone being on my side and not thinking I’m in control of them. I think this time I’m going to look for people who are stable threats to pad me. Like a Cydney. She was my rock out there.
Holmes: I would never think of the energy expended keeping someone who is wishy washy in line.
Bracco: You have to have a mix of stable and erratic and it has to be the right combination. And after my last season I think I know the kind of erratic I can work with and the kind I can’t. There’s very different kinds of erratic. There’s Debbie erratic, there’s Tai erratic, there’s Joe erratic. You have to know which ones you can work with.

Holmes: What was your first thought when you heard the subhead “Game Changers”?
Bracco: I was totally flattered. To me the experience was so deeply personal and I grew with the game. So, it was really cool that a game that so profoundly changed me, I was considered someone who changed it. It was awesome. And the reason I was a game changer is that I brought an authenticity to the game. I played with an emotional intelligence. I think other people play social games, but I think there was a different level to what I was playing where I think sometimes the best strategic move isn’t an emotional one. I don’t think people always get that. When I voted out Debbie, and I can finally say this now because it isn’t coming out until after this game is played, I made the move to vote out Debbie because emotionally I knew that Tai would never work with her. I knew that Tai held all the power in the game at that moment. I had to get rid of her to break things up so I could get to Tai.

Holmes: How do you feel about this cast?
Bracco: This is a killer cast. I’m flattered to be with some of these people. It’s like the Hall of Presidents at Disney for “Survivor” players. I can’t believe I’m sitting here and Tony is sitting next to me. And he’s exactly how he is on the show. I’m like, “Is this guy real?” There are players I really respect. I have a lot of respect for Malcolm’s game. Sandra, she’s won three times. She’s doing something right.
Holmes: Two times.
Bracco: Oh yeah, sorry. We’d be idiots to let Sandra win again. These people are powerhouses in different ways.

Holmes: Is there anyone you’re looking forward to working with?
Bracco: I could see myself working with Malcolm. I really respect Denise as a winner.
Holmes: I love me some Denise.
Bracco: Me too. And I think Malcolm is kind of a well-rounded player in the social, physical, strategic sense. I think of myself in a similar way. We’re different, but we’re rounded the same. I think it’s cool that Sarah is here. I think she had a lot of potential as a player, but she found herself in a funky situation in Cagayan. It isn’t very different than what happened with me. I got lucky that it didn’t completely bury me.

Holmes: Any early targets?
Bracco: I’m wary of Sandra because she’s won twice. She has a formula that works. I already see her scoping the room, looking for tension in between people that she can pick at. She’s good at identifying where there’s a weakness. She’s scary. Debbie is always going to be a wildcard because there’s history there. I don’t hold a grudge. I’d be open to working with Debbie. But, we know each other very well and that can sometimes be difficult.

Holmes: You’re one of four Kaoh Rongers…
Bracco: I know.
Holmes: That’s a fifth of the cast. Does that concern you?
Bracco: Yeah. I’m flattered to be here. When opportunity knocks, you have to take it. But, this is right after our finale and a lot of people say I was screwed at the end. The other thing is, there are four of us here. I’d be psyched if I was the only one. I’d much prefer that. But, once we get out there, people will see that we’re all incredibly different. Debbie is Debbie, Tai is Tai…he truly loves all human beings. I think he’s going to have that inner turmoil again because he’s such a wonderful person. Caleb…I don’t know. And then there’s me. I’m hoping people see that even though we’re from the same season, we’re not playing together.

Holmes: How about the newbies? What do you do with Michaela and Zeke?
Bracco: They have an opportunity to duck early bullets. But, there’s also a way to make people paranoid about them. As much as people think they don’t have beefs or connections, but it’s a chance to say, “Well, this person told me that. And now they’re gunning for you.” And because these people don’t know Zeke and Michaela, who are they to say what their tendencies are?

Holmes: Even though you’re not allowed to do Power Rankings, which I’m furious about…
Bracco: (Laughs)
Holmes: I came up with a game to help you. I’ll give you a reason someone might use to get rid of you. I need you to counter it.
Bracco: Oh, this is cool.
Holmes: Aubry was a part of the Brains tribe. I saw her on Kaoh Rong. I don’t want someone smarter than me around.
Bracco: You don’t want someone smart around here? There are a lot of wild cards around here. And if you want to get to the end you need someone who is stable and will play in a strategic way.

Holmes: Aubry turned it on at the end. She won rewards, she started fires, better to get rid of her early while we can.
Bracco: I think people are going to see me as a physical threat, but I didn’t win immunities when they were clutch.
Holmes: Weren’t you the second to last person standing a lot of the time?
Bracco: Yes, but it doesn’t matter unless you win
Holmes: Fair enough.
Bracco: So, maybe I’m a choker. I’m not the best at puzzles.
Holmes: They don’t lay down for you like lovers?
Bracco: No, they don’t lay down for me like they do for Debbie.

Holmes: I’m a big believer that the last season a cast saw before they head out sets the tone for their season.
Bracco: I agree.
Holmes: The popular opinion of the last season we saw was that Aubry was robbed. I don’t want to get to the end and have this jury reward her for Kaoh Rong.
Bracco: Yeah, people might think I was robbed, but just because my season aired doesn’t mean that these other people didn’t have seasons. We all have stories. I might get jury sympathy, but I’m not the only threat here.

Holmes: I don’t want some big four-person Kaoh Rong alliance after the merge.
Bracco: You think those people are going to merge together? Spend five minutes with them and you’ll see that that’s not going to happen. Tai has an axe to grind with Aubry because he feels like the wool was pulled over his eyes. Debbie went up there at the end and said, “Aubry, you were amazing, blah blah blah” and then didn’t vote for me. Tai went to Caleb’s wedding. They get along like peanut butter and Jelly.

Holmes: Talking about “Survivor” being a product of the last season the cast saw; the jury is going to vote for their reasons. The perception could be that the Kaoh Rong jury voted based on social game over a strategic game. Whether that’s true or not, do you think that’s something that could carry over?
Bracco: I think people will be looking at the Sierras and Halis and not underestimating them. I’m going to use that as an argument. You can’t take all the threats out, because if you’re at the end with someone who’s kind of chill…those people can win. It happened to me, it can happen to you.
Holmes: It can’t happen to me. Because I’m not on this season. And then I couldn’t do the Power Rankings.

Holmes: Are you a part of any pre-season alliances? Have you heard any rumblings?
Bracco: I have heard rumors that my name is on the block.
Holmes: How so?
Bracco: I’m not going to get too into it, but I’ve heard that people want to put my name before them. But hey. I’ve had some people reach out to me and I’m staying chill. For someone who has a sixth sense like I have and a gut feeling about people, as you saw on 32, there’s something to be said for getting on the beach and figuring things out.
Holmes: Are specific people putting your name on the block?
Bracco: Yes…perhaps…
Holmes: Liiiiiike?
Bracco: I’m not going to say who.
Holmes: Fair enough, but how does that change your approach to those people?
Bracco: It’s a little bit scary. But, there’s a lot of chatter. And you can tell in pre-game that certain things you thought were true are going to unravel in a different direction. It’s just not that simple. A name is easy when the person isn’t in the room with you. In 32, I knew if I could work with someone based on how I felt sitting in silence with them. My senses calm down, and my sixth sense picks up.
Holmes: Your Spidey sense.
Bracco: It really is a Spidey sense.

Holmes: You’re in lockdown now, you’re not allowed to talk. But, people smile and nod. Are you doing any of that?
Bracco: There are certain people I feel comfortable around.
Holmes: Do they have names?
Bracco: (Laughs) Well, it kind of changes based on the day. When I first got here Malcolm and Ozzy seemed kind of stable. Sarah seems like she could be someone I could work with. It’s really cool to be in Cirie’s presence. I’m not sure which way she’s going to go. She’s got a game face on. Ciera has a really good game face on, you can’t read her. Hali is cool. I get a good vibe from her.
Holmes: Have you caught anyone else trying to communicate?
Bracco: Oh my gosh, JT with the winking. JT is such a flirt with everybody. Brad Culpepper can’t keep it in his pants…with the wanting to play.
Holmes: I wasn’t sure where you were going with that.
Bracco: (Laughs) No, I mean with the wanting to play. I have to be careful with that analogy. Certain people, I’m trying to see if they’re trying to undo something they did on their season or are they trying to get revenge? What are you trying to do? Ozzy was kind of America’s hero when he played, but in South Pacific he wasn’t the same Ozzy. I’m wondering if he wants to align with a Sophie to undo that. Or, is he wary of a girl like that.
Holmes: Are you a Sophie?
Bracco: I think Sophie is an easy person to jump to, but I’m my own beast.
Holmes: There’s no shame in that. I adore Sophie.
Bracco: Me too. She is whip smart. She’s got great observations. And when she said “Coach played like a little girl.” Oh my God.

Holmes: Alright, all of your opponents are in this deck of cards except for Michaela and Zeke, because we don’t know anything about them. I’ll give you three at random. You tell me who you vote out first, who you work with and eventually eliminate, and who you take to the end.
Bracco: This is amazing.
Holmes: Right? They’re laminated and everything.
Bracco: I’m impressed.

Round One: Tai, Sarah, and Caleb
Bracco: Align with Sarah…because she’s that kind of person who’s a stable strategy sounding board. She’s like a Cydney. Take Caleb to the end. He’s loyal to a fault and I think I could verbally beat him. I love you Tai, but I’m voting you out. I think you have a bone to pick with me.

Round Two: Cirie, Debbie, and Malcolm
Bracco: I’m voting out Debbie because the same thing as Tai. She has a bone to pick with me. I’ll align with Malcolm because I think he’s well-rounded. This is hard.
Holmes: Good, you need to flex those strategy muscles.
Bracco: Taking Cirie to the end, although we’re kind of the robbed goddesses. One of my regrets in 32 is that I had two people sitting next to me and neither of them were like me. They didn’t have the same strategic drive. So, when I spoke it came off as abrasive. I think Cirie is like me in a lot of ways.

Round Three: Troyzan, Ciera, and JT
Bracco: Voting out Ciera…I have a lot of respect for her as a strategic player. She’s scary. Aligning with JT, I think I could be his Stephen, but Stephen is going to beat him this time. I’ll take Troyzan to the end because I think he’s going to rub some people the wrong way.

Round Four: Brad, Tony, and Jeff
Bracco: (Laughs) Voting out Jeff because I don’t trust him not to flip. He’s acting like he’s very zen. And I love Jeff as a person. He’s trying to be yoga chill, but when he gets hungry he’s going to lose it. I don’t want to get Shirin’d. Align with Tony, then I’m going to beat the master at his own game before it’s too late. Go to the end with Brad. He’s going to piss people off. This is so fun!
Holmes: Good. It’s bad enough you have to talk to me, you might as well get some enjoyment.
Bracco: It’s like going to therapy. I couldn’t talk about it for a year, and in the interviews I knew I was coming back so I had to watch what I said. And, it was as dual interview.

Round Five: Sandra, Ozzy, and Andrea
Bracco: I’d vote Sandra out. But, part of me wants to align with her. OK, I’m going to vote out Andrea. She has a lot of game in her. I’ll align with Sandra, then smoke her post merge. I’ll take Ozzy to the end. We’ve both been to the end and I think I could verbally make a better argument than he could.

Holmes: Alright, we’ve got two left. Work with one and boot the other. Oh, and look who it is.

Round Six: Sierra and Hali
Bracco: That’s weird. I think these are the two most terrifying people in the game. I’m going to kill you. Not really.
Holmes: Oh, not really?
Bracco: (Laughs) I’ll vote out Sierra. I think she’s less predictable. I felt like I got less of a vibe on her game. I’ll work with Hali because I think she’s smart and will be a strategic sounding board.

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Game Changers,” Wednesday March 8, 2017 at 8 p.m. ET.

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

Tags:aubry bracco, survivor, survivor game changers
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Aubry: “I’m Not Going to Change Who I Am. I’m Proud of the Game I Played”

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