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‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Power Rankings – Round 3: Buff Droppin’ Edition

October 16, 2017

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” (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 with Aubry Bracco, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”

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 Ryan is voted out this episode, Aubry will receive four points and Gordon will receive seven points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Aubry had Patrick in spot 14. Gordon had him in spot 13. The current score is Team Aubry 28, Team Gordon 24.

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.


Aubry’s Score = 28 Any questions for Aubry? Drop her a line on Twitter: @aubrybracco	Gordon’s Score = 24 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Devon: Woo, woo — heir to Cagayan number two coming through! Devon’s not being noticed as a strategic threat, but he’s the man behind the curtain — that’s the sweet spot one week in. Keep it up, Devon!	1. Ben: OK, my general rule for tribe swaps is this; anyone who is a challenge threat who is now in danger of being down in the numbers on their new tribes is in danger. I’m talking about your Devons, your Alans, and your JPs. Not your Bens.

2. Ben: Ben’s cruising along, and people like Ashley are approaching him to talk game. He’s a natural leader in the group, and people seem comfortable with him there — all signs point to a deep run.	2. Chrissy: I’m putting you in the same boat as Ben. You’ll be fine even if you don’t end up on the same tribe. Nobody really has a reason to target you.

3. Chrissy: Chrissy’s metaphorically found her camo garb of choice, and his name is Ben. Anyone with an ability to turn their game around from “too visible in a bad way” to undercover in mere days has the chops to go deep.	3. Ali: You had a tough call to make last week between Lauren and Patrick. In the end, I feel like Lauren is more goaty (not a word) and Patrick was more annoy-future-alliance-membersy (also not a word). Good call.

4. Ryan: From wearing Simone’s boots to having everyone in stitches at Tribal — Ryan has this tribe jester thing down to a “T.” Keep them laughing, and they won’t see when you morph from lovable jokester to Pennywise in a half second flat.	4. Desi: Cole clearly trusted you enough to bring you on board. That speaks well of your social game. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of it after the swap.

5. Roark: I’m loving what Roark’s doing. She might be lying low, but she’s proving to be reliable and mentally stable. On “Survivor,” sanity is a trait that, like cold water, you don’t realize how much it means to you until you’re trapped with a bunch of lunatics on a hot beach.	5. Roark: See Desi. But, so you don’t think I’m totally slacking, here are two reasons why ranking swaps totally sucks; I have to redo the colored text in the images, we have NOTHING to go on, and we actually have to learn the tribe names.

6. Alan: Alan’s beginning to be predictably chaotic, also a valuable commodity on “Survivor” when the players around you are good enough to spot its potential uses. This guy is locked in place for awhile until he stirs trouble with the wrong person or completely loses it trying to open a coconut.	6. Joe: I’m thinking the swap will delay your tribe’s plans of sending you home. In fact, if I’m Roark and we’re on a tribe alone, I probably let you know what I know and use it to form a bond.

7. Ali: Ali’s in the middle of the pack at the center of all the strategy. My only concern is with only four left on her tribe, there’s nowhere to hide. Sometimes, the guy in middle of the road gets run over!	7. Ryan: The two people who should’ve been concerned that you were running the show are now enjoying some cold Vonus at Ponderosa. Either way, you should hang back a bit after the swap.

8. Desi: Like Roark, Desi has her head down on her shoulders and isn’t making waves yet. That’s the place to to be.	8. Lauren: Nobody needs the swap more than Lauren. She would be going home if the Hustlers had lost a third immunity challenge. Hopefully for her, there will be bigger fish to fry on her new tribe.

9. Jessica: Jessica’s flying high with her love goggles, and she has a direct line to some key information on the whereabouts of the idol. The issue? Her informant can’t quite keep it zipped. Proceed with caution!	9. Mike: Mike is the perfect example of someone who kept his cool and let the game work itself out. He got himself in trouble early, but by hanging back, the whole Cole vs. Joe thing exploded. Something always happens, you just need time.

10. Cole: He’s a physical threat, attractive as all get-out, about to be in a showmance and giving away information too soon. Cole’s perfect on paper, but he may be too much of a Survivor to last much longer on it, especially if tribes are already gunning at physical threats like Patrick.	10. Devon: Maybe you’ll end up with your Hustlers buddies…maybe you’ll be on a tribe with bigger challenge threats…maybe how well you played the first three episodes won’t matter…

11. Mike: Dr. Mike isn’t making too much noise, which is a good thing. With the Young Bucks alliance brewing on the Healers tribe, though, he’s got to make sure he’s full stream, oops, I mean full STEAM ahead on making those imperative social connections.	11. Cole: You told three people about Joe’s idol. The odds are the word is going to get back to him. Now, he might not be able to do anything about it if you’re on different tribes. But, look out if you two draw similar buffs.

12. Lauren: When you’re on the outs, but you’re different than the other person on the bottom, you’ve got the opportunity to show people why you’re different. Now that she’s had the opportunity to show she’s a more viable option than Patrick, Lauren has an opportunity — now she just needs to find a way to work her way in.	12. Jessica: Word spreads quickly after a swap, and if someone wants to target you, you haven’t been subtle about your feelings for Cole.

13. JP: JP’s passivity could prove to help him if he’s not seen as a threat. Unfortunately, with a guy who’s built like the Culpepper challenge beast 2.0 it will be hard to downplay that athletic body that Ashley is drooling over.	13. Alan: I sound like a broken record, “Challenge threats are never safe after a swap!” Annnd…if JP and Ashley can get a foothold somewhere, they can point out how you freaked out at them.

14. Joe: Nothing’s going well for Joe with the Curse of Tony still in full-throttle. In addition to giving away information on the idol too soon, now he’s irritating people while they eat. If there’s one tip I would give any future player — NEVER mess with a Survivor’s food, or your butt will be out the door.	14. JP: You’re on the outs with the majority of your current tribe and your new tribe is not going to have trouble targeting you if they lose immunity. Better start catching those lobsters.

15. Ashley: Ashley is blinded by unrequited love, in Alan’s sight at all times and already has Ben calling her a threat all in the first week? That’s a recipe for disaster.	15. Ashley: If I’m Ben, Alan, or Chrissy and I need to throw the target on somebody’s back, I’m going to point out how Ashley is in a Power Couple with JP. Even if it isn’t true.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Patrick – ‘Maybe I Could’ve Toned Myself Down’

October 12, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

Oh, Patrick…

Knocking-things-over, making-weird-jokes, screaming-your-head-off, getting-attacked-by-crabs, but-still-good-natured Patrick…

I had a chance to speak to the latest person to Hustle their way out of the game the morning after his elimination. During our chat I asked about his….big…personality, who’s really running the show, and his pre-game relationship with Ali…

Gordon Holmes: War Eagle, buddy.
Patrick Bolton: War Eagle!
Holmes: I’ve got a niece that’s a freshman at Auburn right now. My dad went there, my sister met my brother-in-law there…
Bolton: Really? That’s awesome. My entire family, my dad and my mom’s side of family went to Auburn.

Holmes: Let’s talk about that little TV show you were on.
Bolton: That little TV show…”Survivor!”
Holmes: You’ve heard of it. When you’re watching the show and they’re showing you causing all kinds of trouble, annoying Lauren, being loud, are your friends saying, “Wow, they edited you badly.” Or, are they saying, “Yep, that’s Patrick.”
Bolton: Unfortunately, everyone messaged me and said, “Yeah, I kinda predicted everything you did out there. This is just like Patrick.” And even in the past episode I said, “I don’t think I can make friends if I’m not myself.” Maybe I could’ve toned myself down and still made friends.

Holmes: Heading into Tribal, did you think you had a solid four-way alliance between you, Ryan, Devon, and Ali?
Bolton: I thought I had a super strong alliance. First landing on the beach we made a boys’ alliance. Hey, we’re not going to let the girls vote us out. I was tight with Ryan and Devon, more Ryan than Devon. I know Ali. There’s no chance she’s going to vote against me. I should’ve thought other than that. I thought I wasn’t going home. They didn’t show a conversation between Ryan and I where Ryan spilled out to me, “Hey, there are no worries, don’t look for the idol anymore.” He really spelled out for me a comfort zone, so I relaxed. I had no idea I was leaving. That’s why you can see how mad I was.

Holmes: You mentioned your pre-game relationship with Ali. Could you clear up exactly what that entailed?
Bolton: We were neighbors in college. She lived three or four houses down from me. We’d see each other occasionally. We weren’t best buds. But we had times where we hung out. Showing up for “Survivor,” a show that thousands of people sign up for? And somehow we both get cast for the same season and the same tribe?! And I haven’t said anything to anyone about Ali. And then she tells me, “Oh, I was telling people I knew you for precautionary reasons as soon as I saw your face.”
Holmes: Whenever I meet somebody, I say, “Hey, if we’re ever on ‘Survivor,’ let’s work together.”
Bolton: (Laughs) I definitely regret not working with Ali. I should have made it a point to make connections with her. I really blew it, honestly. As you’ve seen, she came up to me and said, “You need to calm down, I’ve heard your name thrown around.” But, if I thought if my name was on the chopping block, she’d give me that last warning.
Holmes: Well, since I have you here, if we’re ever on “Survivor,” let’s work together.
Bolton: Me and you! We’re going to the end.
Holmes: That Auburn alliance.

Holmes: Were you worried that people would be trying on your clothes the day after you were eliminated?
Bolton: I made sure to not leave my clothes behind. I packed up my shoes, my socks… I was not going to be embarrassed watching them try on my stuff. It was a free-for-all! You saw me try on her jacket. It didn’t look too good.
Holmes: I thought you pulled it off.
Bolton: (Laughs)

Holmes: Simone thought that Ryan had charmed the entire tribe and was running the show.
Bolton: He was. Ryan has played, while I was there, a great game. Thinking back, Ryan offered us nothing except some charm and jokes. He told jokes all the time. I thought he was hilarious. Going back, I’m wondering what did Ryan offer this tribe? He didn’t bring in firewood, he can’t crack open a coconut. I just thought I’d rather be hanging out with Ryan. Ryan definitely was doing a good job there.

Holmes: It seemed like Lauren was really annoyed with you. Put me in your head; were you trying to win her over? Were you having fun at her expense?
Bolton: I wasn’t trying to have fun at her expense or win her over. I was trying to work with Lauren at one point. And I realized I was getting on her nerves. I tried to not be overbearing, but I didn’t succeed. The target was on her back, so she had to throw it on my back. That’s good for her, congratulations. And she should’ve gone home, not me. I should’ve worked with Lauren and Ryan could have gone home. Every small thing you change, changes the entire outcome. I closed that door. I thought of her as a buffer, if she’s around, it won’t be me.

Holmes: Word association time, let’s start with Ali.
Bolton: Charming, nice, backstabbing.
Holmes: Ryan?
Bolton: Hilarious, small, like a wet rat.
Holmes: Devon?
Bolton: Quiet, Buddha.
Holmes: Simone?
Bolton: Crazy, loud…Simone. Simone is a good word to describe Simone.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Lauren.
Bolton: Closed-minded. It’s got to be her way or the highway.
Holmes: And prejudiced against redheads.
Bolton: Maybe in kindergarten a redhead took her lunch money every day and she still hasn’t let go.

Holmes: Again, your edit showed you being loud and clumsy, was there anything that happened out there that you wish they had shown?
Bolton: There was one time where I was snorkeling and I see this shark below me. And I had my spear, but I missed him. It was like a three-foot shark and I was going after it. That would’ve been really cool.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Episode 3 Recap: Cole’s Squad Goals

October 11, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

Last Week: Joe discovered an idol and was pumped, Ben found a potential new alliance and jumped, and Simone spent time in the water and was voted out.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Alright, let’s take a closer look at these tribes…

The Levu Tribe (AKA: The Heroes – Wearing Blue)
Alan, 31 – NFL Player
Ashley, 26 – Lifeguard
Ben, 34 – Marine
Chrissy, 46 – Financial Analyst
JP, 28 – Firefighter

The Soko Tribe (AKA: The Healers – Wearing Yellow)
Cole, 24 – Wilderness Survival Guide
Desiree, 27 – Physical Therapist
Jessica, 29 – Nurse Practitioner
Joe, 34 – Probation Officer*
Mike, 43 – Urologist
Roark, 27 – Social Worker

The Yawa Tribe (AKA: The Hustlers – Wearing Red)
Ali, 24 – Celebrity Assistant
Devon, 23 – Surf Instructor
Lauren, 35 – Fisherman
Patrick, 24 – Small Business Owner
Ryan, 23 – Bellhop

*Has an immunity idol

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

Hmm…no post-Tribal shenanigans at all. I guess it was just a smooth unanimous vote.

At Hustlers Beach

Ryan and Patrick are psyched that Simone left her clothing behind. They even put on an odd little fashion show. When they’re done sashaying, they both agree that they’d rather keep Ali over Lauren.

Lauren knows she’s on the outs and works to turn Ali and Devon against Patrick.

Ali is worried because Patrick is not subtle about his idol hunts and his screaming outbursts could come back to haunt her.

CUT TO: Patrick asking everyone if they’re stupid.

Ali tells him to cool it, but he’s worried that if he can’t be himself, he can’t make friends. Maybe go…like…35% Patrick.

At Heroes Beach

Chrissy and Ben appreciate that they’re in a prime position. Ben even says they’re driving the train…which seems easier than driving a car or something. A train just speeds up and slows down, right? I mean, no offense meant to the train drivers that read this.

Meanwhile, Alan is really frustrated with his inability to open coconuts. Oh, maybe the coconuts are in a power couple with the machete!

Pro-Tip for Future “Survivor” Players: When you go on the show, you’re going to have to know how to start fires, open coconuts, and whatnot. It’s actually really easy. You see, there’s this site called YouTube…

Also, Ashley admits that she’s falling for JP a little bit. Between them, Cole and Jessica, and Ryan and Devon, this season might become an unofficial “Blood vs. Water.”

At Healers Beach

Joe is very worried that Cole knows about his idol and is close to Jessica. He even says that Cole has “Love Bird Disease.” Love Bird Disease? That sounds like a case for…

(Yes, I’ve used that before. But it’s good to recycle.)

Sure enough, Jessica and Cole are getting really close. Cole even admits to Jessica that Joe has the idol. Jessica is so moved by him trusting her that she gives him a smooch on the cheek, which is a big deal because Jessica is a virgin.

The duo decides that blindsiding Joe might be a good idea. However, Cole takes this plan to Roark and Desi without checking with Jessica first.

Quick Aside: I’m with Jessica on this one. Cole should take her advice and not rush to give up things you can’t get back.

In other news, Desi is really annoyed with how Joe will chuck food into the woods if he doesn’t like how it is prepared. This show always comes down to food, always.

Immunity Challenge Time: The teams will run through an obstacle course. At one point, they’ll have to use sandbags to knock blocks off a beam. The first two tribes to stack all of their blocks will win immunity. The first tribe will win chickens. The second tribe will receive some eggs.

Sitting Out: Mike

Challenge Results: The Heroes took first place, while the Healers finished second. It looked like the Healers would claim first, but they forgot one of their blocks. Another important thing to call out is Patrick’s failure to deliver during the sandbag throwing portion. What’s worse is Lauren, who has 25 years of softball experience, begged to take his place and he wouldn’t let her.

Post Challenge Politicking

I don’t think anyone is surprised that it’s looking like a Patrick vs. Lauren showdown.

Patrick feels bad about the loss, but he says if you look at Lauren, he doesn’t think that her subbing in would have changed much. That’s why we talk to people, dude.

Patrick then tells us that he wants to make sure that Lauren feel good for her remaining time in the game. So…he goes to talk to her? Has he been paying attention to what Lauren likes?

She immediately figures out who he’s voting for by pointing out that redheads aren’t good liars. Is that a thing? I’m way behind on my stereotypes.

It all comes down to the same thing as last week; they think Patrick is a hot head who’s good at challenges and the other person is loyal.

Tribal Time

Lauren called out Patrick for not being a team player in the challenge and spending his time idol hunting. She also continued her redhead bashing. Who hurt you, Lauren?

In his defense, Patrick thinks he’ll be useful later in the game because he’s good at making friends. Ali points out that he hasn’t been successful with Lauren.

Also, Ryan claims that he’s never been in a relationship. Don’t worry, buddy. Former “Survivor” guys tend to get hot “Survivor” girlfriends when it’s all over.

Voting: We’ve got one vote for Patrick, one vote for Lauren, one vote for Patrick, and the third person voted out of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” is…Patrick

Note: As Patrick left he said, “You guys are awful.”

Verdict: Wow…I thought Lauren was a goner. It just seemed like Patrick had strong ties to both Ali and the other guys.

This season started slow, but I’m liking a lot of these players. I kinda wish we didn’t have a swap coming up, cause I’d love to see the Healers try to continue their run.


	Ali – Keeping Lauren over Patrick was probably a good call. If anything, you might’ve bought Lauren’s loyalty for the rest of the game. Chrissy and Ben – You two are ruling the roost. And, you won’t be obvious targets after the swap. Devon – You’re doing great. But, I’m worried because challenge threats on tribes with lower numbers are always in trouble after a swap.
	Ryan – I’m starting to see what Simone was saying about you being too likable. Might want to tone it down a bit. Desi and Roark – Much like Ben and Chrissy, sometimes you just have to stay drama-free and let the others make mistakes.
	Lauren – You did exactly what you needed to do to stay alive. But, you need to put yourself out there more, or you’re going to be someone’s goat. Jessica – You’ve got yourself a meat shield who trusts you enough to share big info. Now you have to rein him in a bit.
	Ashley – Saving JP is way less important than selling yourself. By working to keep him around, you’re lending weight to the Power Couple debate. Cole – Using your idol info to cement your alliance with Jessica? Good. Using your idol info to target someone before you know you’re going to Tribal? Bad.
	Joe – The food thing? Really? “Survivor” 101, buddy.
	JP, Mike, Alan – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Aubry Bracco had Patrick in spot 14, I had him in spot 13. The current score is Team Bracco 28, Team Holmes 24.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Power Rankings – Round 2: Sexual Healing Edition

October 9, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”

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 Ryan is voted out this episode, Aubry will receive five points and Gordon will receive three points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Aubry had Simone in spot 14. Gordon had her in spot 11. The current score is Team Aubry 14, Team Gordon 11.

Aubry Says: The game is on, folks, and the beaches ripe with power couples. Here’s where our fair castaways stand after Week 2…


Aubry’s Score = 14 Any questions for Aubry? Drop her a line on Twitter: @aubrybracco	Gordon’s Score = 11 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Ali: Ali is the total “Survivor” package. She: A) understands and sees the value of people on the bottom? Check. B) is aware of emotional vampires who require attention and will sap her energy in The Game down the line? Check. C) gives a little bit of side-eye when warranted? Checkmate.	1. Ben: Thankfully, things calmed down a bit on Hero beach. And after Chrissy crunched the numbers, and had everyone complete the 250-question personality test, she decided that Ben is her perfect eHarmony partner.

2. Ben: He’s smart, savvy and a king of chaos management. Plus, he’s got the even keel charm of Tom Westman blended with the charm of Tocantins’ JT. This guy isn’t going anywhere any time soon.	2. Devon: I only smile when I’m talking strategy with you…or thinking about killer waves…or literally doing anything. It’s fine though, everybody likes Devon and he’s the strongest member of his tribe. He ain’t goin’ nowhere.

3. Devon: Devon is a Brains in Woo clothing. There’s more to this surfer dude than meets the eye. This guy could ride this wave to the end.	3. Ryan: A little bad news for Ryan as Simone was well aware that he was running the show. That shouldn’t cause any problems in the near future, but he should keep an eye on that.

4. Chrissy: She’s making a list, she’s checking it twice — Chrissy’s got her head on straight and is wisely taking stock of her observations. This kind of decision-making ability will only help down the line.	4. Ali: Well, the Gordon-picked-me-to-win curse hasn’t taken you out yet! And, you proved you’re a cool, calming operator. Question is; is Patrick too abrasive to keep around?

5. Ryan: Why is everyone so surprised when nerds are likable and have social game? Ryan, like many before him, is proving that some of “Survivor’s” brainiest brainiacs have the ability to use their less-than-threatening image as a weapon.	5. Chrissy: Scanning…scanning…scanning… Truthfully, I loved Chrissy’s breakdown of her Hero tribemates. And being Ben’s right hand seems like a great place to be.

6. Cole: We know his looks, smile and personality have Jessica swooning, but now the Second Coming Of Tony is giving him an idol clue too? Cole’s got that special “Survivor” magnetism that just draws people into his orbit.	6. Desiree: Miss Virginia, huh? That’s pretty cool. I’d love to watch you play “Survivor” sometime.

7. Jessica: She’s getting into a power couple which could spell danger. The good news? Jessica has the kind of upbeat personality that will neutralize that, and nobody seems to care. If anything, she and Cole have some hangers on.	7. Roark: Social worker, huh? That’s pretty cool. I’d love to watch you play “Survivor” sometime.

8. Mike: Mike already has his archenemy Joe admitting he’s likable. This guy will be safe if the Healers go to Tribal, and he has the chops to integrate in the event of a swap.	8. Alan: You needed a nice, calm episode after the premiere’s flaming dumpster fire that crashed into a trainwreck. And, you got it. Now, how do you build a new foundation?

9. Desi: Desi is opening up to people about her Miss Virginia past, which is good! She’s making personal connections. I’m positive we just haven’t seen what Desi has brewing yet.	9. Ashley: From “core four” to “potential power couple without benefits” is not what you want from your first few of days in the game. I think you’re smart enough to steer out of it though, even if that means cutting JP loose.

10. Roark: Roark is quiet, but she got some blur in for a sassy mouth at the challenge. What that tells me? She’s comfortable enough on her tribe to run her mouth a little bit but, smartly, lying low.	10. Joe: Did you really think the idol was buried underneath a moving item? It’s OK, we all make mistakes. Now, you have to lock Cole down. I think cutting him loose would be way too mysterious at this point.

11. Alan: Alan is a little more low-key. However, he still believes spreading suspicion is the best way to keep out of trouble. If he can spread a little chaos and paranoia without letting it get to his head, he may have a point. If Alan makes it past next week, his sins of the first 3 days may be absolved.	11. Cole: “Gee, Joe…I have no idea what that water well-shaped icon is supposed to represent. See ya later.” Rookie mistake. Hope it doesn’t cost you.

12. Ashley: Chrissy already sees Ashley as a threat, and she’s already been doomed with the title of one half of a power couple that’s been in the middle of some shenanigans. Not the greatest place to be in the “Survivor” universe.	12. JP: Are you really only talking to Ashley? Even after Alan called you two out as a couple? Poor form.

13. JP: JP doesn’t like drama and pulls lobster dinners out of the ocean. That’s great and all, but he needs to spend these early days connecting with his tribe too. The early feedback from others on JP confirms he isn’t making those lynchpin relationships. Not. Good.	13. Patrick: Everyday can’t be “The Patrick Show starring Patrick and featuring the Patrick Dancers.” Hopefully Tribal was a wakeup call for you to tone it down.

14. Patrick: Oh, Patrick, you wild banshee you! He’s got so much energy, I’m afraid he’ll start generating heat and burst into the flames. At least the tribe won’t need to trouble themselves with the flint anymore.	14. Mike: I’m not convinced you’re safe. It’s very possible that this Joe/Cole dust up is much ado about nothing. But, if you’re see signs of it, you need to stoke that fire.

15. Lauren: Lauren’s steadiness makes her an attractive ally for someone willing to put in the work. That said, she needs to be building relationships and quickly. That doesn’t seem to be her forte.	15. Lauren: I think your tribe likes you and wants to keep you around, but if they lose again they’re going to want to keep Patrick’s strength. Unless he starts with Pauly Shore impressions. Then he’s gone, buuuuuuddy.

16. Joe: Joe has an idol, which is a seemingly good thing, but there’s a whole lot here to worry about. He’s running around in the woods — never a good thing. Worse, he says he likes Dr. Mike despite wanting him out. Mike and Joe are the power couple we actually need.	16. Jessica: You don’t want to be half of a flirting power couple if Joe is worried about Cole knowing about his idol. If Joe sends a message, it’s going to be through you.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:aubry bracco, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Simone – ‘I Thought that Ryan Was the Biggest Threat’

October 5, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

You’re on a tribe with a guy that yells at crabs, does weird accents, and is constantly screaming…and you’re the weird one?

I spoke with Simone Nguyen the morning after she was eliminated to get to the bottom of this mystery. I also had a chance to ask her about the tribe dynamics, the Ryan/Devon bromance, and her superhero alter ego…

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”

Gordon Holmes: Alright, I hate to start this off on an awful, awkward question…
Simone Nguyen: OK, lay it on me.
Holmes: So, you’re on this tribe with a dude that does weird accents and is yelling at crabs…
Nguyen: (Laughs)
Holmes: And you’re the weird one?! How does that happen?
Nguyen: Oh my God! The yellow tribe, love them, don’t want to ever say anything bad about them. But Patrick is one of the weirdest people I have ever met in my life! Everyone had lied about their background. Lauren lied about being a fisherman, she said she was a contractor. Ali said she never went to college. Devon said he never went to college. Ryan said he dropped out of college. Here I am, I’m hiding nothing. I’m not going to let people think I’m sneaky so I didn’t lie about my background. I went to Colombia, I live in New York, I don’t know how to drive. I’ve never been camping. And I’m thinking, “Oh no! Oh no! Too open! Reel it back!” So now, somehow Patrick is the one that fits in! So yeah, I’m the weirdo. Can’t help it.

Holmes: I thought it was impressive that all of this was new to you, but you watched videos, and when it came time to step up and gut the fish, you made it happen.
Nguyen: I appreciate that. It was tough preparing. It didn’t occur to me that I should go camping before going out there. I thought, “Beginners luck, I’ll figure it out.” But, I’d read the Boy Scout manual. I knew exactly what was going to terrify me. But I had a blast. I knew I had to work hard around camp, I had to volunteer for whatever I could do. Whenever there’s work on “Survivor,” just do it.

Holmes: Ali and Patrick seemed to have some familiarity with each other before the game.
Nguyen: They went to college together. They had the same friend group, I don’t think that they were best friends. I think they just knew each other. But they’re really different people, so it’s not a friendship that you would expect. Ali is this serious, diligent, thoughtful, beautiful goddess of a woman and Patrick is a goofball and he owns it. I suspected nothing.

Holmes: Ryan and Devon seem like opposites as well. Did you know that they were partnering up?
Nguyen: I thought that sending Patrick home was my only chance to stay, but I thought that Ryan was the biggest threat right out of the gate. He’ll tell a joke, like a generic pun, and everybody laughs. Everybody is so enthralled by this short, adorable man. That person terrifies me. I can’t do a thing like that. And I felt like Ryan had Devon and Patrick in his pocket. And then you didn’t get to see it, but I witnessed the most intimate conversation between Ryan and Lauren when they were bonding over the fact that they have different types of bodies. Lauren’s a bigger girl, Ryan’s a smaller guy. How do you compete with that? They’re bonding over something they’ve had to deal with their entire lives. I didn’t have an experience that could compare. You can see yourself not fitting in as much. Ryan had a lot of control in the beginning, and kudos to him for finding the super idol.
Holmes: Don’t knock generic puns. I make my living off of those.
Nguyen: Oh my God! I love a pun. That’s why I was so scared. I have a really weird sense of humor, which is another reason why I didn’t fit in. So, Ali’s hair…you saw like three hairstyles last night. She looks really great. She would say, “Oh, my hair is a little nappy.” And Ryan would lie down and say, “I’m about to take a little nappy.” And I would die. If I wasn’t on the floor, I’d be on the floor. The fact that I was laughing that hard scared me, I should have been more aware.

Holmes: Tell me more about Lauren. She seemed very concerned that she wasn’t going to fit in because of her age.
Nguyen: I actually really liked Lauren and wanted to work with her. But, we’re so different it’s almost impenetrable. She had once voiced that, “Y’all are a bunch of kids.” I can’t do an impression of her.
Holmes: You don’t have to.
Nguyen: She’d say she feels like an old lady. And my boyfriend is a little bit older than her. So, in trying to comfort her I said, “Don’t worry about it, I haven’t dated someone younger than you in years.” And of course everybody’s’ heads turned and I thought, “No! That’s not what I wanted to say!” So, I was the weird one. But, I didn’t care that she was older. She seemed like somebody who was really hard working. She didn’t stop for a minute. I wish she had liked me more.

Holmes: You mentioned the super idol, was anyone looking for other idols?
Nguyen: Patrick was looking all day, every day. Wakes up in the morning, doesn’t help with the fire. We all know he’s out looking for the idol. Patrick goes looking for the idol in front of us. I catch Patrick looking for the idol. He says, “I’m looking for the idol. What are you doing?” I’d say, “I guess I’m gathering firewood unless you want me to come look with you.” Then he’d say, “Yeah, come look with me.” This is not a thing that I was trying to do with my life. So, that was Patrick.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Ryan.
Nguyen: Skinny Ryan. I know he’s not supposed to be the skinny Ryan on the show, but he’s way skinnier.
Holmes: The skinniest Ryan.
Nguyen: That’s a good one.
Holmes: Patrick?
Nguyen: Redhead, ginger…
Holmes: Ali?
Nguyen: Hair goals, a beautiful Grecian model…she’s not Grecian, but…she looks so good. It was insane.
Holmes: Lauren?
Nguyen: Fisherwoman with a question mark. We had all bought into the fact that she was a contractor because we weren’t eating a lot of fish those first couple of days.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Devon.
Nguyen: Did you see those abs?
Holmes: I did.
Nguyen: Do you know about the phenomenon called “Island Hotness?”
Holmes: I do.
Nguyen: It is 100% real. It is so nice to look at when you’re far from home. So, thank you Devon for that.
Holmes: Simone, you don’t think I cover this show for Jeff Probst, or the palm trees, or the challenges, do you?
Nguyen: It has to be the island hotness. In pre-game, there were gratuitous amounts of hotness. I’d look around and be giggling like a fiend. This is amazing, life is wonderful, “Survivor” is a gift.

Holmes: Last night you shared with us your super power.
Nguyen: Oh God!
Holmes: Do you have a superhero alter ego?
Nguyen: You know what? Nobody wants to go with the obvious, which is “The Aqua Dumper.” But you want to be known for something. I’m going to let the fans on Reddit come up with that one for me.
Holmes: That is a dangerous proposition. So, you’re weird, but you’re brave.
Nguyen: I certainly felt brave when I was doing my business in the ocean. But I also felt brave going out there. It was my first time out of the country, the first time camping, the first time doing so many things. I really felt like, “This is my time! If I’m going to go, I’m going to go hard!” I had a great time.

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

Tags:simone nguyen, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Episode 2 Recap: The Dawn of the Ali-Ance?

October 4, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

Last Week: Ryan made a firm base, Alan made a creepy face, and what’s the medal for 18th place?

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Alright, let’s take a closer look at these tribes…

The Levu Tribe (AKA: The Heroes – Wearing Blue)
Alan, 31 – NFL Player
Ashley, 26 – Lifeguard
Ben, 34 – Marine
Chrissy, 46 – Financial Analyst
JP, 28 – Firefighter

The Soko Tribe (AKA: The Healers – Wearing Yellow)
Cole, 24 – Wilderness Survival Guide
Desiree, 27 – Physical Therapist
Jessica, 29 – Nurse Practitioner
Joe, 34 – Probation Officer
Mike, 43 – Urologist
Roark, 27 – Social Worker

The Yawa Tribe (AKA: The Hustlers – Wearing Red)
Ali, 24 – Celebrity Assistant
Devon, 23 – Surf Instructor
Lauren, 35 – Fisherman
Patrick, 24 – Small Business Owner
Ryan, 23 – Bellhop
Simone, 25 – Diversity Advocate

Post-Tribal Shenanigans

We learn that Chrissy is allowed to hang onto her idol even though it is powerless. Like an infant at an “Entourage” trivia night.

Yikes, that is a terrible analogy.

Ben thinks the tribe is like old paint because it’s cracked and fractured. Also, Ben is better at analogies than I am.

Ben also lets us know that the core four is dead. Yeah, like a fish vacationing on the sun.

(Damnit.)

At Hustlers Beach…

Ryan and Devon are very comfortable in their adorable alliance. However, Devon does point out to Ryan that he doesn’t smile when he talks strategy with other people. Probably not a great idea to reveal your tell on “Survivor,” buddy.

Simone seems to be on the outs with her entire tribe. Ryan even calls her “weird.”

CUT TO: Simone bragging because she was able to pee in the ocean. She says it made her feel like a superhero.

10-Second Brainstorm for Simone’s Superhero Name: The Urine-ator…The Tinkler…Sim(Number)One…

She also says she hates the outside. C’mon, that’s like Probst hating blue button-down shirts.

(That’s better.)

Finally, Simone shows her worth to the tribe by being able to gut a fish. Go Simone!

Ali decides she wants to bring Simone onto her side because of Simone’s outcast status.

In other news, Patrick is really rubbing people the wrong way. We’re treated to an edit of Patrick screaming at crabs, doing weird accents, and breaking wind. Basically he’s driving Lauren crazy.

At Healers Beach…

Jessica and Cole continue to flirt, but Cole thinks Jessica isn’t interested because she sees him as a little kid. This makes me wonder if Cole has ever seen a little kid.

Joe and Mike are getting along, but Mike is still Joe’s biggest target. Joe finds himself in a bind because he wants to hunt for the idol, but he’s already told the tribe that Mike has it.

This doesn’t completely deter Joe. In fact, he finds the first idol clue stamped on a tree. He can’t quite figure out where it is, so he gets Cole to help him. Cole figures out that it’s by the water well. They dig around the well and Joe finds the idol.

Of course, Joe is now nervous that Cole knows his secret.

I found this whole exchange to be really interesting. My first instinct would have been to destroy the clue after I found it. Maybe you could scratch it off of the tree? But, the way Joe ended up going about it, he now shares a secret with someone who seems like he’ll be loyal.

Actually, I wonder if there was an opportunity for Cole to keep his well revelation quiet and find the idol for himself later. But, it was in the heat of the moment, so I don’t blame him for not thinking of it.

At Heroes Beach…

Chrissy breaks down the entire tribe “Terminator” style. It was truly inspiring. She thinks JP isn’t very bright, Ashley is a player, Alan is a risky person to partner with, and Ben is the best alliance for her.

Ben and Chrissy agree to work together and keep their options open for Ashley or Alan. They decide against working with JP because he doesn’t talk to anyone. Huh…

Immunity Challenge Time: Three players from each tribe will dive into the water and retrieve bags of puzzle pieces. Once they’ve all been collected, the remaining teammates will use the pieces to complete a signpost puzzle. The first tribe to finish will win immunity and a giant fishing kit, the second tribe gets immunity and a more modest fishing kit.

Sitting Out: Joe and Lauren

Challenge Result: Despite falling behind early, the Healers were able to claim first place. The Heroes took second. Ali and Simone were the losing puzzle team.

Post Challenge Politicking

It looks like it’s going to come down to Simone vs. Patrick.

Simone tries to “shape the narrative” by pointing out that Patrick and Lauren are always butting heads.

Patrick does his own narrative shaping by claiming that Simone doesn’t do much for the tribe.

Ali, Ryan, and Devon seem to be the ones making the call. They feel like Pat is unpredictable, but good at challenges and Simone is a challenge liability, but she’ll be loyal.

And as for Ali, Ryan, and Devon working together…

IT’S HAPPENING!

Tribal Time

Not much to report on here, other than everybody acting shocked when Patrick said he didn’t trust everyone in the tribe. That was odd to me because who trusts everyone on their tribe?

Also, Lauren said she hopes they don’t see Probst again anytime soon. That’s hurtful. And, he’s gonna be at the challenges, this isn’t Samoa.

Voting: We’ve got one vote for Patrick, three votes for Simone, and the second person voted out of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” is…Simone.

Verdict: This seems like a solid decision from the Healers. When you break down the pros and cons of Patrick vs. Simone, you have someone who’s wild, but good in challenges against someone who has the potential to be strategically dangerous and is bad at challenges.

Actually, compared to last week, I think we’re going to have a lot more high grades…


	Ali and Ryan – They’ve got a solid majority, they’ve got some potential fodder in Patrick, and they’ve got that hustle. Chrissy – From potentially on the bottom to a comfortable alliance with Ben in one day? Well done. Ben – Sometimes you can just sit back and everyone comes to you.
	Devon – Sooper minor nitpick…but did your smiling comment tip Ryan off to when you’re lying? Joe – I like that you’re forward-thinking with your concern for Cole, but targeting him now is going to be a mess.
	Ashley – People are always afraid of power couples. You did the best job of becoming the power couple partner they’re most likely to keep around. Cole – Someone like Joe is going to want to do all of the thinking. Let him. Otherwise he’ll turn on you quickly.
	Patrick – “Survivor” 101…don’t be annoying early in the game. People are looking for any reason to target someone. Don’t give them a reason. JP – If people think you’re in a power couple, open lines of communication with everyone, not just with your power couple partner. All the lobsters in the world can’t protect you if you’re keeping to yourself. Well, giant lobsters could protect you.
	Lauren, Desiree, Roark, Jessica, Mike, and Alan – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Power Rankings Results: Aubry Bracco had Simone in spot 14, I had her in spot 11. The current score is Team Bracco 14, Team Holmes 11.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Power Rankings – Round 1: Super Idle Edition

October 2, 2017

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” (CBS)

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”

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 Ryan is voted out this episode, Aubry will receive two points and Gordon will receive three points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Before we head into this week’s fun, Aubry has a special message for this season’s cast…

Aubry Bracco: Congrats, “Survivor” 35 cast! Your journey has begun. My best advice? Don’t listen to the armchair quarterbacks (I guess that includes me). Remember what the experience meant to you and enjoy the ride for all its ups and downs.


Aubry’s Score = 0 Any questions for Aubry? Drop her a line on Twitter: @aubrybracco	Gordon’s Score = 0 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Ben: I love everything about the way this guy is playing. He’s in the dominant four, but he’s not ruling out working with Chrissy. If there’s a surprise swap, this guy, who’s a proclaimed “Teddy and Grizzly Bear,” seems like he’ll be able to use both his fire and awareness of emotion to find the space in the cracks.	1. Ben: Wow…what a mess. Probst tosses your tribe six buffs, so you know you’ve got to get a majority quickly. You make it happen and then Alan…Alans. Pulls a total Alan. But, you played it the best you could and are now the person in the tribe will all of the options.

2. Ryan: This guy has already found (1.) A super idol (2.) A BFF to downplay his nerd archetype (Devon) (3.) a way to get a jump on making allies on the other tribe (Chrissy by way of gifting her the idol). Ryan’s creating a solid foundation quickly AND quietly.	2. Devon: You’re the most athletically gifted member of your tribe and you’re partnered with the dude who doesn’t have mystery crabs in his pants. Well played.

3. Devon: He’s mild-mannered in a very Woo-like way. I’d love to have him around camp — it seems like his presence would have an anti-anxiety effect on any tribe of deranged lunatics.	3. Ryan: I can’t think of a better way to play the super idol. You got the benefit of using it to make a partnership with a meat shield, it has the potential to help you after the merge, and it didn’t put any heat on you.

4. Ali: I love Ali’s mentality — she’s got the Julia Sokolowski blend of smarts and super social skills. I see her being a chess master or a sorority president depending on the day. Time will tell, but from the little I’ve seen, this girl seems to have a deep toolkit of life experience to pull from even though she’s a youngster.	4. Cole: Ugh…why did I crop these photos so high? A waste of perfectly good abs.

5. Desiree: She’s working hard to be even keeled. It’s always good to see someone who has that control early in the game. Desi seemingly has a spot with the younger members of her tribe but doesn’t seem like she’ll easily get tied up in promises she can’t keep off the bat.	5. Ali: Alright, Ali…you’re my winner pick. That means there’s no possible way you’re going to walk away with the million-dollar check. But, maybe…just maybe your considerable tools can overcome the classic Holmes curse.

6. Roark: Like Desi, Roark is in a good spot — between a budding showmance and the craziness brewing between Joe and Mike. Stay like a rock, Roark, and I think you might cruise for a bit. Easy does it.	6. Desiree: You’ve got a showmance on one side and Joe and Mike having awkward jungle throwdowns on the other. You’re going to have plenty of room to maneuver.

7. Cole: Jessica tells us Cole is working hard not to seem like the “tough guy.” It’s clear people see this guy’s heart — they see his abs too. Right now, if he’s able to keep playing down his threatening persona, which it seems he’s taking actions to diminish, he’s in a decent spot so long as a showmance doesn’t knock him down.	7. Roark: See Desiree

8. Jessica: Jessica is a “Survivor” powerhouse — she’s got the brains, brawn and the beauty. Her future could be bright. I’m worried, though, that she might be spotted as the second coming of Andrea Boehlke. Finding a Romeo to her Juliet on Day 1 won’t help either.	8. JP: A right-hand lady that you click with? Awesome! A four-person alliance full of challenge threats? Awesome! Alan freaking out over non-existent idols? Less awesome. The good news is, they’ll come for Ashley before they come for you. The bad news is, you can trust one person on your five-person tribe.

9. Ashley: Ashley has seen a lot of drama 3 days in. The good news is the dysfunction is prepping her for the harder stages of the game. In Ashley, I see Cydney — she used her crazy days of Scot and Jason vs. Alecia to silently plot out her long game.	9. Alan: Oh Alan, based on the game you played you should be so, soooooo much lower on this list. But, you’re still a former professional athlete and it seems like Ben is going to stay loyal to you.

10. JP: JP is on the wrong show. This isn’t “Naked And Afraid.” With so much chaos, I’m afraid he and Ashley could become victims of a Ben, Chrissy and Alan team-up.	10. Jessica: Yes, the pull of Cole’s dashing looks and endearing life choices are hard to resist. But, as JP and Ashley taught us, you don’t want anyone to think a showmance is going on.

11. Patrick: I’m not sure about Patrick. It’s great he has an ally lined up in Ali, but there’s something kind of big about his personality that makes him bouncy and very noticeable. It may be wise to turn it down, though that feels somewhat unfair to say considering Ryan told the lion share of the Hustlers story.	11. Simone: Hey there, buddy. Hope you had a good premiere. Were you up to anything? Starting alliances? Finding idols? Crafting a Swiss Family Robinson treehouse?

12. Chrissy: Chrissy and I are kindred spirits. Our karmic path: let’s see how many highs and lows we can experience in a premiere episode. I’m concerned Chrissy is on the outs of her tribe, but it gives me big hope someone on another tribe (Ryan) has already identified her as a potential ally.	12. Joe: Oh…Joe. I love me my Russell-esque…Vlachos-esque game manipulators. Are you one of them? Because that little get together in the woods with Mike did not go well. If you were trying to bring him under your wing, you failed. Hoping for more from you in episode two.

13. Mike: I love you Mike, but you need to chill a little bit on the wooded excursions. Between the yellow attire and the scurrying about, I’m getting major Tai vibes! Will you start kissing Cole next too? We can only hope!	13. Chrissy: I think some editing trickery made us think you were closer to Katrina than you were. That’s fine. There’s no way editing can hide the cracks in the dominant alliance. Find them and exploit them!

14. Simone: I want to hear from Simone! What concerns me is, like Lauren, the rest of her tribe is already locking in. That said, she could be playing silent but deadly, waiting for the perfect time to sneak out of the grass and attack.	14. Patrick: Hey, eating bugs worked out for Mike in “Worlds Apart.” But, be careful that you don’t come off as too-weird-to-predict. It’ll make people like Ali second guess working with you.

15. Lauren: We didn’t hear a thing from her, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing for Lauren. With the other members of her tribe hustling for numbers, Lauren better start fishing for a connection or she’ll be cast out to sea.	15. Ashley: Yeah, you and JP probably aren’t a showmance, but at this point it doesn’t matter. More often than not, breaking up a power couple involves sending the woman packing. You’re in real danger.

16. Joe: That beach must reserve some kind of ancient curse for men in law enforcement from the New York/Jersey metro area. I love you Joe, but don’t start the interrogations on Day 2!	16. Lauren: You’re the oldest person on your tribe by over ten years. That’s going to be tough to overcome, especially with everybody else making friends and influencing people.

17. Alan: In “Game Changers,” I had a paranoia so badly on Day 2, I thought I woke up in the middle of the night and people saw me idol-hunting. In reality, I hadn’t even moved from my sleeping spot on the ground. Alan has the paranoia I had times 100. If he can get himself in check, he could have a Mike Holloway level recovery, and I’m here for it.	17. Mike: Oh boy…getting caught on an idol hunt by the guy who has Hantzian or Vlachosian ambitions? Bad news. And turning him down when it looked like he was trying to bring you on board? Extra bad news. Hopefully the others aren’t fond of Joe’s aggressive gameplay.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:aubry bracco, jeff probst, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers, survivor hhh
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Katrina – ‘(Chrissy) Was Out to Get Me from the Moment We Got on the Boat”

September 28, 2017

Katrina Radke (CBS)

Sometimes “Survivor” sucks. You go through months of auditions, you get a million immunization shots, you fly halfway around the world, and then you’re arguably the weakest person on a six-person tribe that loses the first immunity challenge.

Man, if only the Heroes had a few extra days to stew in Alan’s…unique…strategy.

I spoke to Katrina the morning after her elimination and had a chance to ask her about Alan’s intensity, JP’s strip search, and Chrissy’s idle idol hands…

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers”

Gordon Holmes: It looked like the early tribe dynamics were you and Chrissy, JP and Ashley, and Alan and Ben. How accurate was that?
Katrina Radke: Not so accurate. It was how it was portrayed. I feel like there were a lot of times where it shifted. There were times where I could easily be working with Ashley and JP. There were times where Alan was talking to me about working with him and Ben. There’s a lot more than what’s seen.
Holmes: How close were you Chrissy? They portrayed you two as the “Mom Squad.”
Radke: She was out to get me from the moment we got on the boat. (Laughs)
Holmes: Really?
Radke: Yeah. I love Chrissy, she’s a great person. She admitted that she was very fearful about being the first one going home. Also, because I’m the same age as her, she was threatened by that. And I felt that. If I did something well, she’d try to negate it. Little things like that would happen. I tried to embrace the enemy and love her for who she is. This game brings out a lot of paranoia obviously, but underneath that is a real person. I said, “Why don’t we work together?” And that was very early in the game.

Holmes: That seems to answer my next question. A lot of people were wondering why Chrissy didn’t play the Super Idol® for you.
Radke: Of course.
Holmes: So on day three, she goes into her bag and finds this little surprise from Ryan…did she act differently afterward?
Radke: No, we’re doing so many confessionals at that point. We’re not all hanging out together. So, I didn’t know.

Holmes: I wanted to get your opinion on something “Survivor: Cagayan” and “Survivor: Second Chance” alum Kass McQuillen said last night on Twitter after you were eliminated.

Anyone who disputes that being the 40+ mom on Survivor is the hardest to play needs to rewatch this episode. Sad but true #Survivor

— Kass McQuillen (@KassMcQ) September 28, 2017

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Holmes: Now, we have a situation where you’re an Olympic athlete, and you were still considered to be the least valuable tribe member.
Radke: You know, that’s funny. There was a moment at Tribal where Jeff asked Chrissy…he called her on the fact that she’s so stressed about being older. And he looked to me and said, “Do you feel that way?” And I said, “No.” Honestly, I know what I’m capable of, this is going to sound bad, I don’t look like I did when I was twenty, but I’m still very strong. I was not worried about what my capabilities were about physical challenges or living out there. I was actually really excited about it. What surprised me was people had perceptions, and when people have perceptions they need to feel that how they see the world is true. If they think a 47-year-old mom can’t do anything, they’re going to try to prove themselves right.
Holmes: Interesting.
Radke: I remember JP at one point saying, “Oh, let me carry that for you.” And I was just laughing. And one time we were throwing stones to open coconuts. When I opened them, they were so amazed. Am I that woman who can’t do anything? Am I that woman that sits around and creates drama? Or, am I more a 20 year old in a 47-year-old body? It was probably confusing to a lot of people.

Holmes: Did you let anyone know that you’re a former Olympian?
Radke: I did. I remember telling JP about it specifically, and Alan. It was all cool. Alan told me he was a pro. I think I told everybody. And it wasn’t so much to impress them, I wanted them to know I was a straight shooter and they could trust me.
Holmes: So, you’re on the bottom. And I’m trying to think of what arguments I’d use to get people to get me to stick around. You’re in Fiji, there are going to be swimming challenges. Olympians have next-level work ethics…
Radke: I’ve never felt like I’ve had to sell myself. I’ve always just shown it so people knew. So, it was weird to try to get my point across. That’s not my normal nature. I’ll go to bat for myself if I have to. But, I knew that the decision was already made. Alan used my name to tell JP and Ashley that they had the idol. I could’ve worked with JP and Ashley, but they didn’t trust me after that. And when you’ve lost that trust, I didn’t have time to get it back. Maybe I could’ve made a big scene, but the funny thing is, on day two…I just kind of knew and was calm about it. It’s like I had a higher knowing or an intuition. I said this in an interview, a confessional that, “I’m going home tomorrow.” The producer was like, “What?!” (Laughs) Sometimes you just kind of know. When I first saw my tribe, I knew these weren’t the people I had connected with at Ponderosa. I think energetically I was not a match with that group.

Holmes: When Alan blew up on the beach with the whole, does-JP-have-an-idol strip search…is that when he used your name?
Radke: Yeah, Alan came over to Ben and he whispered in his ear. And before that, Alan and I had gone for a walk and he shared with me how he’d like to work with me, but he wished we had gotten together earlier because he had this alliance. Ashley and I were talking together, probably for too long, and people freaked out. Alan apologized to me after the fact for using my name. It happens pretty fast as far as people getting paranoid. Ben asked me if it was true (EDIT: That Katrina had told Alan that Ashley and JP had an idol) and I said, “No, Alan just had a bad moment.” Alan’s a great guy. I love Alan. This game may have been a little bit too much for him.
Holmes: All we saw last night was super intense Alan. Katrina, you’ve got to tell me there’s another, laid-back gear to this guy.
Radke: Oh yeah, he can be very chill. I think the game brought out the paranoia in him.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Ashley.
Radke: Strong.
Holmes: Ben?
Radke: Earthy.
Holmes: JP?
Radke: Solid.
Holmes: Alan?
Radke: (Laughs) So much is coming to my head…he’s very sensitive.
Holmes: Let’s finish off with Chrissy.
Radke: Oh, she’s sensitive too.

Holmes: It’s so rough being the first one out, especially in a six-person tribe season. Was there anything that happened that you wish we had seen?
Radke: Yeah, there was this moment where I was looking for the idol and there was this crab coming out of this tree. I really wanted to see that footage. (Laughs) It was pretty funny. I’d like to have that for my own memory book. I wish they’d have shown the whole thing of what happened with Alan. And a lot of things I said at Tribal would give a different perspective of how I played the game. But, I know how I was and I feel good about how I played.

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

Tags:survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaway Katrina – ‘(Chrissy) Was Out to Get Me from the Moment We Got on the Boat”

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ Premiere Recap – False Start

September 27, 2017

‘Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers’ (CBS)

Quick Note: In the past, my recaps have kind of been a quick look at the episode’s events with limited commentary. I wanted it to seem as if we were watching the episode together. Going forward, I’m going to experiment with some new format and style choices. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Alright, let’s take a closer look at the brand-spankin’ new tribes…

The Levu Tribe (AKA: The Heroes – Wearing Blue)
Alan, 31 – NFL Player
Ashley, 26 – Lifeguard
Ben, 34 – Marine
Chrissy, 46 – Financial Analyst
JP, 28 – Firefighter
Katrina, 46 – Olympian

The Soko Tribe (AKA: The Healers – Wearing Yellow)
Cole, 24 – Wilderness Survival Guide
Desiree, 27 – Physical Therapist
Jessica, 29 – Nurse Practitioner
Joe, 34 – Probation Officer
Mike, 43 – Urologist
Roark, 27 – Social Worker

First Impressions: How is a financial analyst a hero? Or a probation officer a healer? And man, I’m going to be so disappointed if I see a member of the Hustlers tribe dogging it during an immunity challenge.

The Marooning

We meet up with JPro and the eighteen newbies on a boat. He tells them that they’ve been divided based on the trait that people use to describe them. Mmm…kay. During the course of the chat…

Probst speaks to Ben, Cole, Ali, and Mike.
In a confessional, Chrissy tells us that she feels comfortable being a hero because she left her career, raised her family, then returned to her career. Awesome and admirable…but heroic?
Mike introduces himself as a “Sex Doctor,” which totally sounds like a Showtime series.

From there, Probst sends them on their merry way to gather supplies and compete in the first challenge. This quickie contest involves rowing to shore and lifting a tribemate so they can light a torch. The first tribe to light their torch will receive fire and a firemaking kit. The second tribe will receive flint. The third tribe has to live with their failure.

They start off and it’s madness as usual. During the course of the fun, Ryan manages to find a secret advantage.

The challenge portion is a complete joke as the Healers claim first, the Heroes take second, and the Hustlers can’t even get their boat pointed in the right direction. However in their defense, they never stopped trying. Probst wasn’t even subtle about it, saying the Hustlers were still “trying to figure out which show they’re on.”

At Healers Beach

Jessica is immediately crushing on Cole because she’s a human being who has functioning eyes.

Mike goes on an unsuccessful idol hunt, but is confronted by Joe. Joe tries to use his lie-detecting sixth sense to figure out if Mike has an idol and it just…goes…so…badly for all parties involved. It was just poor form on both sides in what could have been an alliance-building moment. Instead, Mike feels threatened and Joe didn’t gain anything out of the situation.

At Heroes Beach

Everyone pairs off really quickly. It looks live we’ve got Ashley and JP, Ben and Alan, and Chrissy and Katrina. In fact Chrissy and Katrina are lovingly referred to as the “Mom Squad.”

Alan is very wary of Ashley and JP becoming a power couple and he tells us that he wants to play at a full sprint out of the gate. Cause that never backfires…

Cooler heads seem to prevail though, as Alan and Ben decide to team up with Ashley and JP. This is hilarious because Ben refers to himself as a younger player as if 34 was young on “Survivor.”

In the evening, Alan accuses JP of having an idol. JP does everything in his power to prove that he doesn’t, including stripping and jumping up and down. But Alan is not convinced. Can this be a thing now? If you think someone has an idol they have to strip and jump?

Oh, and later Alan admits to us that he didn’t think JP had an idol, he just wanted to shake things up. WHY?! It’s day two, dude.

At Hustlers Beach

Patrick asks the tribe if he should eat a walking stick bug and I immediately have flashbacks to Mike in Worlds Apart. But, that did work out well for him.

Patrick decides against it and freaks out as he’s throwing the bug away. He tells everyone, “I forgot I had a crab in my pants.”

Sounds like he could use a sex doctor.

Despite all of that tomfoolery, Ali still wants to work with Patrick.

Next up, Ryan tells us that he hasn’t had a chance to look at his advantage. He says, “It’s in my pants, I’m dying to know what it is.”

Sounds like he could use a sex doctor.

Ryan learns that his advantage is a super idol.

This idol can be played after the vote, but it can only be used at the first Tribal Council. If the Hustlers don’t go to the first Tribal, he must send it to a member of the losing tribe anonymously.

Ryan leverages this advantage to get in good with Devon. So smart. And it looks like they’re a solid twosome.

Immunity Challenge Time: The tribes will climb a net, then pull a cart to the top of a tower. They’ll hop in and ride it to the bottom. From there, they’ll have to choose a table maze. The first tribe chooses from three mazes, the second tribe picks between the remaining two, and the final tribe gets what’s left. They’ll carry the table maze to the top of another tower. The first two tribes to complete the puzzle will win immunity.

Note: Before the challenge, Jeff told the tribes that tie votes are back in play this season.

Challenge Result: The Healers took first place and the Hustlers were just barely able to edge out the Heroes.

Chrissy is in bad shape after the challenge. She vomited, but she didn’t want medical to be called it. Sooo…it’s pretty safe to assume that Ryan’s going to send that idol her way.

Post-Challenge Politicking

It looks like we’re starting off with Ben, Alan, JP, and Ashley against the “Mom Squad,” but Alan immediately blows it up. He tells Katrina and Chrissy that nobody has been talking strategy with him and that they should work together.

Ben drops the classic “stick to the plan” bomb, but it looks like he’s going to stay tight with Alan.

Before they head off to Tribal, Chrissy receives a little gift from Ryan. Called it.

Tribal Time

Well, this was a mess. Ashley, JP, and Alan immediately get into it over whether or not they have an idol and whether or not JP and Ashley are a power couple.

Alan even says that he could’ve sat back and let things slide, but he wanted to let everyone know that they were a couple. Yes, you could’ve and you also probably should’ve.

Voting: Katrina was voted out five votes to one. The super idol was not played.

Verdict: Early “Survivor” is so easy, Alan. Work hard, be cool, make an alliance, vote off the weirdo. Yikes.

Anywho, there’s a lot of potential this season. People to root for, people to root against. I can’t wait. I just hope there aren’t more super idols waiting to be found.

My Winner Pick: Boy, I hate to curse her because she seems awesome, but I’m going with Ali. I think she has a good head on her shoulders.


	Ryan – The future Cochran Award winner for best self-depreciating humor killed it this week. He found the super idol, he used it to earn the trust of his tribe’s most prominent meat shield, and he made a potential future ally out of Chrissy.
	Ben – Sometimes the best thing you can do when your alliance is falling apart is to just let it happen and then pick up the pieces afterwards. A five-person tribe is a dangerous place to be, but he should be fine. Devon – Opportunity knocked and you answered it.
	Chrissy – I’ve got to think you had a really good reason for not saving Katrina. Hopefully it put you in a good spot with the rest of Levu.
	JP – “Survivor” 101 states that you never make it look like you’re part of a power couple. You’re really lucky it didn’t cost you. Ashley – I thought you were going to be the victim of the super idol. Regroup and regroup quickly.
	Joe and Mike – The moment where Joe accused Mike of idol hunting was just…cringey. (Probably not a word.) What could have been an alliance-building moment seemed to have the opposite effect.
	Alan – Wow…just wow. You can’t win the game on day one, but you can sure lose it.
	Cole, Desiree, Jessica, Roark, Ali, Lauren, Patrick, and Simone – I can’t give you full credit if you don’t show your work.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
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Aubry Bracco Accepts the ‘Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers’ Power Rankings Challenge

September 25, 2017

Aubry Bracco (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.

The XFINITY “Survivor” Power Rankings committee is thrilled to announce that “Survivor: Kaoh Rong” and “Survivor: Game Changers” star Aubry Bracco has agreed to accept the Power Rankings challenge. When asked how she felt about this undertaking, she said, “I’m ready to take on the Power Rankings for Season 35 with Gordon. It’s nice to be back as a fan (FINALLY) and not a player. I promise I won’t be too much like the armchair quarterbacks I couldn’t stand during my seasons, but don’t worry, I’ll still play it straight.”

To kick things off, we’ve asked Aubry to rank the players based on how likely they are to win the game.


1. Alan: I don’t know what it is, but he had me at “Hello.” Sure, he might get hangry, but he’s aware of it. When you know your weaknesses and are vocally aware of them, that’s a “Survivor” superpower I call vulnerability, and it can nab you the win.	2. JP: Be still my heart — this man loves animals, understands the power of being yourself and has his ego in check? Ladies and gentleman, we may have met our Tom Westman Jr. I’m concerned the rest of his tribe will notice it before he gets to the end, but there’s something about this guy I believe in.

3. Roark: Someone call Beverly Cleary (yeah, she is alive and kicking at 101) — I want Roark to be a female heroine in a young adult novel. I love her pride in her intelligence and assertiveness, but I’m just not sure how that’s going to play out in the context of the game. The good news? She’s aware of how she’ll be perceived.	4. Ryan: Stop the presses, everyone. I have a new “Survivor” boyfriend, and his name is Ryan Ulrich. Physically, he reminds of an unstretched Stretch Armstrong version of Neal. But, most importantly, his personality is that perfect mix of vulnerable, self-deprecating and genuine that I love about John Cochran. His awareness that he needs to play under-the-radar for awhile will serve him well, but he has the risk of going out in David Wright style.

5. Desiree: I really like Desi. She’s authentic. She’s smart. She’s vulnerable. I hope they don’t see her as a threat too soon, because she’s got something triple-threat special about her — Brains, Brawn and Beauty. It’s almost Spradlin-like.	6. Cole: Cole is going to need to make some strong relationships and fast, because he’s going to be on the run like Harrison Ford in “The Fugitive” if he makes the merge. He’s very visibly a threat, but his flexibility and personality will help him go far, especially if he pulls a Jeremy Collins and goes for the meat-shield strategy — there are certainly plenty to choose from.

7. Jessica: Jessica definitely has a fierceness and emotionality to her that smacks of a certain player who fell in love with me on “Survivor: Game Changers” (Ahem, Andrea). I think she’ll do well, but she’ll get pinned as a threat.	8. Ali: If Ali doesn’t get swap-screwed, I see a bit of Julia Sokolowski in her. That’s good, but “sometimes the guy in the middle of the road gets run over.”

9. Mike: Mike, you’re a gem. I love how you own your oddness, and I think you’ll be able to parlay that into something for a bit. But please, for the love of all things, keep that super-fan status and those pee jokes under wraps or “urine trouble.” (I couldn’t help myself).	10. Chrissy: Awww, Chrissy — you remind me of me. I see a fellow hardworking achiever there, eyes alight with an earnestness and desire to play. I’m concerned, though, that you might be forcing it too much. Remember, “Survivor” is just as much about being easygoing as it is working hard.

11. Simone: At first glance, I’m concerned Simone is coming in a little too calculating and hot like my fellow Brains tribemate Liz Markham. Thankfully, she seems like she could be self-aware enough to adjust on the fly. But no matter what she does, this girl has “threat” written all over her.	12. Devon: I think Devon’s super-chill Ozzy-like personality and good looks will keep him safe…for a little while. When this guy gets to the merge they’ll be caring less about his looks and solid personality and more about his physical prowess. You seem like a cool dude, Devon, but I fear you’re a classic merge boot.

13. Patrick: Everytime I see Patrick, I think I’m looking at a Kennedy. Then, he talks, and I couldn’t be more off-base. He seems like a hard-working, down-to-earth dude, but he says he’s a talker. Hopefully, his personality isn’t too strong off the bat.	14. Ashley: When people meet this surfer chick I think they’ll expect the sweetness of Hali Ford or Woo and get the feistiness of Kaoh Rong Alecia. I want to see her go deep, but I’m afraid an intoxicating laid-back personality that makes people comfortable paired with fierceness will make people perceive her as a threat.

15. Ben: This guy’s got me intrigued in a Jason the Kaoh Rong bounty hunter meets Cody from “Big Brother 19” sort of way. It looks like we don’t know if he’ll be as docile as Paddington Bear or the second coming of ‘The Revenant’ grizzly. “Life is like a box of chocolates,” Forrest Gump once said, and this seems to be the case with Ben — “you never know what you’re going to get.”	16. Joe: Oh Joe, I love you, but I’m afraid your vibe is screaming “Tony.” King Spyshack The Great can only happen once, and based on the reception my lovely Mana tribe gave him, I’m not sure it’s going to go well. I hope I’m wrong.

17. Katrina: I’m concerned this Olympian will swim off into the sunset very early. A very intense personality + need for a daily time-out = imminent drowning.	18. Lauren: Lauren, I respect your hard work and unwillingness to bend to others. That said, do you know what game you signed up for?

Don’t miss the season premiere of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers” this Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholm es

Tags:aubry bracco, jeff probst, survivor, survivor heroes vs. healers vs. hustlers
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on Aubry Bracco Accepts the ‘Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers’ Power Rankings Challenge

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