Posts Tagged ‘survivor one world’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – When the Kat’s Away…

May 2, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Kim picked people to join her on reward and clearly blew it, Christina was the back-up boot and Sabrina made sure she knew it, and on his way out of the game Troyzan told Kat to “do it.”

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kat – 22, Timeshare Rep
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Troy’s farewell proclamation to Kat is the talk of the camp after Tribal Council. Kat claims to not know what he was talking about. In her defense, she doesn’t know what a lot of people are talking about.

Alicia thinks Tribal proved that Christina isn’t terribly bright and that’s a reason to keep her around. Oh, so she shouldn’t throw herself in the fire like Colton had suggested? Good to see attitudes can change.

The next morning, Tree Mail arrives in the form of a Sprint EVO 3-D phone. Uh oh…family members can’t be far behind.

True to form, the phone is loaded with videos from their families. We’re treated to footage of Sabrina’s brother, Alicia’s sister, Chelsea’s dad, Christina’s dad, Kim’s sister, Kat’s cousin, and Tarzan’s wife who are all apparently on the island.

Sure enough, all of the family members show up at the reward challenge. Oh man, Christina’s dad recently had a kidney transplant and has only been give five-to-ten years left to live. It’s gettin’ dusty up in here.

Sabrina’s brother is jacked. If this is a team challenge, look out for them.

When Kat’s cousin comes out, she crawls toward him like a dog for some reason. She’s hilarious. I’m starting to love her.

Things get uber-emotional when Tarzan’s wife comes out, and everyone recognizes it. Sabrina even says that she’s playing for herself and Tarzan.

Reward Challenge: The players and their loved ones will be attached to a rope that is wound around a series of obstacles. First team to get to the end wins a barbecue with their loved one.

Team Kim, Team Alicia, and Team Chelsea jump out to a big lead while Team Sabrina can’t even get out of the starting gate. So much for my pre-game prediction.

It gets close at the end, but Kat and her cousin manage to come from behind and win.

Probsty allows her to take someone with her, she chooses Kim. Seriously?!

He allows her to bring one other person and she goes with Alicia. Even more seriously?!

This is normally where I’d say, “Does she even watch this show?” But, she was literally a part of this exact situation three days ago.

Kat explains her decision by saying that she has been meaning to get drunk with those two. That’s some strategy…I guess. Everybody else agrees that she should have taken Tarzan and his wife.

Later at the reward, Kat pitches the idea of booting Sabrina before Christina because at least Christina knows she isn’t in a final alliance. The others seem on board with this plan.

Kim tells her sister that she thinks taking Kat and Alicia to the final three is her best bet. Her reasoning is that Alicia isn’t well liked and that Kat is someone who would squander the million dollars in a year. Wow, so Kat really is the female Fabio.

Back at camp, Sabrina is furious that Kat didn’t pick Christina and Tarzan for the reward. They even go so far as discussing a side alliance that boots Kat next.

Quick Aside: I’d be pretty annoyed if my girlfriend took the super-long flight to Samoa only to get to spend 20 minutes with me.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will lean over the water on a ledge while hanging onto a rope. As the challenge goes on, the rope will extend. The last person standing (er…leaning) wins immunity.

Sabrina is the first one to go, and Kat does a not-so-subtle happy dance. Tarzan falls a minute or so later.

Alicia drops out next.

This challenge seems like it’d be unfair to people with longer arms, right?

Chelsea is the next to go, she’s followed by Christina. It’s down to Kat and Kim.

At the one-hour mark, Kat finally drops. Kim wins immunity.

Back at camp, Kat talks about how embarrassing it is to lose to a 28-year-old. As a 35-year-old with an impressive immunity challenge record, I think I love her less now.

Politicking around camp centers around Sabrina vs. Kat. Alicia was originally on board the boot-Sabrina bandwagon, but Kat’s strong challenge performance has her considering switching sides.

Kim, however, thinks Sabrina is more likely to win over a jury.

That night at Tribal Council, Probst calls Kat out for picking Kim and Alicia for the reward challenge. Kat thinks it was the toughest choice she’d ever made in her life.

Kat then says she chose Kim and Alicia based on who she’d have the most fun with.

Sabrina thinks Kat will look back on that choice and regret it.

Chelsea thinks Kat uses her age as an excuse every time she messes up.

Tarzan says the pick didn’t bother him because he appreciates that Kat is young and naïve.

Alicia was shocked with what a challenge threat Kat has become.

Sabrina says that her jury vote wouldn’t necessarily go to the best player.

Kat thinks blindside votes are fun and exciting. Yeah, Michael said something similar right before he was blindsided.

Voting Time: Kat votes for Sabrina, Sabrina votes for Kat, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Sabrina, three votes for Kat, and the twelfth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Kat.

Whoa…Kat’s in tears as she walks away. So much for fun and exciting…

Verdict: It seems like the only real drama left is; who’s Kim going to take to the final three? That usually doesn’t lead to thrilling TV.

Who’s Going to Win: There’s no way Kim doesn’t walk away with the big check.

Power Rankings Update: Sophie Clarke had Kat in spot six while Andrea Boehlke had her in spot five. Therefore, Sophie has earned a spot in next week’s finals against Dawn Meehan.

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

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – When the Kat’s Away…

‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Semi Finals: Andrea Boehlke vs. Sophie Clarke

May 1, 2012

Andrea Boehlke vs. Sophie Clarke (CBS)

In honor of “Survivor: One World’s” men vs. women theme, XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” guy Gordon Holmes captained a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” guys against a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” gals.

However, the Power Rankings imitated life and the women’s team ran away with the game. In fact, the men were mathematically eliminated with three weeks still left to go.

So, the executive “Survivor” Power Rankings committee decided that the Power Rankings should continue to imitate “Survivor,” and the women should be forced to compete against each other until one sole Survivor is left standing…er…ranking.

Note: The “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug was disqualified for failing a drug test.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The Rules: Each week a pair of the remaining women 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 two players will earn. For example, if Tarzan is voted out this week, Andrea will receive 6 points and Sophie will receive 7 points. The person with the most points will advance to the next round.

Got any advice for Andrea? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 

  

Got any advice for Sophie? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 
1. So apparently everyone and their mom’s cat’s gardener’s cousin is drinking the Kim Kool-Aid. From what I can gather, every person still playing “Survivor: One World” must think they are going to the end with Kim. Heck, I’m not even playing this game and I’m wondering whether I might have an alliance with her.  Do I? Clearly, we are all fighting to be Kim’s SBFF (Super Best Friend Forever) but from my own personal experience with SBFFs, I know you can only truly have one. So, who will Kim’s be? 1. K’impossible’ or Kim’possible’? I think the latter.
2. Chelsea APPEARS to be Kim’s SBFF at this point. I can’t really see Kim getting rid of Chelsea, and I think Chelsea is planning on riding the Kim train to the end. If Kim takes the heat for the inevitable backstabbing that is about to go down, Chelsea could come out as the sweet sidekick-turned-millionaire. 2. Chelsea stands in Kim’s shadows. She is less athletic. She is less well liked. She is less strategic. Soon she is going to be less rich.
3. Kim chose Alicia to come on the reward, which tells me that Alicia may be closer to Kim than I originally thought. Is she BFF #2 over Sabrina? Time will tell, but Alicia may be a better choice to bring to the end than the rest, only because it seems as if she may have rubbed some people the wrong way. 3. Alicia is the dark horse. I don’t think the jury considers her to be the head of the hated and, in Troyzan’s words, “cocky” girl alliance but she is also not completely strategically inept like Christina. The tribe switch at the beginning of the game forced Alicia to make decisions in her own self-interest, and we saw her flourish. After the merge, however, Alicia seemed content as just another member of Kim’s Kult.  I hope this girl remembers the mischievous fun she had when Colton was around and forges her own path to the end before it is too late.
4. If you have not seen Troyzan’s secret scene (the one involving ‘fuzzy squares’ and Alicia riding the pig) please do so now. I’ll still be here when you’re back. Annnnnnnd okay—you saw it? The Sabrina dance was all I needed to remind me why I’m a Sabrina fan. Not sure where she falls in line in the Kimber-rankings, but I feel that she is safe over Christina, Tarzan and Kat. Sabrina seems pretty game savvy too, so maybe she will be the one to stir the pot soon? 4. I can’t really tell where Sabrina fits into this game. Who is her closest ally? What is her end game plan? Why doesn’t she work at camp? What does the jury think of her? Does she have any say in her alliance? If the jury is equally as confused and ambivalent about her game, Sabrina doesn’t have a shot to win. However, “Survivor” juries have very short-term memories, and Sabrina still has time to make her mark. I hope this girl wins a challenge, orchestrates a blindside, and fetches some water… all in one episode!
5. I’ve been rooting for Kitty Kat all season, but if she wants to not be seen as a follower she needs to act fast. Maybe she will take Troyzan’s advice and “Do it” this episode, even though I’m not exactly sure what that entails. Do what? Kill the pig? Pull a blindside? Just keep dancing?  I hope Kat can find a way to shimmy her way to the end, because her little Kat dances are probably the highlight of each episode for me. 5. Christina has missed her chance to make a move and is at the mercy of Kim. You might think that would make Christina safe for a while – she and Tarzan are the perfect end game goats. However, Kim will win—hands down—if she makes it to the end. It doesn’t matter against whom. Now is not the time for Kim to ruin her reputation as “someone you would trust with your life” by backstabbing her closest allies in favor of the nut jobs.
6. Who would have guessed that the kooky plastic surgeon would be the last zan standing?! I’m not sure what planet Tarzan is on. I’m not sure what alliance Tarzan thinks he’s in. I’m still not sure what was on Tarzan’s shorts back in the day. Some things will always be a mystery. However, since Tarzan is so out there, he could be *that* guy you drag with you to the end. Gosh, I hope not. 6. If the girls need to make a move against anyone, it is Kat. I hope Troyzan’s parting words of encouragement to Kat set off some bells in Kim’s brain. Underdog Kat could win this game! She performed well in challenges, didn’t directly orchestrate any of the jury boots, and seems to be relatively sweet and likeable. This Female-Fabio might be Kim’s biggest end-game threat with a biter jury.
7. The fact that they split the vote between Troyzan and Christina instead of just splitting votes between the zans makes me think that the rest of the Tikiano girls see Christina as disposable. I feel that the end is near for sweet Cha Cha. 7. Kim has established herself as the fair, merciful ruler of the Tikiano tribe. She is unflinchingly sending people to their deaths, but in an order and manner that appears just and even compassionate. If she booted Tarzan, she would uphold the status quo with the rest of her tribe, and probably even get Tarzan’s vote at the end.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Semi Finals: Andrea Boehlke vs. Sophie Clarke

‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Troy “Troyzan” Robertson

April 26, 2012
Troy 'Troyzan' Robertson (CBS)

Troy 'Troyzan' Robertson (CBS)

Many people consider “Survivor” Hall of Famer Ozzy Lusth to be the greatest challenge competitor in the show’s history. But even he couldn’t pull off the “win every immunity challenge until the end” strategy.

Troy “Troyzan” Robertson had little choice but to try a similar strategy after his alliance with Kim Spradlin went up in flames. Ultimately he was unsuccessful. But in fairness to Troyzan, immunity doesn’t always go to the fastest or the strongest. Sometimes it goes to whoever’s the best on a slip n’ slide.

I spoke with Troyzan the morning after his elimination and found out why it was so hard to break up the Spradlin Six, what he really said after last week’s heated challenge, and why anyone would ever request time off from taking pictures of bikini models…

Set Your DVR to Record ‘Survivor: One World’

Gordon Holmes: Now, I understand it’s best not to (expletive deleted) with you, so I’m going to do my best to stay clear of that.
Troy “Troyzan” Robertson: (Laughs) Well, they bleeped out the word “eff,” because I never said (expletive deleted). I wanted it to make the show.
Holmes: I think the point gets across either way.
Robertson: I agree.

Holmes: You were eliminated in the first round of last night immunity tournament, and instead of watching the rest of it, you kind of just stared off at the beautiful Samoan beach.
Robertson: First of all, I didn’t like those kinds of challenges. I wanted it to be me against everyone where we’d do something at the same time. Especially a physical challenge, like something Navy SEALs would do. And I didn’t like that I was paired with Tarzan because it’s one ring toss, it could be a lucky toss and you’re done. So, I was hurrying to try to get stuff done. And then when I heard his name I was distraught because I knew that was it. I couldn’t even look at the challenge, I was just beside myself. I couldn’t look at these people. But then I realized that they thought I might still have an idol, so I can’t act completely bummed out. I was disgusted. Disgusted with them.
Holmes: So, you’re trying to say that Navy SEALs don’t use slip n’ slides?
Robertson: (Laughs) They would laugh at that. I wanted something like swimming or something in the water. And we never did one! I was jacked up for serious challenges. But in my mind, I thought I’d win every challenge. I was going to win out. I was 100% sure. So when I heard, “Tarzan wins,” I just walked away.
Holmes: That’s a shame, because hearing Jeff Probst’s melodious voice should always be a good thing.
Robertson: It was brutal, it kept ringing in my head. And I could hear those girls celebrating, and they were so smug to begin with. I could’ve killed them.

Holmes: Speaking of things you could have killed; what happened with the pig?
Robertson: We had enough food. And those girls were talking stupid stuff like, “Let’s kill the pig and have ham sandwiches for dinner and bacon for breakfast!” And I’m thinking, “You guys are stupid.” First of all, you don’t know how to kill a pig. It’s going to be squealing and bleeding and suffering. I’m not into that. If we had a way to kill it quick and we were starving, I’d be for it. Christina was like, “Knock if over the head with a pan!”
Holmes: Like a cartoon.
Robertson: I don’t even know where to start with the mentality of the women.

Holmes: What is it about this season where people are afraid to make moves until they’re specifically in danger? Is it really that bad strategically out there?
Robertson: Yes, it is. They’re totally clueless. I don’t know if it’s because the majority of them have never watched the show. They’re all afraid, and when people are afraid they just want to be safe and they want to be told what to do. The single most difficult thing to do out there is to change someone’s mind who is in fear. You can starve and be tired and strategize, that’s easy. Changing someone’s mind is difficult. They weren’t playing to win, they were playing to stay around.

Holmes: When you thought you were still tight with Kim, she told you that Michael was gunning for you. Did you trust her that much that you took that at face value or did you talk to other people and try to find out if that was the case?
Robertson: I’d been told that for weeks on end. It started back when it was just the men. He’d been saying things about wanting to get rid of me. I walked by him one time and he called me, “Your highness.” I didn’t appreciate where he was coming from. We were on the outs from day one. He was constantly saying things to perturb me. It wasn’t a thing where Kim said one thing and I blew up; it was the culmination of weeks and weeks of him annoying the crap out of me.

Holmes: After you were voted out last night, you got all Obi-Wan Kenobi with Kat. You told her to “Do it.” What was the motivation behind that?
Robertson: I feel like Kat is an underdog. All the girls play her. OK, Kat isn’t the most intelligent person based on what comes out of her mouth. But, she’s an underdog and I always root for the underdog. I got tired of Kim and Sabrina and Chelsea and Alicia’s smugness. So I said, “Kat, you’re smart enough to figure this out, so do it. Don’t let these people get to you.”

Holmes: The reward challenge we saw last night has been used in past seasons, and I’m pretty sure it only exists to hurt people’s feelings. Last night it was said that you’re the biggest poser and that you’re someone people would never want to see again after the show. How do you take that?
Robertson: I just take it as those girls showing their true colors. They are who they are, they’re smug. And they think that they’re only like that on “Survivor,” but that’s who they are deep down. Every single one of them. What you saw is who we are deep down inside. So, if you see someone who’s deceitful, they’re deceitful in some ways in their real life. Just like me; I lied to Matt, and I can do that in my real life. What you saw of me is 100% me and it’s 100% of everyone out there. And if they don’t want to see me out of the game, I have no problems with that, because I have no plans to be friends with them. We’re not going to be singing “Kumbaya” around the fire.

Holmes: Let’s get into some word association. We’ll start with Kim.
Robertson: No comment.
Holmes: Kat?
Robertson: A goofy innocence.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Robertson: Insecure.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Robertson: (Laughs) An eccentric alien.
Holmes: Alicia?
Robertson: (Laughs) Hairy.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Robertson: Split personality.
Holmes: Christina?
Robertson: Oh my, God…Christina? Boobs.

Holmes: A lot of people describe “Survivor” as their ultimate adventure. And I agree, it must be an amazing experience. However, you’re a swimsuit photographer, which also seems like an amazing adventure. Why would you ever leave that job for a minute?
Robertson: You have no idea how much I love “Survivor.” From the first show with Richard Hatch with all the people running around naked and starving and doing all of these crazy challenges, I thought, “Whatever this is, I need to be a part of it.” I had to do “Survivor.” And people say it’s hard to pull myself away from shooting swimsuit models, but at this point I love “Survivor” more. So, it was easy to do. Although Kate Upton and Brooklyn Decker were tough to break away from, but they knew how much I wanted to do it, so they gave me their blessing.
Holmes: OK, I was sorry to see you go, but now I’m finding myself hating you.
Robertson: (Laughs) Hey, you’ve got to play your cards right, you could come on a shoot with me.
Holmes: You misheard me; I meant that now I adore you.
Robertson: Oh, alright. Wait, you’re with Comcast, when am I going to get a special deal on my cable?
Holmes: I’ll get to work on a cable-deal-for-bikini-outing exchange.
Robertson: Exactly!

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

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Troy “Troyzan” Robertson

‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Is the Women’s Alliance Slipping Away?

April 25, 2012

Kat on a Wet, Gross Slide (CBS)

Last Week: Troyzan was just too darn loud,  Leif made like a tree and got out of there, and it seems like winning the game is Kim’s density.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kat – 22, Timeshare Rep
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

OK, I said this on Twitter, but anyone who thought Troyzan and Tarzan would be the last two guys standing is a liar.

The show kicks off with Tarzan pledging his allegiance to the ladies. Quite a switch from the guy who was screaming “Cheaters!” at them in early challenges.

Kim doesn’t like being called out as the mastermind. She wants to get rid of Troyzan ASAP. Whoa…looks like she’s not going to heed his warning not to !@#$ with him.

Tree mail arrives the next morning and it sounds like the winner of the next reward challenge is going to get a trip. Kat makes a deal with Kim that whichever of them wins, they take the other. This never turns out well.

Reward Challenge: The players will be asked questions about their tribemates. They’ll then have to guess what the other players said. If they get it right, they’ll get to chop a rope for an opposing player. Once a player has three chops against them, they are eliminated. Last person standing wins a helicopter ride to a picnic.

Quick Aside: “Food in your belly” is my least favorite Probstism.

Question One: Who does not deserve to be here? The consensus is Christina. Kim, Chelsea, and Troyzan got it right.

Christina is shocked that she was chosen.

Troyzan goes for Kat, Kim hits Troyzan, and Chelsea hits Tarzan. Ooh…undiegate rears its ugly head.

Question Two: Who would you trust with your life? The answer is Kim. Christina, Chelsea, and Alicia got it right.

Christina hits Chelsea. Alicia and Chelsea both hit Troyzan, thus eliminating him. Alicia earns some respect by jokingly saying, “This is my island!”

Question Three: Who most needs a wake-up call in life? The answer is Kat. Everyone guessed that except for Kat. That’s awesome.

Sabrina and Chelsea eliminate Tarzan, Tarzan hits Chelsea, Christina hits Sabrina, Kim hits Christina, and Alicia eliminates Chelsea.

Question Four: Who is the biggest poser? The answer is Troyzan. Everyone got it except for Alicia who said Christina.

Kim hits Sabrina, Christina hits Kim, and Kat and Alicia hit Sabrina.

Question Five: Who does the least for their tribe? The answer is Sabrina. Oof… Kim, Christina, and Alicia got it right.

Christina and Alicia eliminate Kat, while Kim eliminates Sabrina.

Question Six: Who would you most like to be stranded with? The correct answer is Kim. Kim and Alicia both got it right.

Fun Fact: Kim voted for herself.

Kim and Alicia both eliminated Christina.

Question Seven: Who do you hope to never see again after the game? The answer is Troyzan. Kim and Alicia both got it right. Kim eliminated Alicia and won reward.

Kim is allowed to bring someone with her and she chooses Alicia. Although in fairness, Kat may have forgot that she wanted to go.

Probst lets her pick someone else and she goes with Chelsea. Ooo… Kim plays it off by saying that Chelsea hasn’t eaten in a while.

Troyzan takes the opportunity to point out that Kim’s picks were representative of the pecking order.

I think it’s amazing that there’s a reward like this every season and people still mess it up. I seriously think it might be sound strategy to throw any reward challenge.

Back at camp, Troyzan hammers home the point that everyone who isn’t at the picnic is on the bottom of the totem pole. Kim’s sick of hearing it and plans to bring it up with Kim when she returns. Troyzan seriously has all the subtlety of a punch in the face.

Sabrina tries to play if off by saying that Kim left the two people she trusts the most behind. Kat doesn’t care because she wanted to eat. She breaks down a bit, saying she doesn’t want to go down as a weak player, and if that means voting out Kim, she’ll do it.

Later, Sabrina pitches the idea of turning on Kim to the larger group. However, she only did it to determine who can’t be trusted. That’s smart. Christina immediately went for it…dun dun dun.

When the picnickers return, Kat tells Kim that she’s hurt because people think she’s a follower. Kim says she wishes she’d never won the challenge because it’s much more fun to be picked than it is to pick. Tell that to a booger, Kim. (That’s easily the worst joke in eight seasons of recaps. I apologize.)

A little while later, the dumbest pig in the world moseys his way into camp. They chase him with ropes and various tools but aren’t able to catch him. Where’s Michael Skupin when you need him!

Immunity Challenge Time: Two players will slide across a slippery course and grabbing rope rings along the way. They’ll then toss the ropes onto a post. First person to get a ring on the post advances. Last person standing wins immunity.

First Round: Chelsea defeated Alicia, Kat topped Sabrina, Tarzan bested Troyzan (and the women freak out), and Kim went over Christina.

Second Round: Chelsea beat Kat and Kim got the win over Tarzan

Note: Troyzan didn’t even watch the second round. He just stared off into the distance.

Third Round: Kim was victorious over Chelsea.

On the way back from the challenge, the pig just laid there watching them. Good, I was waiting for someone to root for this season.

Politicking around camp is pointing toward voting for Troyzan but throwing a few idol-insurance votes at Christina.

Sabrina tells Christina this plan, AND SHE SEEMS OK WITH IT! SHE SEEMS OK THAT IF  TROYZAN PLAYS AN IDOL, THAT SHE WILL BE GOING HOME!

(Sorry to get all Caps Locky on you there.)

Then…she goes to Troyzan and tells him that she’s going to get the insurance votes. So, Troyzan gets the bright idea to vote for her too.

That night at Tribal Council, Troyzan tells Probst that the Spradlin Six + Tarzan are gunning for him. Well, doy.

Another Quick Aside: The jury is all men. They should start a barbershop quartet.

Sabrina says that the Spradlin Six isn’t that tight. Probst jumps on that and asks Christina if she feels close with the girls. She doesn’t.

Kim admits that she was thinking of her top three on day one.

Christina thinks she’s still in the game because she’s a lucky girl. Alicia totally agrees because the tribe said during the reward challenge that Christina doen’t deserve to be there.

Kim thinks that Troy’s a brilliant guy, and he probably used the reward challenge to get into people’s heads.

Voting Time: Troyzan votes for Christina, Christina votes for Chelsea, Kim votes for Troyzan, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

J-Pro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Chelsea, three votes for Troy, three votes for Christina, and the eleventh person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Troyzan.

As Troy is leaving, he leans in to Kat and says, “Do it.”

Verdict: I have to admit, I was pulling for Troyzan in the end, if only so I could feel like the people out there were finally recognizing that Kim is owning this game. But alas, it literally took Sabrina telling Christina that she was being voted for to get her to act. Strategically, this season has been a disaster.

Who’s Going to Win: You never know which way a jury will swing. I’m hoping this is one that respects gameplay and strategy. And if they are, Kim deserves every one of their votes.

Power Rankings Update: Dawn Meehan had Troyzan in spot eight, while Christine Shields Markoski had him in spot seven. Therefore, Dawn will advance to the finals where she will face the winner of next week’s bout between “South Pacific” champion Sophie Clarke and Power Rankings legend Andrea Boehlke.

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

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Is the Women’s Alliance Slipping Away?

‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Semi Finals – Dawn Meehan vs. Christine Shields Markoski

April 24, 2012

Christine Shields Markoski vs. Dawn Meehan (CBS)

In honor of “Survivor: One World’s” men vs. women theme, XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” guy Gordon Holmes captained a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” guys against a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” gals.

However, the Power Rankings imitated life and the women’s team ran away with the game. In fact, the men were mathematically eliminated with three weeks still left to go.

So, the executive “Survivor” Power Rankings committee decided that the Power Rankings should continue to imitate “Survivor,” and the women should be forced to compete against each other until one sole Survivor is left standing…er…ranking.

Note: The “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug was disqualified for failing a drug test.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The Rules: Each week a pair of the remaining women 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 two players will earn. For example, if Troyzan is voted out this week, Christine will receive 7 points and Dawn will receive 8 points. The person with the most points will advance to the next round.

Got any advice for Christine? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 

  

Got any advice for Dawn? Drop her a line on Twitter.

 
1. Kat. Is. Not. Going. Anywhere.  Would you send her home? Kim needs to take her to the end and then explain that the ‘B’ in BLT does not stand for ‘bread’ (not even if it’s Dawn’s really good bread). 1. Kim is safe for these two reasons this week: 1) she has the idol. 2) she seems to be calling the shots with her Original Salani alliance. That being said, I keep wondering, “Is it possible for her to keep this #1 position the entire season? Can Kim WIN it?”
 
2. She is certainly the brains of the Spice Girls Alliance. (I bet she knows what CBS stands for and FBI and DNA and even ESL) and that makes you a target. That’s why she’s not in spot number one. 2. Chelsea may not have the idol, but she’s clearly Kim’s right-hand woman when it comes to the Original Salani alliance. Chelsea isn’t going anywhere this week. In addition, I think Chelsea has it in her to win individual immunity.
3. She’s safe for now. If her position changes I hope she’ll understand that it’s just a game and takes it like a woman. 3. Sabrina is one of my favorite players this season. She’s physically and mentally strong. She speaks her mind–and yet she’s very aware that she’s PLAYING a game for a million dollars. And I think the difference between 6th, 7th, 8th and Final 3 in this game (when a Day 1 alliance dominates the second half of the game): The Final 3 typically have a laser-like focus on their purpose for being on the island (to win the million dollars).
4. We saw the spicy side of Sabrina last week. Standing up to Troyzan and “not raising her voice.” Being part of the Spice Girls Alliance she’s safe for a bit but I don’t know if she’ll make it to the F3 being a major competitor to the acronym savvy Kim. 4. Part of the original Salani alliance, Kat’s safe this week. BUT, as the power players start thinking more and more about Final 3 and jury votes, I’m thinking Kat has to go. Anyone who gets giddy when they find BACON on their B.L.T. is a definite threat to win a jury over.
5. Should she stay or should she go, now? 5. If I think back to Day 1 in this season, I’m SHOCKED that Alicia is still in the game. And if I recall some of the more difficult days in the game, after the tribe swap and Colton’s reign on the Nu-Manono, I’m even more SHOCKED that Alicia’s still in the game. BUT not only is Alicia still in the game, I think she’s in one of the best positions to make F3 AND win favor with a jury.  (I mean, at this stage, she’s on good terms with the original Salani AND the remaining original Manono, Troy and Tarzan.) And after last week’s auction, we learned that Alicia has a really sensitive side—and believe me, that’s important for everyone to see/hear.
6. Her unrequited devotion to the Spice Girls is undying and painfully obvious. She’s safe until all of the testosterone is removed. 6. I’m still not sure about Tarzan this season. Do I love him or am I annoyed by him? Is he crazy like a fox or just plain crazy? On the one hand, he was crabby to my Hometown Favorite, Jonas; on the other hand, last week he endearingly washed paint off of Leif’s face. He’s worn Monica’s cute red shirt (and bikini, so I’ve heard). He’s performed well in some of the challenges. He’s coined one of the most hilarious phrases this season, “The game is afoot, Jeff.” And yet, he nearly opted out of the auction last week in order to pocket $500.00 to repair the shocks on his Jeep? What the what? SO, where do I stand? Honestly, this week, I’m stumped. BUT, I think Tarzan’s safe. I think the Original Salani has kept him around for a reason (hello foil).
7. I can understand this guy’s emotions last week and know how hard it is to keep them in check but the “don’t *&% with me” outburst might have hurt any chances of splitting up the Spice Girls despite what the coming attractions teased us with. 7. If anyone “deserves” the million dollars this season, it’s Christina. I honestly have NEVER seen someone respond to such disrespect with true tolerance and kindness. Remember her rubbing Colton’s head when he was sick? AFTER he’d ridiculed her, told her she was going home, and made really offensive comments about her? Christina’s reply was nothing short of incredible. Anywho, I don’t think Christina’s in positions 1-5 on the original Salani tribe, and I’m not sure she’s a threat to go on an individual immunity run, but I think she’s safe this week.
8. A “vote out” is afoot. 8. I know he has it in him to go on an Ozzy-like immunity run. BUT, based on his mental/emotional state last week (which, I think was completely understandable), I’m worried he won’t have the wherewithal to win individual immunity this week. And he needs it—because Troy is really the only thing standing between Sabrina, Chelsea, and Kim’s “Final 3” goal.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Semi Finals – Dawn Meehan vs. Christine Shields Markoski

‘Survivor’ Villain Russell Hantz on ‘Flipped Off,’ ‘One World,’ and His Softer Side

April 20, 2012

Russell Hantz (A&E)

When you think of “Survivor” uber-villain Russell Hantz, you probably picture the trash-talking, sock-burning juggernaut who dominated back-to-back seasons of the popular reality show. When you place that whirlwind into the setting of a house-flipping show, you end up with big personalities, big arguments, and the occasional big disaster.

But what you also get is a fascinating look into how sudden fame can wreak havoc on marriage.

I had a chance to speak to the “Survivor” Hall of Famer in the days leading up to the premiere of “Flipped Off” and asked him about what it was like to open up a new side of his life to reality TV cameras…

Set Your DVR to Record “Flipped Off”

Gordon Holmes: Right off the bat in the premiere of your new show, your brother Shawn Hantz decides that you don’t need to pay for a home inspector.
Russell Hantz: He wanted to be an inspector. I was like, “OK, is that what you want? I guess you can do it.” So we let him do it.
Holmes: What are Shawn’s qualifications for being a home inspector?
Hantz: Shawn has no qualifications pretty much for anything. The reason I have Shawn as my project manager is because he has the drive. He has to learn, and we are learning the hard way, that’s for sure. But he has the drive. We have the same bloodline. I’m successful; I just need to bring it out of him.
Holmes: And you’re younger than he is?
Hantz: I’m the little brother, but it seems like I’m always the big brother.
Holmes: So, you and Shawn will butt heads, then your realtor, Kristen Bredehoeft, gets to be the voice of reason. Does she get an extra cut of the profits for having to rein you two in?
Hantz: (Laughs) No, she just gets her regular commission. That’s it. You know, sometimes I’m scared that she’s going to walk away from us.
Holmes: I wouldn’t blame her.
Hantz: She’s definitely good for the team. I get upset with Shawn and she’s always calm and collected and able to calm us down. She’s a really smart young lady and Shawn thinks that she’s bossing him around. She’s not, she’s just thinking of something better to do.

Holmes: There was a cameo from your mother, Meemaw Hantz in the first episode. Is she going to be a reoccurring character?
Hantz: I hope so. I hope she’s in it quite a bit cause she’s my mama. She’s probably one of the only people that can contain me.
Holmes: So, if you get out of line she’s not afraid to smack you back into shape?
Hantz: Oh, no no no, she’ll let me know real quick, my dad would too. They keep me in line, so it’s a good thing to keep her around. That’s why it was good to do it in Houston, because that’s where we reside. She pops up on the worksite all the time, my kids pop up, and I don’t want them to see me too upset or aggressive.
Holmes: I’m sure they saw you on “Survivor.” Did they have any issues with how you acted there?
Hantz: The thing on “Survivor” is, I was fan favorite two seasons in a row. I thought when I was out there my family, my grandparents, the people I respect the most in my life, I thought they would be upset. But when I got home, everybody was excited. I went out there to play the game and I played it as strategic as I could possibly play it. And that’s like this new show, I’m driven by success. You set your mind to do something and you don’t let anything stop you. And that’s why I’m successful, I just keep going forward.

Holmes: What are you learning about the home-flipping business?
Hantz: It’s not as easy as it looks when you’re watching the home-flipping shows on TV. It’s real life. Once you have all that money invested it gets kind of hectic. Now I can lose money and embarrass myself on national television. I talk a big game and I need to back it up.

Holmes: One of the things I think that separates you from the other house-flipping shows is how personal it gets with the marital problems you’re having with your wife Melanie. What was it like to open up that part of your life to the cameras for the first time?
Hantz: Our show is real life. My show is based on what’s going on in my life. I might go flip a restaurant or a car wash. We might not do nothing one episode. We might be fighting the whole time. But the thing is, it’s my life. I’m not an actor, that’s not what I do. The cameras are rolling and we just settle things. It’s hard to do it, because it’s personal stuff, but I am who I am. A lot of people are going to be upset that I bring that into the TV world. But, like I said, I am who I am. She’s OK with it. As long as we talk about it like adults and we get through it.

Holmes: You’re a very polarizing character in the “Survivor” community. When we did the original “Survivor” Hall of Fame, there were those who thought you were a no-brainer, first-ballot inductee and others who thought you should never be inducted. There’s almost no middle ground, people either love you or hate you. For those that don’t love you, do you think “Flipped Off” is a chance for them to see the real guy?
Hantz: This is real life. People are going to see the softer side of me…well…not always. I get pretty aggressive sometimes. But, my kids are here, my family is here. People show up and the cameras are there. I think that people are going to see the real me, especially when it comes to my kids. Little Gracie, my baby girl, she’s almost four years old, it’s amazing watching her. When the cameras are filming her, she just doesn’t care. She’s kind of like her daddy. I think that people are going to see a different side of me. And you’re still going to have people that hate me. (Laughs) Well, you’ve seen the show what do you think? I think it’s going to be a big success.
Holmes: Alright, here’s my ten-cent review. I’m a homeowner. I find home-flipping shows to be informational even when they’re not entertaining. I’m also a “Survivor” fan, and I enjoyed watching you on the show. So, there are two selling points for me. However, what really interested me was getting to see your personal life and learning how your new-found fame has affected your family.
Hantz: It’s not the normal house-flipping show. And I want something different. It’s like I did on “Survivor,” I changed the game. So, I don’t like to do things that other people do. I wanted it to be more personal, that’s why I let that into it. So they can see me on a different level. Is it the right thing to do? I don’t know. As long as it doesn’t hurt Melanie or my kids. I talked to them off camera about if they’re OK with this, and everyone’s OK with it.

Holmes: Have you been watching “Survivor: One World” at all?
Hantz: I watched a few episodes. I know that people were trying to compare me to the guy Colton (Cumbie).
Holmes: Are those comparisons fair?
Hantz:  You can’t compare me to him. I went out there to play a game, I didn’t go out there just to be a butthole to everybody. I went out there to play a strategic game.  I said I was going to play a certain way and I did exactly what I said I was going to. But it wasn’t my fault I didn’t win. It was the juries’ fault for not doing their job.
Holmes: Here’s one I’m sure you get all the time; any chance we’re going to see on “Survivor” again?
Hantz: That question is a tough one now. I have a lot of people that I talk to. So let’s say I get the call, I can’t just say “Yeah, I’ll go.” I have to consult with a lot of people. Especially if we get a second season, which I think is going to happen.

Holmes: I’ve only been to Houston a handful of times, and those times were very brief. Are all real estate agents in that area as attractive as Kristen?
Hantz: No way. It took a little bit to find her. But it’s not just her looks. She’s very smart, she has her own broker’s license and her own firm. She knows what she’s doing. And she’s pretty. She’s easy on the eyes. It’s easier to sell a house with pretty people. It just is. I’m not the prettiest thing in the world, I couldn’t sell the house.
Holmes: And as we see in the opening episode, she can swing a sledgehammer.
Hantz: She’s a tough broad, that’s for sure. If she can deal with us, then she can deal with anything.
Holmes: I don’t think you’re paying her enough.
Hantz: (Laughs) I probably ain’t.

“Flipped Off” premieres Saturday, April 28, 2012 on A&E at 10:00 pm ET.

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

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Villain Russell Hantz on ‘Flipped Off,’ ‘One World,’ and His Softer Side

‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Leif Manson

April 19, 2012

Leif Manson (CBS)

If you’re a contestant on “Survivor: One World” and you have a Y chromosome, I have some bad news for you…

Your days are numbered.

I spoke to Leif Manson, the latest man to be given his walking papers by the Spradlin Six, the morning after his elimination to find out why Christina and Alicia didn’t take his offer, how he feels about Colton’s offensive comments, and the benefits of sleeping in a coffin-like box…

Gordon Holmes: You and Troyzan were doing your best to get people to vote for Kim last night. How close were you guys to finally getting someone to flip sides?
Leif Manson: He and I were definitely really trying to get as many people as we could on board with that plan. But, trying to convince anybody at that point was really tough.
Holmes: Alicia and Christina are clearly on the bottom of the female alliance. Why wouldn’t they go for it?
Manson: There’d be times where you’d see something in their eyes, but at other times…yeah. (Laughs)

Holmes: Christina is the one who always has me shaking my head. Last night I’m watching the auction and as soon as the challenge advantage comes up I’m thinking, “Just bid all of your money.” There’s no need to get in a bidding war, lock that thing down. But Christina didn’t go for it. Did she get any heat from the other women for that?
Manson: Oh yeah. Definitely a lot of the women were pushing for her to buy it. She was just very easily manipulated by the girls.

Holmes: We didn’t see much of your strategy when you were out there. What moves did you make that we didn’t see?
Manson: I was trying to make as many big moves as I could. I wish they would’ve shown a little more. I definitely feel like I was giving it my all all of the time. I was giving my all, especially in the games, I just wanted to win immunity every time and prove that I was giving it 100%. And the strategy…it was hard. It was hard to get strategies going with a lot of the people.
Holmes: Is it fair to say you were more into the adventure of the show than the actual gameplay?
Manson: Yeah. There were some points where I got a little too comfortable and I should’ve been playing the game more instead of thinking it was one big happy family camping trip.

Holmes: Last night Troyzan went off the deep end with his accusations and his ranting during challenges.

Manson: He was just going to go all out and try to get some things happening. He and I were completely on board with trying to get something else going. It was hard though, because once those women had their mind set on something, there was no changing them.
Holmes: Was it obvious that Kim was the kingpin?
Manson: It was really hard to tell…
Holmes: Sorry, the queenpin.
Manson: (Laughs) The queen of the women. It was hard to tell.

Holmes: One of the more uncomfortable moments this season was when Colton was using a lot of derogatory terms to describe you.
Manson: Yeah.
Holmes: And “Little Person” is the proper term, right?
Manson: Yeah, little person.
Holmes: As you’re watching that at home, what’s going through your mind?
Manson: As I was hearing what was being said behind my back, it definitely brings a whole other view of people. I just didn’t realize Colton could be that sinister. He really started turning into a monster.
Holmes: As a little person, did it mean a lot to you to go out there and show that you can be an asset around camp and hold your own in challenges?
Manson: Yeah. Going into the game I really had to prove myself to all of those people that I could do anything that they could do and I was going to be staying there for a while. I showed them that I’m not weak…I’m very strong.
Holmes: What kind of feedback have you been receiving from other little people?
Manson: It’s been amazing. Just so much positive output from the little people community. So many people have told me that I inspired them. That they just look at life in a totally different way. And they see that we can do anything that anyone else can do. It really makes me feel really good.
Holmes: Excellent. That’s good to hear.
Manson: It’s just been really great.

Holmes: Word association time. Let’s start off with Troyzan.
Manson: Amazing
Holmes: Chelsea?
Manson: Hmmm…yeah. I don’t have any words for her.
Holmes: Kim?
Manson: Sneaky.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Manson: An anchor.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Manson: Like my dad.
Holmes: Alicia?
Manson: Out there.
Holmes: Kat?
Manson: Blessed one.
Holmes: Christina?
Manson: Sweet.

Holmes: Alright, let’s jump back a second. When you said you had no words for Chelsea, was that in a positive way or a negative way?
Manson: Let’s just go with negative.
Holmes: Was something going on there that we didn’t see?
Manson: Her and I would butt heads. And I’m a tough person, but I really don’t like conflict. She definitely would push my buttons a lot.

Holmes: Vampires are huge these days what with the “Twilight” movies and “The Vampire Diaries.” Have you given any thought to marketing the coffin you had been sleeping in while you were out there?
Manson: Yeah! I wish I was able to take that home with me. (Laughs) It was one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in.

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

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Leif Manson

‘Survivor: One World’ Recap: Troy Meets World

April 18, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Let’s do this limerick style, shall we?

There once was a guy named Jay Byars,
Who was worried the women were liars,
Troy tied to warn,
But poor Jay was torn,
So Probst got to snuff out his fires.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Tikiano Tribe (wearing black)
Alicia –  25, Special Ed Teacher
Chelsea – 26, Medical Sales
Christina – 29, Career Consultant
Kat – 22, Timeshare Rep
Kim – 29, Bridal Shop Owner
Leif – 27, Phlebotomist
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The fun starts off this week with the Tikiatians returning from Tribal Council. Troyzan, as you’d imagine, is not thrilled that he’s the next person on the chopping block. He’s also digs into Christina because he though she would be on his side. Wait, what?

The others come to her defense (even Alicia!) and it’s obvious that his days are numbered. Troyzan realizes that he’s going to need an Ozzy-esque immunity run to stay in this game.

I’ve met Ozzy. I’ve interviewed Ozzy. Troyzan, you’re no Ozzy.

The next morning, Troyzan resumes his bulldozer persuasion technique by telling Chelsea that he deserves to be there longer than three or four other people. She comes back with the perfect response by saying, “It’s just the game.” She’s right, nobody deserves anything out there.

She then makes a point that he should take it like a man like Jonas did.  Oooo…sushi burn.

Tree mail arrives in the form of a bunch of envelopes full of money. Oh, you know what that means…

Reward Challenge: “Survivor” auction time! Troyzan smartly decides to save his money for an immunity challenge advantage.

Chelsea wins donuts and iced coffee for $160.

Fun Fact: “Survivor” production’s iced coffee is legendary. I’d consider paying $160 for a glass right now.

Sabrina wins nachos and a margarita for $400.

Leif wins a protein shake and bananas for $100.

Kat proves she has no idea how auctions work by bidding the exact same amount as Alicia. She’s so cute.

Kim wins a shower for $40.

Kat wins a BLT and an iced tea for $180. When Kat goes to claim her sandwich, she exclaims, “There’s bacon on there!” Yes…on her BLT.

J’adore Kat.

Kim sprints out of the shower to win some chocolate and peanut butter for $240. What is it about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter that makes women strip on this show? I’m bringing a jar of Skippy and a Snickers bar to the finale.

Tarzan claims he’s saving his $500 to buy some new shocks for his truck. What’re the odds Jeff will put that up for bid?

Next up are letters from home. Alicia breaks down crying and bids all of her money. Oh man, who knew Alicia was so sensitive?

Alicia lets us know that it’s a letter from her dad who has never written her anything in her life. Aww… There’s a lot of pollen outside, I think some might’ve gotten in my house…

Jeff allows the others to buy their own letters for $500. Tarzan takes him up on the offer. He also decides not to share his letter with the others.

Then, Troyzan breaks down because he feels alone after last night’s Tribal. He’s tempted to buy his letter, but doesn’t.

Smart move, because the immunity advantage is next. Troyzan and Christina get into a bidding war as they’re the only two with $500 left. The women try to convince Christina to bid all of her money…but she doesn’t.

Sorry, that’s a dumb move by Christina. The person with the auction advantage always (or almost always, I’m not an encyclopedia) wins immunity. That could put the target squarely on her back.

Kat wins a mystery item and a note for $160.

(Please be swamp water, please be swamp water…)

Oh wow, it’s a super huge cake. The note says that the cake is for the entire tribe and they have 60 seconds to eat it. What follows is pretty gross.

That’s the end of the auction and Christina still has all her money. She should be able to buy some nice shocks.

Back at camp, Troyzan starts another immunity idol hunt. He doesn’t even bother hiding it from the others. In fact, he pulls a Rupert by putting something in his pocket and pretending that it’s an idol.

Immunity Challenge Time: This challenge will be broken into three different stages. Troyzan will automatically advance to the second stage. First, the players will have to untie a series of knots. First three people to release a ring will advance. From there, they’ll bounce coconuts off of a trampoline and attempt to break three targets. The first two to do that will slingshot coconuts into a wall. First person to knock out three targets in a row wins immunity.

Round One: Tarzan, Kim, and Christina untie their knots first.

Round  Two: Troyzan and Tarzan destroy all three targets.

After Troyzan hit his shots, he screamed, “This is my island, you can’t beat me!” This resulted in some negative comments from the peanut gallery and some groans from my couch.

Round Three: Troyzan hits three targets in a row to win immunity.

During his victory celebration, Troyzan looked at the rest of Tikiano and said, “Don’t !@#$ with me.” Oh boy…even if you pull off the immunity run of a lifetime, most of those kids are going to be on the jury.

So much dumb strategy this season. So much!

Back at camp, Tarzan asks Troyzan to be noble in victory. And we’ve officially reached the point where Tarzan is the voice of reason. The Mayans were right, 2012 truly is the end of days.

Politicking centers around taking out Tarzan or Leif. Chelsea and Kim smartly don’t want to target a woman yet for fear of shaking up their alliance.

Troyzan wants to get Tarzan, Leif, Alicia, and Christina on his side by telling them that they’re on the bottom of the alliance. Yeah, but that plan makes sense.

That night at Tribal Council, Troyzan explains that his taunting at the challenge was because he’s a competitor.

Sabrina thinks Troyzan has morphed into a terror.

Troyzan points out that Sabrina is not his mother and shouldn’t tell him what to do. He then outs her for lying to Jay.

Probst just shakes his head, which is funny, because I know he’s loving this.

Troyzan then points out that Tarzan, Christina, and Leif are at the bottom of the totem pole. All they have to do is vote with him and vote out Kim.

Kim thinks Troyzan is making a lot of assumptions as to what the pecking order is. However, she doesn’t deny Troyzan’s assertion.

Christina says it’s simple math. I’m going to remember that if she doesn’t flip. Cause right now simple math says she’s sixth.

Voting Time: Troyzan votes for Kim, Chelsea votes for Leif, and the rest of the votes didn’t make the cut.

J-Pro tallies and returns. Three votes for Leif, two votes for Kim, three votes for Tarzan, and the tenth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Leif.

Verdict: This has to be the most strategically mind-numbing season since “Survivor: Gabon.” Kim, Sabrina, and Troyzan are the only ones playing, and Troyzan is making stupid moves left and right.

This season makes my think muscle hurt.

Who’s Going to Win: That was Alicia and Christina’s only chance to make a move and they blew it. We’re going to see Kim, Sabrina, and Chelsea at the end, and that jury seems to be the type that respects gameplay. Enjoy the money, Kim.

Power Rankings Update: Dragon Slayer! Benjamin “Coach” Wade had Leif in spot nine while Sophie Clarke had him in spot eight. The current score is now Team Salani 80, Team Manono 61. It’s probably too late for a guy comeback, but at least we have a two-week winning streak. (Yes, I’m aware that one of those wins was against a coffee mug.)

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

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, Recap, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Recap: Troy Meets World

‘Survivor: One World’ Power Rankings – Sophie Clarke vs. Benjamin ‘Coach’ Wade

April 18, 2012

"Coach' Wade vs. Sophie Clarke (CBS)In honor of “Survivor: One World’s” men vs. women theme, it has been decided that XFINITY TV’s “Survivor” guy Gordon Holmes should lead a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” guys against a team of “Survivor: South Pacific” gals.

The Rules: Each week a representative from each team 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 two players will earn. For example, if Troyzan is voted out this week, Sophie’s team will receive 9 points and Coach’s will receive 7 points. At the end of the season, the team with the most points will be named the “Survivor: One World” Power Rankings Challenge Champions.

Last Week: Gordon managed to prove that he’s smarter than a coffee mug. He had Jay in spot ten, while the mug had him in spot seven. Gordon must be so proud. The current score is now Team Salani 72, Team Manono 52.

Before we get into this week’s battle, let’s check in with Power Rankings fave Benjamin “Coach” Wade…

Gordon Holmes: Great to have you back, Coach. What’ve you been up to since we last saw you on “South Pacific”?
Benjamin “Coach” Wade: I’ve been up to Dragon Slayer Radio, conducting symphony concerts this week…i.e. Musica De Espana including a Latin Symphony I wrote. Working on finalizing things for hosting my own show, coaching college soccer, etcetera.

Holmes: Are you enjoying “One World”?
Wade: Yes. Good cast (not great, but good) and great twists and turns. It’s been a fun ride

Holmes The guys just got steamrolled this season. Was there anything they could have done to prevent it?
Wade: For every hayseed “Survivor” casts, 10 I.Q. points = 1 dumb move. Therefore, if someone has the I.Q. of 120 (below average) and they are a country bumpkin, then you take away 10 points=110. Because a smart player has a game I.Q. of say 145…145-110=35=at least 3 bad moves.

Hayseed #1: Jay
Hayseed #2: Michael
Hayseed #3: Troyzan

Q.E.D.

In answer to your question; stop casting hayseeds on the male side. There is nothing they can do now except charm, win immunity, and make a case for dumb moves = a lame duck in the final three.

Note: Assisting Coach with his rankings is “Survivor” blogger extraordinaire Brenda Porter!

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Current Score: 72

Got any advice for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter.

 

 Current Score: 52

Got any advice for Coach? Drop him a line on Twitter.

 
1. Kimpossible, Kimsanity, Kim.goddess. Anyone with this many nicknames is a frontrunner. 1. Hands down the best female player since Parvati Shallow in my opinion. She has it all: strength in strategy, challenges, highly competitive, she also has a subtle style that she employs around people that she can get them to do whatever she wants and people trust her. Case in point: Jay and Troyzan and even Tarzan. She can handle herself at Tribals and state her points without those points coming back to bite her. People know she is strong but no one (except Troyzan) wants to take her out. She is unruffled when plans are going amok and can stay cool under any tough situation. She will take it this season, I feel.
2. Sabrina is tough. She seems to be at the top of her alliance and, unlike Kim who saw some votes at Tribal Council last week, she hasn’t drawn any attention to herself. 2. She is very smart strategically but I am not seeing a lot of the social game except from just within her circle. She has shown herself fair in challenges but she has common sense and good game judgment and Kim trusts her. She’s also shown leadership characteristics in old Salani. She seems good strategically and is strategically better than Chelsea.
3. Kim’s lackey was a bit too reluctant to vote out her boy Jay last week. She did eventually vote him out, but her wishy washyness makes me question if she has what it takes to actually win this game. 3. Chelsea is smart but lacks the killer instincts that are needed to win in the game. She reminds me of Amanda (Kimmel) who is someone who made the Finals in back-to-back seasons due to her social game and challenge strengths but struggled with the character decisions she would have to make in order to succeed in the game. Chelsea is wishy washy at times and leaked info to Jay that she shouldn’t have. Her alliance with Kim will take her to the Finals. She has a very solid social game and reminds me of both Natalie White and Amanda. She does seem to be developing the killer instinct more though, more so out of greed for the money.
4. Kat is safe this week. I don’t think anyone on the island sees her as a threat to win the game and she is a member of the seemingly unbreakable girls alliance. Then again, maybe once the girls find out that Kat is actually just Fabio with a haircut, they will cut her loose. 4. Kat comes across as rather unsure of a lot of things but has a lock in within the power alliance and knows she will need to tread water to stay in. She is on the outer rung of a power alliance. She has strength in challenges and can step up and play hard but she lacks in some of the social aspects and strategies.
 
5. Alicia is the odd girl out of the girl’s alliance and, unlike the other stragglers Kat and Chelsea, Alicia isn’t one to be content taking the backseat. If Alicia wants to make a move for more power, she needs to do it sooner rather than later. 5. Whereas she is very observant she can make waves and has done so at Tribals and in camp. This almost cost her before and even Jay recognized this. It can cost her again.
6. Whatever hatred your tribemates had for you has been replaced by a belief that you are in no way a threat. That’s good for keeping you around, but not so good for your bank account when the game is over. You might make it to the end, but there’s no way the jury is giving you this game. 6. She has intelligence but has not found a way into the power alliance and I feel will exit early due to not having found it. Socially she is quiet and gets along with people but she has played both sides before and that can be dangerous especially if you have two people fighting for control and one possesses the absolute control (Kim).
7. The girls are picking off the challenge threats, and Tarzan is not one of them. Plus, they need to keep around the eye candy, right? 7. He made and allowed too many poor decisions early and will have to stay in because of an immunity. He is strong challenge wise but like Ozzy his arrogance will cost him. If he could get his act together he could easily be what he is, which is Kim’s counterpart on the island. Instead, like Ozzy, he is allowing some arrogance to seep through because he realizes that Kim has him cornered. If he would just calm down and use his natural honed abilities he could flip this game still on its head but instead he is letting Kim get under his skin.
8. Leif performed well in the challenge last week and if Troyzan wins immunity this week, he is next on the chopping block. 8. Though a funny character to watch, his tendency to rub people the wrong way and lack of social etiquette makes him a perfect “goat” for the Finals. I think he lacks a solid game but will be taken deeper as an extra vote and as a backup goat if needed for Kim. Thing is I doubt she will use him and take Chelsea to the Finals and if a F3 Sabrina also.
9. Troyzan is likeable, a great challenge competitor, and idol-less. He was lucky to survive last week but I doubt he will be so lucky again. 9.  Leif  is too trusting, too nice, and voted against Kim last Tribal even though I am sure he knew Jay was going. Leif is not playing the game and seems to just be out there for the adventure perhaps. Earlier on he spilled info to Bill while on the Manono side and I think he doesn’t realize that to stay in the game you have to make numbers with people and play as you go. I don’t think he understands the game fully.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Power Rankings – Sophie Clarke vs. Benjamin ‘Coach’ Wade

‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Jay Byars

April 12, 2012

Jay Byars (CBS)

It’s often said that your first instinct is usually the right one. It’s possible that Jay Byars has never heard that piece of advice.

For weeks, Jay’s instincts had been telling him to be on the lookout for a women’s alliance. But that didn’t stop the 25-year-old model from trying to piece together a union between himself and the game’s dominant females.

I spoke with Jay the morning after those dominant females blindsided him and sent him packing from the game. During that chat, I had a chance to find out about the two things he said he’d never do (that he ended up doing), if he and Troyzan could have flipped things, and which player he thinks is a “witch.”

Gordon Holmes: Every week I’m watching “Survivor” and every week you’re saying, “We’ve got to watch out for the girls.” And even with that, they still manage to blindside you. Can you walk me through how they managed to get you even though you kinda knew it was coming?
Jay Byars: When the tribes swapped and I became a member of Salani, I was so excited to get off of the Manono squad. So, I formed relationships with the ladies and decided that I was going to work with them. Obviously they chose to go back with their old alliance and they got the best of me.
Holmes: What was it like to watch that on TV? It had to be like trying to warn someone in a horror movie when you know Michael Myers is hiding in their closet.
Byars: I was thinking, “What the hell were you thinking?” “Why did you step down from that challenge?” “Why did you think you were safe?” I was just sitting at home feeling helpless.
Holmes: I had an ex-girlfriend who was a law student, and you could always tell when she wasn’t being 100% truthful because of the way she’d word things. I noticed Chelsea saying, “That’s not necessarily the case,” and Kat saying “What am I going to say, no?” Those aren’t concrete statements. Were you picking up on those things?
Byars: Yeah. I definitely was skeptical. I kept picking up on things like that. I woke up that morning and had an eerie feeling that it wasn’t going to be a good day. But I was trying to work with Troy, I was trying to work with Kim and Chelsea. I still trusted them at that point even though things felt shady. I didn’t think I was going to be the next one. Obviously that’s why I stepped down from the challenge.
Holmes: So during that challenge you thought you were 100% safe?
Byars: I did, completely. I’d say that was probably the dumbest move I could make at that point in the game. And going into the game I said I would never, ever drop down for food. No matter what. And it cost me a million bucks.

Holmes: Could things have been different if you’d listened to Troy?
Byars: Even if I listened to Troy and voted for Kim, I really think the votes would have swung my way.

Holmes: I’m very good at playing “Survivor” when I’m well fed and sitting on my couch in my air-conditioned home. How do you explain the differences between watching it and living it to someone like me?
Byars: You obviously see the mistakes I’ve made in the game. But when you’re there, it’s so hard to separate the relationships you’ve made with the people because you’re with them 24/7. And when you have to backstab someone, it’s hard to separate those two. You really get a sense of trust in some people. And you have to trust someone to move forward.
Holmes: I think that if I was hungry enough, you could talk me into anything.
Byars: (Laughs) Yeah. I wish everybody understood that who was watching on the couch.

Holmes: You had these male vs. female concerns even before Michael was sent home. Was there anything you could have done with Tarzan or Leif? Or maybe tried to get Christina and Alicia to flip?
Byars: At the merge that would have been a definite possibility had the guys decided to work together or tried to pull Alicia and Christina in. But as you could see, from day one the guys were not united. You never could trust the guys. Everybody had their own agenda. You never could trust Tarzan. Whatever his mood was, that was the way he was going to go. You couldn’t get a strong vibe from people. But obviously I wish me and Troy had stuck together and that I would’ve listened to him on that last night.
Holmes: Kim seems to be running the show out there. Alicia and Christina think they’re safe. You and Troyzan thought you were safe.
Byars: Watching it now, she really was the mastermind behind a lot of this. I fell for her. She got me. She’s a super strategic player. She’s a super fan of the show, she knows it inside and out.
Holmes: You used the term “fell for her.” She’s quite lovely. Chelsea’s quite lovely. Did that play into it at all?
Byars: You know Gordon, I said before the show that I would never, ever be smitten by a girl, but the fact that I did trust those two just proves that I did.
Holmes: Cause I’m pretty sure that Chelsea could talk me into anything.
Byars: (Laughs) That’s what everybody keeps saying.
Holmes: She could tell me the sky was pink and I wouldn’t bother looking outside.
Byars: Twenty five days into it, when you have two beautiful girls telling you you’re safe…what can you do?

Holmes: When you were making your play to send one of the women home, why did you go with Alicia over Christina?
Byars: Number one, it’s because Christina seemed to be floating through the game. Nobody was really worried about her at that point. And I knew Alicia was working with Tarzan and was close with Kat. She was working both sides, guys and girls.

Holmes: Let’s do some word association here. We’ll start with Troyzan.
Byars: Fun and in-shape.
Holmes: Kim?
Byars: Hot and sweet.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Byars: Lovable and hilarious.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Byars: Athlete and she can talk her way into or out of anything.
Holmes: Christina?
Byars: Slacker.
Holmes: Alicia?
Byars: I don’t want to curse so…witch.
Holmes: Leif?
Byars: A wrestler.
Holmes: Kat?
Byars: Ditzy blonde.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Byars: A nutcase.

Holmes: This has nothing to do with anything, but the Tikiano flag looks awesome. Who’s the artist on the tribe?
Byars: We actually all had a little part in that. But Chelsea and Tarzan are the two main artists of that center piece. Chelsea does a lot of painting on the side, and Tarzan used to paint back in the day.
Holmes: So those two were able to put aside their underwear dispute long enough to create a really nice flag?
Byars: No, they definitely painted at separate times. I do remember that.

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

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Jay Byars

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »