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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Align in the Sand

April 11, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Kim misled Troyzan with a tall tale, Tarzan misdiagnosed Chelsea reason for disliking him, and Michael’s misplaced trust sent him packing…

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
Jay – 25, Model
Leif – 27, Phlebotomist
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

We kick this deal off with a beautiful sunrise at Tikiano beach. Jay starts the day off by telling everyone that he had a dream that he was shot. Foreshadow much?

Later on, Tarzan tells Troyzan that the women are looking to eliminate the men. That’s gotta be bad news when Tarzan is the voice of reason.

Troyzan says they could turn the numbers around if they just had the hidden immunity idol. I’ve got to say, I like Troyzan using the rarely-seen strategy of keeping his idol possession a secret.

Tree mail arrives in the form of a chalkboard, a pole, and other goodies. They lug all the gear back to camp and we learn that it’s time for another do-it-yourself reward challenge.

Reward Challenge: The players will divide themselves into two teams of five. They’ll then take turns throwing bolos at numbered stakes on a pole. The team with the most points wins a boat ride to a secluded island. While there, they’ll enjoy a barbecue. No word on if delicious 7Up will be served.

The players pull rocks to decide which team they’re on. Troyzan, Kat, Alicia, Jay, and Tarzan are one team, while Christina, Sabrina, Chelsea, Leif, and Kim are on the other.

Troyzan decides that he’ll be Faux Probst and calls the action. Hmm…if I were Troyzan I wouldn’t quit my day job. Oh wait, his day job is taking photographs for swimsuit magazines. I wouldn’t quit that day job for anything.

Round 1: Jay and Kim both fail to score.

Round 2: Kat scores two while Leif comes up empty.

Round 3: Troyzan and Chelsea both miss.

Round 4: Tarzan hits a four while Christina hits a one.

Round 5: Alicia and Sabrina both come up short.

The final score is six to one. Troyzan, Kat, Alicia, Jay, and Tarzan win reward.

The barbecue consists of rum, coconut, and all of the seafood in the world. Once they’re done eating, Jay and Kat discuss a little bit of strategy. Jay is still very concerned that the women are going to start axing the guys one by one. Yeah, you keep saying that, but you voted off Michael.

Back at camp; Kim, Kat, Chelsea, and Alicia are going over the pecking order. Apparently Jay or Troyzan is next on the chopping block depending on who wins immunity. Chelsea doesn’t love this plan as she’s given her word to both of those guys. Yeah, she’d better be careful, nobody’s ever lied on “Survivor” before.

Alicia thinks Chelsea should suck it up and get with the plan. Sabrina agrees with her. Uh oh…

Jay wants Alicia to go home next as a way for the women to prove that they aren’t ganging up on them. He takes this plan to Kat. When he asks for confirmation, she says “What am I going to say, no?” Hmm…but she didn’t say, “Yes.” I’m starting to like me some Kat.

The rest of the women agree to Jay’s plan, but Kim later tells Alicia that they’re going to pretend to vote for her.

Is there still a guy named Leif on this show?

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will stand on a perch with an arm in the air. Tied to their wrist is a rope that is connected to a vat of colored water. If they move too much, their vat will drop their water on them and they’ll be eliminated. Last person standing wins immunity.

The challenge starts off and Tarzan immediately pulls a Crystal Cox and falls. He’s followed by Christina.

Probst brings out some cookies to tempt the players. Sabrina drops out.

Next up, J-Pro brings out some cupcakes. Kim and Kat call it quits.

Alicia offers to drop down to help Chelsea win. Chelsea thinks she just wants something to eat.

Jeff brings out another plate. Alicia says she doesn’t care what it is, she wants it. To prove her point, she steps down.

(Please be sea water. Please be sea water.)

Unfortunately, it’s a bowl full of candy.

Before the next food item can be brought out, Troyzan loses his balance and is eliminated.

Some chicken wings and beer are up for grabs next. Jay decides to take Probst up on the offer.

Chelsea tries to convince Leif that winning immunity will make him seem like a threat. He doesn’t buy it.

However, he does buy the burgers that Probst brings out. Chelsea wins immunity.

Quick Aside: Leif double checked with Chelsea to make sure that dropping out would make him seem like less of a threat. So much bad strategy this season.

Back at camp, Kim makes the call that they should split their votes between Troyzan and Jay. The concern is that Troyzan might have an idol.

Kim does her best to make Troyzan feel safe, but the lady doth protest too much, and he doesn’t buy it.

Blam! How many “Survivor” recaps quote Shakespeare? Classes up the joint a bit.

Troyzan does some solid last-minute scrambling, trying to get Christina, Tarzan, and Jay on his side.

Jay tells Kim that they should vote for Alicia to flush out Troyzan’s idol. You know, they could vote for Jay and flush out the idol too…just saying.

That night at Tribal Council, Troyzan admits that he thinks there’s still a men vs. women dynamic.

Tarzan thinks the women are a lot smarter than the guys. Gordon thinks that’s an understatement.

Kim, Jay, and Troyzan think they’re in danger.

Troyzan thinks it’s shady that everyone applauded when he was eliminated from the immunity challenge.

Alicia thinks the men might have an immunity idol because they’re wearing shorts with pockets. Interesting observation.

Voting Time: Jay votes for Alicia, Troyzan votes for Kim, Kat votes for Troyzan (but she calls him “Monkey Man”), and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

Probsty tallies the votes, then asks if anyone would like to play an immunity idol. Troyzan takes him up on this offer. In doing so, he says he’s not going to go down as a dumb player who left the game with an idol in their pocket. In your face, James Clement.

Two votes for Troyzan, one vote for Kim, one vote for Jay, one vote for Alicia, one vote for Jay, one vote for Alicia, one vote for Jay, and the ninth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Jay.

Verdict: The show picked up a bit this week with some interesting strategy. However, I wish it seemed like people other than Kim, Troyzan, and Sabrina were playing this game.

Who’s Going to Win: I still think we’re going to see a Kim/Sabrina/Chelsea final three. I also think we might have a jury that appreciates gameplay. If that’s the case, Kim could take it.

Power Rankings Update: Blam! In your face, inanimate object! The coffee mug I pulled names from had Jay in spot seven while I had him in spot ten. Thus providing my team with its first win this season. The current score is now Team Salani 72, Team Manono 52.

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

 

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‘Survivor: One World’ Power Rankings – Desperation Edition

April 10, 2012
'Survivor' Hall of Fame Mug

'Survivor' Hall of Fame Mug

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.

URGENT UPDATE: The female Power Rankings squad has soundly defeated their male counterparts in every outing except for one (which was a tie). So, in an attempt to find competition that the men could conceivably defeat, this week’s women’s picks will be made by pulling slips of paper out of a Limited Edition 2010 “Survivor” Hall of Fame coffee mug.

We’re sorry it had to come to this.

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, the mug’s team will receive 10 points and Gordon’s will receive 9 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: Another week, another beating for the male team. Power Rankings legend Andrea Boehlke had Mike in spot nine, while John Cochran had him in spot seven. The current score is now Team Salani 65, Team Manono 42.

Wanna Play? Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings. If you do better than the male team you’ll get a special shout out in next week’s Power Rankings.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Current Score: 65

Got any advice for the mug? Too bad, it doesn’t have a Twitter account.

 

Current Score: 42

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

 
1. Kim is killing it this season. However, there are still some blindsides between her and the final three. The challenge for any dominant player is to figure out how to trim the numbers without costing yourself jury votes.
2. Right now I have Kim, Chelsea, and Sabrina penciled in as the final three. Kim may get points off for being the mastermind, Chelsea has an obvious feud with Tarzan, but Sabrina?  I don’t think she’s on anyone’s bad side.
3. Kim might be tempted to cut a female loose to make Jay and Troyzan happy. If that happens, don’t worry Alicia, it’ll be Christina. That being said, are you planning an end game?
4. Chelsea, you’re my girl, but you made a big slip-up last week. Jay is much quicker than he’s being given credit for and he picked up on your “necessarily” immediately. I don’t think it’ll cost you in the end, but you’ve gotta be smarter than that.
5. I love my plastic surgeon (my calf implants are amazing), but that isn’t why I love Tarzan. I love Tarzan because he’s burning shelters, crafting combs, and making things interesting on an otherwise slow season.
6. This week’s preview makes it look like the guys are going to try to pull Kat over to their side. I don’t see that happening. Throughout this game she’s struck me as more of a follower.
7. If Kim is going to try to keep Troyzan and Jay on her side for a little longer, her pitch might be to get rid of the threats. That whittles the other side down to Leif, Kat, Alicia, and Christina. Leif’s proven he can get things done after Probst yells, “Go.” That could put his head back on the chopping block.
8. Kim has about three ways she can lead this show going forward; appease the guys by losing a girl, appease her post-swap alliance by losing an opposing tribe member, or appease the girls by losing a guy. One, maybe two of those three will not work out well for Christina.
9. The only thing that could possibly stop Kim from steamrolling her way to the end is Troyzan’s idol. I hope he’ll use it smartly, but with how quickly he fell for her anti-Michael story last week, I don’t have much hope.
10. I think Jay is destined to be remembered as a wildly underrated player. He picked up on Chelsea hesitance immediately. Unfortunately for him, it might be too late to get back into this thing.

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‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Michael Jefferson

April 5, 2012
Michael Jefferson (CBS)

Michael Jefferson (CBS)

Here’s a quick tip for anyone appearing on “Survivor.” If you’re being interviewed, and they ask if you if you think you’ll be blindsided, just say “Yes.” That way, they won’t have a hilarious clip to play before your alliance turns on you.

It’s too bad I didn’t get a chance to give Michael Jefferson that tip before he started playing “Survivor: One World.”

I spoke with Michael the morning after he was eliminated and got his thoughts on last night’s shocking vote, Tarzan’s grooming habits, and the great pick-axe heist…

Gordon Holmes: So, still think blindsides are fun?
Michael Jefferson: (Laughs) You know, honestly going into “Survivor” I didn’t want to fight for my life if I knew I was going home, so blindsides are great. It lets you go out with some honor.
Holmes: Did Jay tip you off at all, or was he completely working you?
Jefferson: I thought we had an alliance and we were talking the whole time. He wanted to keep the new Salani tribe together.
Holmes: And your plan was to boot Christina and even up the guy/girl numbers.
Jefferson: We were trying to be fair to the girls. We voted out Jonas, and then we should vote out a girl. You know, going into “Survivor,” I knew that women tend to stick together better than men.
Holmes: So let me get this straight, people don’t play fair on “Survivor”?
Jefferson: (Laughs) Yeah, we were trying to be fair. If we were adamant about voting a girl off every time, they might get suspicious.

Holmes: Kim told Troyzan that you were gunning for him, and he completely bought it. Did you have any indication that she’d managed to get to him?
Jefferson: I knew from the get-go that Troy and I didn’t get along. We didn’t talk much, we didn’t talk strategy with each other. I feel like he was threatened by me the entire game. So, last night’s episode, he was going crazy when Kim told him that I wanted him gone. He was irate. He fell for it. He fell for the trap.

Holmes: It was kind of odd to me that a big, strong guy like yourself was playing what appeared to be an under-the-radar game. What moves and strategies didn’t we get to see?
Jefferson: Out of the gates, we had Jay, Matt, and myself and we were calling the shots. My goal was to put one person ahead of me, and that person was Matt. Unfortunately, and I love Matt, but if he wanted to be the leader, I was going to let him be the leader. But he left the game so quickly that it didn’t work in my favor. I wanted to lay low a little bit after Matt was gone.

Holmes: Now that the woman have the numbers, do you regret not doing more to keep Bill and Jonas?
Jefferson: Jonas was a guy I didn’t talk with at all. He didn’t associate with me because his tribe would think he was going against them. So, Jonas and I never really talked during the game.

Holmes Were you ever Tarzan’d? And if so, what is that experience like?
Jefferson: As far as Tarzan goes, I never really put up with his little antics and games. He would ramble on. It took him two days to make a comb. He’d do all of these things that didn’t make sense. He was just kind of dead weight. So, I never really got Tarzan’d.
Holmes: I’m sorry, Tarzan took two days to make a comb?
Jefferson: He made it out of bamboo. They showed him chewing on it last night. He really wanted that comb.
Holmes: I find it odd that someone who’s so concerned with their grooming would be at the center of this dirty underwear controversy.
Jefferson: He is a very clean guy. He’s a doctor, he’s probably one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. He just doesn’t really have people skills.
Holmes: So you think it was dirt?
Jefferson: (Laughs) I don’t think it was dirt.

Holmes: And on that note, let’s do some word association. Let’s kick this off with Kim.
Jefferson: Dominant, powerful.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Jefferson: Loony, afraid.
Holmes: Jay?
Jefferson: Sincere, but lost.
Holmes: Leif?
Jefferson: (Laughs) I don’t know…wily.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Jefferson: She likes to ride coattails.
Holmes: Christina?
Jefferson: Maybe…smart, but lazy.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Jefferson: Strong and sweet.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Jefferson: I’m going to say he’s intelligent, but goofy.
Holmes: Kat?
Jefferson: Innocent, cheerful.
Holmes: Alicia?
Jefferson: She’s a fireball.

Holmes: Jeff Probst and I had a chat about your thieving ways. We both agreed, which is rare, that it seemed like a high-risk/low-reward move. What was going through your mind when you decided to liberate all of the girls’ stuff?
Jefferson: When I saw the girls’ pile, I don’t know what came over me. Just because you make a pile doesn’t make it yours. So, I ran back and forth a few times grabbing everything. And it was amazing to me that not one person saw me. Not one guy or one girl. I told Jonas, but I think he was caught up in the moment and didn’t remember what I said.
Holmes: So, you telling Jonas never came back to bite you? Nobody even knew you were responsible?
Jefferson: Nobody ever did. And I didn’t bring it up because I knew it could send me home.
Holmes: You’re like a “Survivor” ninja.
Jefferson: And I’m like 6’5” stealing all their stuff!

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Kimpressive Strategy

April 4, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

Last Week: Sabrina dug in the sand until she was pooped, Troyzan found one immunity and won number two, and Jonas’s chances of winning were dropped in the dump.

Oh…and Chelsea grew sick of Tarzan’s crap.

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
Jay – 25, Model
Leif – 27, Phlebotomist
Michael – 30, Banker
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

The episode kicks off with Troyzan and Jay talking strategy. Troyzan feels bad that they had to boot Jonas, but he ended up on the wrong side of the tribe swap. They’re both very concerned that the girls could align and send the them packing.

Anyone remember when the women couldn’t start a fire? Funny game this “Survivor.”

Tree mail arrives in the form of a 7Up bottle. Oh…so that’s why we’ve been having 7Up “Survivor” Original commercials.

Reward Challenge: The players will be split into two teams of five. One by one they’ll slide down a ginormous slide, run out into the ocean, and retrieve puzzle crates. Once the tribe has all seven of their crates, they’ll use them to complete a puzzle. First tribe to finish their puzzle will be taken to a barbecue at the “7Up Oasis.” They’ll enjoy burgers, steak, and all the cool, crisp, refreshing 7Up they can drink.

A pick-em decides the teams. The green team will consist of Jay, Troyzan, Alicia, Kat, and Chelsea while the yellow team will be Michael, Kim, Christina, Sabrina, and Leif.

Tarzan was not picked. I wouldn’t want him touching my 7Up either.

The challenge starts off and the lime team jumps out to a slight lead. They manage to maintain that lead throughout the crate-gathering portion.

As the lemon team is bringing their final crate back, Christina runs off to take a look at the puzzle. Leif does not approve of this strategy.

Troyzan comes up with the clever strategy of standing on one of the crates so he can get a top-down view of the puzzle. However, the lemon team replicates this strategy and manages to come from behind to win reward.

In a hilarious moment, Leif starts screaming “Barbecue!” like he was an otter puppet in a Christmas special. I’m pretty sure nobody will get that joke.

Later on at the Oasis, the lemon team is having a blast drinking the delicious nectar of the gods known as 7Up.

When they’re done basking in the lemon-lime glow of America’s favorite clear, carbonated beverage, Sabrina and Kim take a minute to discuss strategy. Kim wants to bring the band back together in an all-girl alliance.

Quick Aside: The overhead shots of the camps are beautiful. Good job, “Survivor” production.

The next day, some harsh Samoan weather wreaks havoc on the shelter. As if that wasn’t bad enough, apparently Tarzan is ripping down parts of the shelter to use for firewood. Well, that’s certainly a new one.

Tarzan thinks Chelsea is starting to become annoyed with him. In other news, the sky is blue, sugar is sweet, water is wet…

Tarzan takes Chelsea aside and asks if she’s negative toward him because he’s a plastic surgeon and she might be angry with her own plastic surgeon. So good.

Despite this ridiculous line of thinking, Chelsea shows she’s a gamer by saying that as annoying as Tarzan is, he isn’t a threat and should be kept around.

Later, Kim plants a Kimberly seed in Troyzan’s head by telling him that Michael is gunning for him. Troyzan, of course, goes for it hook, line, and sinker.

Kim, Chelsea, and Sabrina in the final three? Sounds about right.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will race across a ladder bridge while moving puzzle pieces along a rope. The first four to get across the bridge will move on to the puzzle stage. First person to complete the puzzle wins immunity.

Not much to describe in the ladder portion except for eleven people hunched over, pushing bags of puzzle pieces. Jay, Kim, Troyzan, and Alicia advance.

Alicia and Kim jump out to a decent puzzle lead, with Troyzan slightly behind them and Jay way in the back. Kim thinks she almost has it, but is one piece off. Alicia suffers a similar fate. Jay roars back from behind and manages to win the challenge and immunity.

Politicking around camp centers around Jay wanting to boot Christina to even up the guy/girl numbers and Kim still trying to get rid of Mike.

Chelsea approaches Jay with Kim’s plans. He’s not into it because he’s worried that he’ll be next. Chelsea slips up when she says that isn’t “necessarily” true. Jay jumps all over that unfortunate phrasing. He’s like a lawyer.

Jay and Mike hustle off to talk a little strategy. Before they have a chance to figure out what’s really going on, Kim chases after them and pitches the idea of getting rid of Christina. Mike’s cool with blindsiding Christina because he thinks blindsides are fun. Yeah, Lincoln probably thought plays were fun too.

That night at Tribal Council, Jeff asks everyone if they’re worried about going home. None of them are.

Chelsea says you should be aligned with several groups to keep your options open. I’m sure her alliance members loved hearing that.

Alicia isn’t sure who’s on whose side.

Tarzan thinks people are worried about revealing too much at Tribal Council, so Jeff can be counted amongst the people being lied to.

Kat coins the term “Tarzan” to mean a “rantic.” I’m thinking that’s a cross between a rant and an antic? Anywho, if you’re the victim of one, then you’ve been Tarzan’d.

Voting Time: None of the votes are shown.

J-Probst leaves, gathers the votes, takes a nap, tallies them, then returns. Two votes for Christina, two votes for Tarzan, four votes for Mike, and the eighth person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Mike.

Verdict: Alright, I think I’ve figured out my big problem with this season; it seems like everyone has adopted Sandra Diaz-Twine’s “Anyone But Me” strategy. And with everybody doing that, it allows the Coltons and Kims of the game to basically do whatever they want. Somebody make some counter moves!

That, and there’s nobody to really root for. Who do you like? I’m sure they’re nice enough people, but nobody’s inspiring me.

Who’s Going to Win: Like I said, I think we’re heading to a Kim, Chelsea, Sabrina final three with Chelsea taking home the big check.

Power Rankings Update: Another week, another beating for the male team. Power Rankings legend Andrea Boehlke had Mike in spot nine, while John Cochran had him in spot seven. The current score is now Team Salani 65, Team Manono 42.

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


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‘Survivor: One World’ Power Rankings – Andrea Boehlke vs. John Cochran

April 4, 2012

Andrea Boehlke vs. John Cochran (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, Andrea’s team will receive 5 points and Cochran’s will receive 10 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: Oh boy. Last week’s vote could have gone a variety of different ways. Unfortunately for Manono, it ended up with Jim Rice’s number one pick, Jonas, being sent home. Dawn Meehan had Jonas in spot ten.  The current score is now Team Salani 56, Team Manono 35.

Quick Note: I’m well aware that Andrea Boehlke wasn’t a member of the “Survivor: South Pacific” cast. However, with the violent beating the guys have been receiving at the hands of Dawn, Sophie, and Christine, I thought it’d be nice to have a reminder of a time when the Power Rankings didn’t cause me emotional pain.

Wanna Play? Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings. If you do better than the male team  you’ll get a special shout out in next week’s Power Rankings.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

 

Current Score: 56

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

 

Current Score: 35

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

 
1. Two words: GIRL. POWER. I like “Survivor One World” because I’m a raging feminist and I love seeing chicks in control. Okay I’m not a raging feminist, but I like that the girls have the power. Sue me. Kim is really proving herself as a savvy player and seems to be in a great spot in this game. She also has an idol…go Kim! 1. Kim’s edit is frustratingly perfect. She always has a serene smile on her face and a zen look of determination in her eyes. She gives flawlessly diplomatic answers at Tribal Council, effortlessly finds a hidden immunity idol, and creates two viable alliances that leave her options open. All this, and she still finds time to luxuriate, sprawled across the fishing boat. Kim’s not going anywhere — in fact, I think she’ll win.
2. Chelsea is totally Kim’s hot wing woman, but with a mind of her own. (Editor’s Note: Mmm…hot wings.) I love the Chelsea-Kim duo; I think they complement each other nicely. The girls have the numbers on their side; they just have to watch out for Troyzan’s idol possibly shaking things up in the next few weeks. 2. Kim’s right-hand woman. As long as Kim is still in charge of things — and she is — Chelsea is safe.
3. Wait. Another strong, smart female castaway? Can I get a what-what? Alright! I honestly see these girls sticking together and I’m okay with that. Also, Sabrina is my sister’s name, so that is an extra 50 points in my book. 3. Sabrina was hugely visible in the first few episodes of the season, but she’s kind of faded into the background recently. Still, she’s level-headed, smart, and in a majority alliance. Safe!
4. I think it comes as no surprise that I adore Kitty Kat. Kat likes me (check out her pre-interviews) and therefore I like her and predict she will get 5th place like me and we will be best friends forever. Gordon, you can be invited to the wedding. Cochran, you can come too. 4. I’m still smitten with Kat-the-Kitten. After a rocky start in the game, Kat proved herself to be capable in last week’s challenges; I wouldn’t be surprised to see her win a few immunities before the game ends. She doesn’t seem to be a part of the inner core of the women’s alliance, but she was a member of Nu-Salani, and so she is presumably closer to the core than the next two women are.
5. I love Troyzan. His love for the game of “Survivor” is so apparent, and I was stoked that he found an idol last week. He is clearly strong in challenges and likeable, he just has to find a way to make things happen within the dynamics of the game. Dear men, don’t get Pagonged/Ometeped/Upolued! 5. Anyone else warming up to Alicia again now that Colton’s gone? Alicia’s promised that the backstabbing is going to begin sooner rather than later. There’s no need for Alicia to get too aggressive anytime soon, though–she’s been reunited with her women’s alliance, which now controls a majority of the votes in Tikiano.
6. Although her buddy Colton is gone and took his immunity necklace as a souvenir, she still has her homegirls of the original Salani so I’m thinking she is safe. Alicia is a bit of a wildcard for me; she seems like the girl most likely to stir things up so I’m excited to see some Alicia strategy brewing in the next few weeks. 6. This will be a pivotal episode for Christina. Does she stick with the women, where she’s apparently at the bottom of the totem pole (kind of like Edna or, arguably, me, last season)? Or should she flip over to the guys, where she also risks being number six? The men aren’t solid, though (as evidenced by last week’s vote) — the cracks could give Christina the Cockroach some much-needed leverage in this game.
7. Jay “no coffee for you” Byars seems to be more chummy with the girls than some of the other dudes, but sooner or later he is bound to be targeted for being a challenge threat. Jay is also not bad on the eyes, so maybe (hopefully) the girls will keep him around. For my sake. 7. Michael seems like the man most on the outs of the old Manono tribe. He doesn’t have any allegiance to his old tribemates. I could see him agreeing to vote with the women (not that they need him) just to secure another few days in the game, which can be invaluable.
8. Christina is hard to place. She wasn’t a part of the original girl alliance and Alicia seems to have some vendetta against her. Hopefully she can weasel her way into some solid alliance, because I’m a definite fan of hers! 8. While I’m sure there’s a big part of the women’s alliance that would like to get rid of Tarzan for being such an abrasive, unpredictable guy, he simply isn’t a threat at this point in the game. In actuality, he’s the perfect sort of guy to bring to the end. Also, please note that I resisted making any sort of “poopy pants” jokes about him.
9. Right before Jonas left the island, he quipped to the tribe that Michael is the strongest guy and SHOULD be the one going home. Did this perhaps put a bug in some ears? Only time will tell. 9. As the only person who didn’t vote for Jonas last week, Leif could be in danger. And yet, I don’t think he’s most in danger because he seems so easily-intimidated; the majority alliance could pressure him into anything.
10. I have a question. In last week’s reward challenge, WHY would you have Leif dig the first hole? Does this make any sense? I’m baffled. Although I don’t think Leif will be targeted for being a challenge threat, he is not one of those people you want to be sitting in the final 3 with. Unfortunately Leif is just on the wrong side of the numbers. 10. The promos for this week’s episode promise that a power player will shockingly be taken out. Outside of Kim, Troyzan is the only guy who could really be considered a power player. He has the idol, won individual immunity and reward, and has bonds with the old members of both Manono and Salani. If the promos aren’t being too misleading, then, I could see Troyzan being taken out — possibly in a rather humiliating fashion, with the idol still in his hands.
11. Don’t even get me started on Tarzan’s underwear. The more he defended “THE STAIN” the more I started to feel queasy. Tarzan doesn’t really have an alliance so I don’t know how much longer people are going to humor him. I actually really enjoy watching Tarzan—I find him endearing and unintentionally hilarious. 11. The promos are known to be misleading, though, so I expect Jay to go. He could be considered a “power player,” as he’s a member of the Nu-Salani alliance, and he’s the sort of amiable, buff guy that frequently turns out to be an early merge boot. It’s a toss-up between Jay and Troyzan, but I think Troy has a little bit more story left in him. If Jay goes, though, I fear the rest of the season will just be the women predictably eliminating the men. As someone on a season with a Pagonging, I know that isn’t exactly a recipe for riveting television.

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‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Jonas Otsuji

March 29, 2012
Jonas Otsuji (CBS)

Jonas Otsuji (CBS)

Jonas Otsuji was born to fly under the “Survivor” radar. He’s attractive but not super handsome. He’s useful around camp but not an obnoxious workhorse. He’s liked by many but the leader of none.

Unfortunately for Jonas, this strategy that has been so successful in the past may have ultimately cost him the game.

I spoke with Jonas the morning after his elimination to find out why he’d never play under the radar again, what it was like under Colton’s regime, and what was really lurking on the bottom of Tarzan’s unmentionables…

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Gordon Holmes: Let’s get this business out of the way immediately; I’m sorry for jinxing you with my pre-season pick.
Jonas Otsuji: (Laughs) No problem, my friend.

Holmes: Did you know your time was up heading into Tribal last night?
Otsuji: Oh yeah. I totally knew. The second we merged I knew something was weird. My original alliance, Troy and Jay, they were acting very fishy.
Holmes: Were there any other moves you could have made at that point?
Otsuji: No, because Jay and Troy were down numbers, they had jumped over to the girls. And I had zero relationship with Chelsea, Kat, and Kim. I did actually try to convince Kim and Chelsea, because I knew Kim was calling the shots, it was very obvious. So, I approached Kim and said, “Listen, I know you guys are trying to figure out if the guys are really with you.” So I proposed they vote out Mike. That would have bought me some time to come up with another plan. Basically, I was playing Kim’s game and that’s why she sniffed me out. We were both flying under the radar. But even flying under the radar is actually being on somebody’s radar if they’re playing the same game as you.

Holmes: What’d you do differently if you could hit the reset button?
Otsuji: If I could do it all over again I’d probably go all balls to the wall. I’d be a lot more aggressive.
Holmes: Just be as offensive and loud as possible.
Otsuji: No. (Laughs) Definitely not that, but I would have orchestrated a lot more big moves, blindsides, I wouldn’t have been Colton’s bitch.
Holmes: (Laughs) Nice.

Holmes: You had a bizarre blow-up with Tarzan last night. It seemed like he would go from zero to ten at the drop of the hat.
Otsuji: It’s just Tarzan. Tarzan is just a very socially abrasive person. Like, he’ll just throw his dirty undies right on top of yours and not have a second thought about it. The whole time the guy was like that. He’s just very insensitive about other people’s feelings. He does whatever he pleases. The whole time he was just constant contention.
Holmes: So you agree with Chelsea when it comes to the underwear-cleaning etiquette.
Otsuji: (Laughs) Yeah, absolutely. I don’t care how long that thing was boiled, I would not put my undies in the same pot as his.

Holmes: You were part of the racially charged Colton vs. Bill Tribal Council. As someone who was aligned with Colton at that point, what kind of thoughts were going through your head?
Otsuji: Colton was supposed to be the first person voted out. We had all agreed he was the first to go. And then as soon as he pulled out that idol I started cracking up, because I knew I had to align with him and pretend like I was his best friend. So yeah, it was horrible. I was closest with Bill. I considered him to be one of my closest, not just alliances, but true friends out there. So, when I had to just sit there and let it happen, just because strategically it made sense, it was brutal. I felt sick to my stomach.
Holmes: Were you trying to set up an end game where you were sitting with Colton at the final Tribal Council?
Otsuji: No. You would think that he’d be the Phillip Sheppard or the Russell Hantz, but he was so bad. First of all, he was such a wild card that it would have been way to risky to think of keeping him along. You had no idea who he was with the whole time because he was in so good with both sides. And, he was just an incredible liar. It would’ve been way too risky, there’s no way I would have taken him to the end.
Holmes: I think no matter what happens the rest of this season, it’s possible that “One World” will be remembered as the season where one tribe gave up immunity. You were a part of the decision. Walk me through it.
Otsuji: In hindsight it was just dumb. If I could do it over again, I would have tried to orchestrate a big blindside and take out Colton. It was just totally dumb. It was one of those situations where everyone starts saying, “Yes, I’ll go along with it.” And then you don’t want to be the odd man out and put a target on your back. And Colton was so volatile in the sense that he didn’t vote based on strategy. For him it was pure emotion. Everyone was so afraid to make him mad because in an instant he could turn on you and make you a target. I knew it was dumb. I still think it’s dumb.

Holmes: Let’s do some word associatin’. How about we start with Tarzan.
Otsuji: Abrasive.
Holmes: Kim?
Otsuji: Strategic.
Holmes: Kat?
Otsuji: (Laughs) Oh man…ditzy.
Holmes: Chelsea?
Otsuji: Calm.
Holmes: Michael?
Otsuji: Overconfident.
Holmes: Jay?
Otsuji: Jay is deceitfully nice.
Holmes: Sabrina?
Otsuji: Proactive.
Holmes: Troyzan?
Otsuji: Leader.
Holmes: Let’s wrap this up with Alicia.
Otsuji: (Laughs) Gangster.

Holmes: Well played. Now, “Twilight” has Team Jabob vs. Team Edward and this Sunday the WWE has Team Bring It vs. Cenation, it seems like “Survivor” fans are dividing into camps as well. The question is; are you on Team Dirt or Team Poop?
Otsuji: (Laughs) I’m going to go with the poop.

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Recap – Tarzan On the Skids?

March 28, 2012

'Survivor: One World' (CBS)

So, let’s get this straight, I take two weeks off and…

•    The tribes were reshuffled so that one group was “The A-Team” and the other was “Colton in Charge.”
•    Kim discovered an immunity idol that she was allowed to keep for her very own self.
•    Alicia and Colton created a clique that made the “Mean Girls” look like a bunch of Care Bears. (You go, Glen Coco.)
•    Monica was sent packing despite being the only person on her tribe capable of competing in a challenge.
•    Leif continued to sleep in a box.
•    The greatest 3rd-place game in the history of “Survivor” screeched to a halt as Colton was removed for medical reasons. His immunity idol was also evacuated despite having a perfectly functioning appendix.
•    The tribes merged and were given sleek, sexy black buffs.
•    Kat’s fear of appendicitis led her to investigate the possibility of voting the medical condition off of the island.

Got it. OK, I’m rested and ready…let’s do this.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

Let’s see where the tribe currently stands…

The Name Pending 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
Jay – 25, Model
Jonas – 37, Sushi Chef
Leif – 27, Phlebotomist
Michael – 30, Banker
Sabrina – 33, High School Teacher
Tarzan – 64, Plastic Surgeon
Troyzan – 50, Swimsuit Photographer

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Quick Note: If you were wondering how J-Pro feels about Colton returning to play “Survivor” in a future season, check out my exclusive interview.

The fun kicks off with the remaining twelve returning to camp after Tribal Council. During the merge feast, Alicia lets us know that she is not pleased that Christina is still in the game while Colton is gone. The lesson here is that it might not be the best strategy to tell potential jury members to jump in the fire.

The next morning, Troyzan comes up with a new name for the tribe, Tikiano. OK, I know I’ve probably said this about 100 times, but why doesn’t someone ever give the tribe a bad-a$$ name like The Miracle Doom Force or The Death Punchers? Put me on the show and that would be my first post-merge order of business.

Later, Jonas uses his sushi chef skills to turn coconut and sea water into a faux potato chip. Color me impressed. Wait’ll he gets to the first Quick-Fire Challenge.

The breakfast festivities continue with poor Tarzan trying to get his tiny-undie-wearing mitts on the coffee he didn’t help win. Jay thinks this is poor form.

Tarzan takes this coffee slight very seriously. He’s now worried that the boys alliance is long gone. He approaches Michael with the idea of the six guys and Alicia as an alliance. Mike agrees to it, but lets us know that he doesn’t trust or like Tarzan.

Reward Challenge: The players will be divided into two teams of six. Four members from each team will take turns digging their way under a wall, crawling under some boards, and then digging up puzzle pieces. Once they have all of the puzzle pieces, the two remaining players will put together a turtle-shaped puzzle. First team to complete their puzzle wins reward.

Wanna know what they’re playing for?

(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

The winning team will enjoy an afternoon of pizza and beer. They’ll also receive a secret note. Ooo…maybe they’ll pass it to them during study hall.

The teams will be Alicia, Christina, Jay, Sabrina, Troyzan, and Chelsea (wearing orange) against Leif, Kat, Kim, Michael, Jonas, and Tarzan (wearing teal).

The challenge starts off and poor Leif finds himself stuck under the wall. This helps the other team jump out to a lead. After Leif finally returns, Kim gets stuck too. Dig a bigger hole, kids.

The orange team has opened up a big lead, but Kat manages to fly through the obstacles and win back some time. Maybe they told her she was being chased by appendicitis.

Finally, it’s down to Michael and Sabrina. Sabrina seems to be committing the biggest digging mistake you can make as she accidentally pushes more sand into her hole. Michael manages to pick up a ton of ground here.

The puzzle building is almost dead even as Jonas and Tarzan square off against Troyzan and Christina. However, Troytina manages to pull it off to win reward. Jonas pretends to be OK with the loss, but he’s clearly annoyed with Tarzan.

And this week’s “Survivor” Original is none other than “Survivor” Hall of Famer Parvati Shallow. And I was just looking at trophy samples just the other day…

During the pizza feast, Alicia cracks open the special love note. Apparently there’s another idol back at camp. This development concerns Chelsea because she’s worried someone from Manono will find it and mess up her plans.

Back at camp, Jonas is growing frustrated with Tarzan. He confronts Tarzan about approaching Michael with their plans. The conversation quickly gets ugly with Tarzan calling Jonas a…uh…unflattering orifice.

After that, Tarzan offers to, “Drop out of the tribe.” Um…let’s assume he meant “alliance.”

The next morning, Troyzan gets up early and goes on an idol hunt. And sure enough, he finds it. I don’t know if I’m going to continue to use the term “Hantzian” to describe this phenomenon, cause everybody’s doing it these days.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will be perched on a small log while balancing a ball on a disc. As time goes on, they’ll add more balls to their disc. Last person standing with all of their balls wins immunity.

The challenge starts up and Tarzan is almost immediately out. Everybody else manages to survive the first round.

Fun Fact: Probst’s commentary any time there are balls in play = pure gold.

Round two claims Christina, Michael, Chelsea, and Kim.

Round three will continue until everyone is eliminated. Alicia is out quickly. She’s joined by Jay, Jonas, and Sabrina.

Your final three are Troyzan, Kat, and Leif. Leif’s the first to go out and after a stressful stand-off is followed by Kat. Troyzan wins immunity.

Quick Aside: The hand-painted tribe flag looks amazing! Who’s the Tikiano artist?

Politicking around camp centers around the second Salani tribe gunning for Jonas. Chelsea is conflicted because while Jonas is the most dangerous member of the second Manono tribe, he’s very valuable around camp.

Later, Troyzan approaches Jonas and lets him in on the plot to get rid of him. Jonas immediately goes into scramble mode and apologizes to Tarzan. Tarzan accepts it and is brought to tears.

Seriously.

The remnants of the guys alliance eventually decides to vote for Kat.

Then…um…oh boy…

So, Chelsea is doing her laundry, when Tarzan throws his…possibly…poop…stained…drawers in with her stuff. As you’d imagine, this does not go over very well with her. This major breach of etiquette is enough to get Chelsea to try to get her alliance to vote for Tarzan instead.

That night at Tribal Council, Jonas thinks it’s too early to be voting out people because they could do well in front of the jury. He wants Michael to go home because he’s an immunity threat.

Michael disagrees.

Jonas doesn’t care and announces that he’s voting for Michael.

Tarzan thinks Jonas should relax because he isn’t going home tonight. Jonas doesn’t think they have the numbers to make proclamations like that.

Tarzan then changes his mind, saying they should send Jonas home.

Quick Aside: Between Colton, Tarzan, and Alicia, this has been some of the worst strategic gameplay I have ever seen.

Chelsea and Sabrina think they’ve had more issues with Tarzan than they have had with Jonas.

Voting Time: Jonas votes for Mike, Tarzan votes for Jonas, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

Probst does some tallying and returns. One vote for Jonas, two votes for Michael, five votes for Jonas, and the seventh person to leave “Survivor: One World” is…Jonas.

On the way out, Jonas approaches Tarzan and says, “No hard feelings.” Tarzan replies with a classy, “Hard feelings to you.” Way to secure jury votes, Tarzan.

Verdict: Jonas, I am so sorry. I gave you my pre-season pick curse. I’d hate to think what would happen if you, Jim Rice, Marty Piombo, Michelle Chase, and others ever tried to get revenge on me.

That aside, this season isn’t particularly fun. There’s this weird air of unfinished Colton business hanging over it, and there really isn’t anyone to root for. Here’s hoping there’s still time for it to pick up.

Who’s Going to Win: Buh…I guess I’ll curse Chelsea next.

Power Rankings Update: Speaking of Jim Rice, he had Jonas in spot one. Ouch. Dawn Meehan had him in spot ten. This extends Dawn’s Salani lead to a dominating 56 to 35. I might take a few more weeks off…

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Will ‘Survivor’ Villain Colton Be Invited Back? Host Jeff Probst Answers…

March 28, 2012

Jeff Probst and Colton Cumbie (CBS)

What a difference an episode makes.

Over the course of one hour, “Survivor: One World” lost its reviled bully to a medical concern, cemented a new power alliance with an idol, and brought both tribes together with a last-minute merge.

So, with all of that going on, it seemed like the perfect time to check in with “Survivor’s” 74-time Emmy-award-winning host* Jeff Probst.

*Not mathematically accurate.

Watch Full Episodes of ‘Survivor: One World’

Gordon Holmes: The show just lost one of the most hated villains of all time last Wednesday when Colton Cumbie was removed from the game. Did you realize at the time how big of a bad guy was being carted off?
Jeff Probst: I had no idea how ugly Colton was being at camp. I saw one display at Tribal Council when he talked about “I have a black friend, a housekeeper, who I pay.” I didn’t realize how aggressive he was in treating people and how poorly he treated people. Colton is one of the few people I can recall where the audience just has a true dislike for. He’s different from Russell (Hantz) who you just might love to hate.
Holmes: Think we’ll see Colton again?
Probst: Russell you bring back. Colton, I don’t think you do. I can’t imagine celebrating Colton and bringing him back. But, I could be wrong on that.
Holmes: Some people love Russell, some people hate Russell. This Colton hatred seems pretty universal.
Probst: On one hand, Colton is honest. This is where he comes from, this is his truth. But, that doesn’t excuse it. And I think it would be hard to root for him to win the game ever. And I had no idea when he was evacuated how much people despised him. So, it’s always a little weird for me if I had known. Would I have had an attitude with him?

Holmes: I’m going to give you a quick compliment. Don’t be alarmed. But, I think one of your strong points is when it comes to racially charged Tribal Councils like with Bill and Colton this season or Phillip (Sheppard) and Steve (Wright) in “Redemption Island” you don’t take an attitude with people. Rather than breaking it down from your point of view and being, “You’re right” and “You’re wrong,” you seem to embrace the old writers’ adage that, “No villain ever thinks he’s wrong.”
Probst: Thanks.
Holmes: We’re twenty four seasons into this social experiment; do those put-it-all-out-there moments still excite you?
Probst: Any time somebody brings up differences in how they live or how someone looks or their race or their sexuality and they’re willing to talk about it, I get very excited. That’s the fabric of our society. That is what it’s all about, all of our differences. You think you’re right and I think I’m right and the truth could be somewhere in the middle. I don’t know, sometimes the truth is over on the left. So, I like having those discussions. It never surprises me.

Holmes: I’m at risk of having my “Survivor” press badge taken away for two reasons. First, I make Dream Teamers cry.

Note: Dream Teamers are the crack crew of talented, athletic youngsters who practice the show’s immunity and reward challenges.

Probst: Why?
Holmes: Because I beat them in challenges too often.
Probst: (Laughs)
Holmes: And second, I have no idea what’s going on with these twists. You bring out Redemption Island and my first instinct is, “There’s no way anyone can come back into the game and win.” Then it almost happens twice. A challenge goes a different way and Ozzy Lusth is a champion.
Probst: Yup.
Holmes: Matt Elrod and Andrea Boehlke could’ve been serious spoilers too. Then, you announce One World and my first instinct is, “This is great. We’re gonna have all kinds of inter-tribe mingling. I can’t wait.” Then, the exact opposite thing happens. One minute you have Michael stealing a pick axe and the next these two tribes won’t even share fire.
Probst: It’s crazy!

Holmes: What were you anticipating when the One World idea came across your desk?
Probst: We’ve talked about two tribes living on one beach for ten years. We were never sure we could pull it off. There were issues about identifying the tribes. Another concern is that it would be one big love fest and they’d make one big fire, one big shelter and we’d have this mess of twenty people living together. Fortunately, Mike decided to start stealing stuff off the bat and it was game on.
Holmes: So for the sake of one pick axe, the whole season became cutthroat central.
Probst: I never understand that. Stealing? When you need votes to win the game? How does that work long term?
Holmes: If I’m a Manono guy and I witness that? I’d put that in my back pocket and happily rat Michael out when I needed to.
Probst: You need to be on this show.
Holmes: Sign me up. The only problem there is I’m not good looking enough to be a good-looking guy and I’m not quite nerdy enough to be a nerdy guy. You need to keep the show going until I’m old enough to be the cranky geezer.

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

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‘Survivor: One World’ Power Rankings – Dawn Meehan vs. Jim Rice

March 27, 2012
Jim Rice vs. Dawn Meehan (CBS)

Jim Rice vs. Dawn Meehan (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.

Kicking off the second round for the gentlemen will be Jim Rice. While stepping up to the plate for the ladies will be Dawn Meehan.

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, Dawn’s team will receive 6 points and Jim’s will receive 8 points. At the end of the season, the team with the most points will be named the “Survivor: One World” Power Rankings Challenge Champions.

Two Weeks Ago: Christine Shields Markoski and John Cochran both pitched perfect games as they correctly guessed that Bill would be the next person to be eliminated. The current score is now Team Salani 46, Team Manono 34.

Wanna Play? Tag Gordon (@gordonholmes) in your own Twitter Power Rankings. If you do better than the male team does you’ll get a special shout out in next week’s Power Rankings.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Current Score: 46

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

Current Score: 34

Got any advice for Jim? Drop him a line on Twitter.
1. Kim’s got the idol. She’s on a solid alliance (Nu-Salani = Kim, Chelsea, Sab, Kat, Troy and Jay). And, she’s physically/mentally prepared for the individual immunity challenges.  Kim’s safe this week. 1. I love seeing you at the head of your tribe, but watch out. The head of the snake is what a lot of people aim for.  The first post-merge vote dramatically impacts the rest of the game.  I’m not sure which way it will go, but I have a feeling you’ll be on the right side of alliances.
2. Chelsea-The-Chicken-Handler (AKA Chelsea-The-Fish-Spearer) is playing one great game. She’s strong, but not too strong. She’s in the majority, but not calling the shots (leaving a target on her back). I think Chelsea has the potential to go Final 3, so long as she remains aligned with the Nu-Salani. 2. You really haven’t pissed anyone off, and haven’t made the mistake of getting close to one particular guy.  I think you are very safe this week.
3. I’m wondering just how many nights Sabrina went to bed thinking, “Why, oh why, did I give the idol to Colton?” Talk about a strange turn of events. At the start of the game, I felt like Sabrina had the most influence on Salani (pre-swap), but now that Kim has the idol, I’m not sure Sabrina has AS much control over her alliance. However, she’s definitely still tight with Kim and Chelsea, and I think she’s got the ability to do well in individual immunity challenges, so I think Sabrina’s sitting pretty (and strong) at the merge. 3. I think you and Jonas are in the best positions right now to win the game, but if a guy alliance takes hold, and they try to pick off the women, you would go before your right hand Chelsea. Take that as a compliment!
4. I love Kat. Given that she’s in the Nu Salani majority (Kim, Chelsea, Sabrina, Jay, Troy), I think she and her appendix are safe this week. 4. I was so glad to see you get off the chopping black, and I think you learned some valuable ‘Survivor’ lessons in the process.  I think you’re safe for a few rounds until the others realize that if they let you make it to the final 3, you’ll win unanimously.  It’s the same reason there was no way my competitor this weekend, the awesome Dawn, would have ever made it to the final three.  Should/would have taken the $1M in a landslide.
5. I bet Jay’s happy he abandoned his original PYT alliance with Matt, Michael, and Bill—because he’s in a great place now that the tribes have merged. Jay’s got options! He’s tight with Chelsea, Kim, Troy, and Sabrina (Nu-Salani) AND on good terms with Michael, Jonas, Tarzan, and Leif (the original All-Boy-Manono). Jay’s not going anywhere this week. 5. The merge came at a great time for you.  I’m hoping to see you do something other than just let the game come to you, but I’m not holding my breath. I’m also predicting a Jay-Kat showmance. Jaykat..ugh…
6. I think Troy is emerging as a potential front-runner in this game. Did you see when Nu-Salani won that Reward Challenge last week—how Troy called his tribe mates up to the top crate to celebrate the victory? Hello FORESHADOWING. Not only is Troy tight with Nu-Salani, he’s also on good terms with the original All-Boy-Manono tribe.  If I were playing this game, I’d be thinking about voting Troy out. The sooner, the better. He’s likeable and strong—a powerful combination for the back-half of this game. 6. For the sake of humanity, please do not procreate with Jay. Here you go, Kat… http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/procreate
7. Watching last week’s episode was painful for me: Christina was on the receiving end of a whole lotta garbage. But she proved that she can OUTLAST pretty much anything. And for that alone, I hope Christina figures out a way to align with Kim, Chelsea, Sabrina, Kat, Jay, and Troy. That’s the kind of karma I like. But even if she doesn’t, I think Christina’s safe this week. There are bigger fish to fry—I mean, boot—at the merge. 7. I still like you, but you gotta watch the mouth if you want to make it deeper in the game.
8. Even though Leif is not part of the Nu-Salani alliance, I think he’s safe this week. Why? Because I don’t think the other players see him as a threat to go on an immunity run OR break up alliances. 8. I think you’re in a great spot right now.
9. Alicia’s not going home this week. But, I think her cranky exchanges with Christina and allegiance to Colton will eventually bite her in the booty. 9. You’ve definitely improved your lot in the game by flying under the radar the past few weeks, but if someone wants to gun for you, all they have to do is remind people that you stole from the girls’ pile on day one.
 
10. Jonas was my pick to win ‘Survivor’ this season—but after that rough tribe swap and Colton’s evacuation from the game, I think Jonas may be one of the first few jury members. (Which will be a major bummer, right? Tell me you weren’t looking forward to seeing him prepare some ‘Survivor’ sushi?) 10. You are one weird dude.  I don’t think anyone will target you right away, but I don’t think you’ll be around much longer.
 
11. I heart Tarzan. He’s such a character. And if I were playing with him, I’d consider keeping him for the long haul—because he’d be a great person to go up against at the Final Tribal Council (imagine the neologisms!). But the All-Boy-Manono tribe isn’t aligned. And the new Manono tribe isn’t aligned. So, unless this week’s Immunity Challenge is last week’s Reward Challenge, Tarzan’s in a rough spot. 11. You made it to the merge, and now it is time for you to take out revenge on Alicia for all the vile things she has said.  BUT, if you don’t choose the right alliance, you’ll be the first to go.
12. O Michael, Michael! Wherefore art thou, Michael? No, really. Where is Michael? I mean, we’re talking about a guy who stole a pickaxe from the women and dunked Leif under water in a challenge. How can he NOT be running this game—or at the very least, be in a majority alliance at the merge? Unless Michael goes on an immunity run, he’s going home. He’s the classic “potential threat” that just has to go. 12. I think Christina will flip to whatever alliance is willing to vote you out.  Personally, I’m going to love seeing you go.  You’re only real hope in this game is that someone realizes that they should take you to the end because there is no way in hell you could get enough votes to win.

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‘Survivor: One World’ Castaway Interview – Bill Posley

March 8, 2012

Bill Posley (CBS)

I’m a big believer that all is fair and love and “Survivor.” Want to stab your best buddy in the back? I say, “Stab away.” Everybody knows what they’re getting into when they sign up to play the game.

That being said, there have been a few moments over the years where things that have happened have made me uncomfortable. Colton Cumbie lashing into Bill Posley’s personal life during last night’s Tribal Council was definitely one such occasion.

I spoke with Bill the morning after the weirdest Tribal Council ever to get his take on whether it was racism, classism, or just living a sheltered life that sparked the horrific exchange, why the Manono men are putting up with it, and what he could have done differently.

Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: One World”

Gordon Holmes: Bill, I never, ever do this, but I want you to know I’m sending you the biggest hug possible over the phone lines.
Bill Posley: (Laughs)
CBS Representative: Gordon never does that.
Holmes: I never do that.
Posley: Aw…thank you, man.

Holmes: So, let’s not beat around the bush here; is Colton a bully?
Posley: Yeah. I think that’s an accurate way to depict his behavior and his character. He is a bully. If I can remember correctly, I believe he’s an only child. He’s spoiled, he comes from a very wealthy background. And I believe he’s gotten his way in his life pretty painlessly. And now that he has to deal with people from different walks of life, I believe he thinks he should get his way. He doesn’t realize that compromise or things like that are a part of human interaction.

Holmes: It’s one thing to want your own way, it’s quite another for a tribe of grown men to give you your own way. Why are the Manono men going along with his crazy ideas?
Posley: I was trying so hard to get him. Even us going to that Tribal was an attempt by me to sway people over to my side. But ultimately, it’s fear. It’s preservation. The other guys were thinking, “He has an idol. At least it’s not me.” But everyone just got straight in line like sheep to the slaughter. That’s not how I wanted to play. But yeah, fear is the reason.
Holmes: So that’s why you agreed to go to Tribal?
Posley: I thought it was a bold thing. In my mind people on the other tribe would think it was the boldest move ever. I tried to put together a campaign to go after him, and I thought I had some people on my side. I was going to go to Tribal Council to plead my case and expose him for who he was. It didn’t work out that way.

Watch Last Night’s Episode of “Survivor: One World”

Holmes: Was there any talk at all about trying to at least flush out his idol?
Posley: There has been. I don’t care who it is, if I know that there’s an idol in my camp and it’s not mine, I can’t sleep at night. It shouldn’t be a controlling power, it should be a target.

Holmes: “Gay Republican” is a demographic that is seriously underrepresented on American television. Are you worried that Colton has given them a bad name?
Posley: He absolutely has. Whether we like it or not, when you are in a public forum and you claim to be something, you’ve now labeled yourself as that. And unfortunately, the way you behave is a ripple effect. And he absolutely gave a bad name to everything he stands for. He claims to be a man of God and a Southern Baptist. But forgiveness, not lying, turning the other cheek? All the things about accepting people for who they are and everyone is a child of God? To have these strong opinions and hate people who come from different walks of life? That’s not spiritual. That’s not Godly. And I don’t think he knows what it’s like to be a gay man In America. He lives in a town with his boyfriend and their way of life is accepted. They get to go to church openly. Both of their families are respected, they’re respected. That isn’t really true for most people who grow up in this world. But yeah, anything he says he is, he’s now representing.

Holmes: I think what stuck with me the most was when Colton attacked your career choice. That was just oddly out-of-leftfield and personal. What was going through your mind when he decided to go there?
Posley: I’m sitting there going, “This guy knows absolutely nothing about me and he’s making judgments.” One of the things I kept from the group was that I was in the Army, that I was a veteran. And he’s sitting there saying, “You’re just sleeping on people’s couches, you’re blah blah blah.” I wanted to explode and be like, “The truth of the matter is; all these freedoms that you get to enjoy, I fought for them. I risked my life for you. And for you to sit up here and tell me to get off of people’s couches? I fought for the right to do that.”
Holmes: Dah…you should have said that.
Posley: I didn’t end up saying that because I didn’t want to reveal that. But I was sitting there biting my tongue, thinking “For you to be in a country where you can be openly gay and you can go to school and say what you want?  Freedom of speech? Freedom of religion? That’s why I defended this country. And for you to judge me for living it?” I couldn’t believe it.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Jonas.
Posley: My brother.
Holmes: Tarzan?
Posley: Wild, too smart for his own good.
Holmes: Michael?
Posley: Michael is too soft spoken.
Holmes: Jay?
Posley: Good ol’ Southern boy.
Holmes: Jason?
Posley: Jason?
(A long period of silence.)
Holmes: Bad joke. Tarzan was calling Jonas “Jason” last night.
Posley: (Laughs) Oh yeah!
Holmes: You’re a comedian. You know the best jokes are the ones you have to explain.
Posley: (Laughs) They are the best jokes. Now you’re in my wheelhouse. That’s where I live.
Holmes: Alright, let’s try Leif.
Posley: Follower.
Holmes: Colton?
Posley: Inexperienced brat.

Holmes: With many of the Survivors on Twitter now, it’s easier than ever to drop someone a line and give them your thoughts. What’ve been some of the reactions you’ve been receiving since last night’s episode?
Posley: Up until last night I had no idea how it was going to be portrayed. I remember being there, but it was so long ago I don’t remember how powerful that moment was. But online has been one of the most supportive nets that I’ve ever fallen into. It has been so powerful. The two major things I’ve gotten are; so many people said they’re struggling too and me saying what I said makes them want to follow their dreams. And the other is the thing I said about “He judged me for my differences and I accepted him because of his.” I don’t remember saying that, but people have said, “Wow! That’s how life should be lived.”
Holmes: I’m glad you brought that up. I was watching with my girlfriend last night and she commented on what a great sentiment that was. Maybe your next step should be trade marking that and putting it on bumper stickers.
Posley: (Laughs) Yeah, and t-shirts.

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

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