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‘Survivor’ Castaways Sierra and Rodney on Why They Didn’t Vote for Mike

May 22, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Quick Note: Just because the season is over, doesn’t mean the fun is over. Check out our interviews with “Survivor: Worlds Apart” champ Mike Holloway and finalists Carolyn Rivera and Will Sims. And, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Sierra Dawn Thomas: (Groggy) Good morning…
Gordon Holmes: Good morning.
Thomas: (Laughs)
Holmes: You certainly sound bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Thomas: (Laughs) Rough night…rough night.
Holmes: I assume you were hanging out, reading poetry, talking about your feelings…
Thomas: A little bit.

Holmes: Rodney, let’s start with you. How much weight did you lose out there? It didn’t really occur to me until the finale how emaciated you were getting on those final days.
Rodney Lavoie: Oh dude, I looked like a crack head. I was at 147 pounds exiting. And my natural weight every day is like 185-190. But, when I came into the game I tried to do a little strategy. Instead of putting on weight, I tried to cut down a little bit, so I think I was around 180.

Holmes: It’s cool that I’ve got you two together because you were the ones that didn’t vote for Mike. What was the rationale behind your votes?
Lavoie: Ladies first, baby.
Thomas: Aww…the reason I didn’t vote for Mike was because I was with him from day one and what I saw wasn’t strategic. I watched this guy pretty much lose it. He was fine and then there was this day where he got paranoid and just lost it. He was running between people, there was no strategy when it came to his social game. Yeah, he was an amazing physical threat, but that’s all I saw him as. Mama C., she was keeping up with all the guys, winning immunities, being the oldest person, being the last woman in there, she was holding her own. And she did, in my eyes, have a better social game. She was our mom out there and that’s why I thought she deserved my vote.
Holmes: Rodney, how about your vote for Will?
Lavoie: My vote for Will was because I played the game with a lot of pride, a lot of loyalty. And the reason I made it as far as I did was the big move I made at the merge. When Sierra and them blindsided me with Joaquin, it lit a fire under my ass. I realized that I was on the bottom of this (In His Mike Voice) “Blue-coller strong.”
Holmes: (Laughs)
Lavoie: I had to make a move. I took Will and said, we’re going to let Mike run the ship, but we’ll let him run it for a little bit then we’ll take out Joe, Jenn, Hali, and Shirin. I call it, then what happens? They all go on the jury. And then when he flips we start our Axis of Evil. But, I also had my blues. And the way I got Sierra and Dan back over is the love letters. People don’t understand that those love letters at the auction they mean more than what you see when you’re sitting on your ass watching from home. Sierra loves her family just like how I do. She read those before every challenge. And I give Mike props because he was on top of my game. He knew that I was out there and making moves, but he blew it up at the wrong time. That’s bad strategy. Was he smart for knowing that information? Yes. Was he horrible for doing it right when we got our love letters? Absolutely.
Thomas: (Laughs)
Lavoie: I give Mike props because he’s a challenge beast. His back was against the wall and he said (expletive deleted) you guys, I’m winning this.
Holmes: For the record, feel free to throw in as many impressions as you want.
Lavoie: (Laughs) Alright, brother. I gotcha.

Holmes: Sierra, how did you and Dan come back together after he was berating you when Lindsey was eliminated?
Thomas: So, I was in a very vulnerable place coming back from that Tribal. I was blindsided, I thought I was going home. And then for all of them to tell me how they feel about me was really hard. Any other day I maybe could have handled it, but in that situation it was really tough. It strained mine and Dan’s relationship. With time it got better. He apologized about 100 times when we were out there. There came a point where I got really annoyed and I said, “If you apologize one more time I’m going to kill you. I get it. You’re sorry.” But with time it got better. I had no choice. I could be a girl and play with my emotions or I could buck up buttercup and play the game.
Holmes: For the record, feel free to say “Buck up, buttercup” as often you like.
Thomas: (Laughs) You got it.

Holmes: Going back to Mike’s move with the letter at the auction. Dan’s take seemed to be that you’re expected to lie in the game, but Mike’s move seemed personal. Did Mike’s move seem like a game move or did it seem personal?
Thomas: At the moment it felt a little personal. But that was Mike’s game. He was out of control all the time. I couldn’t expect any more from him than to do that. He was wild and doing all of those things. It didn’t feel personal to me because I was like, “I don’t care, I’m dropping my $20.” He should have just stuck with it. It was weird when he was wishy-washy about it.
Lavoie: It’s the same thing as Carolyn promising me. They make it seem like I’m a crybaby, whiny person, but Sierra told me straight up, “I’m not giving you no reward. I’m not giving you shit.” And that’s alright, but Mama C. promised me twice. And when you promise someone something…it’s like at Christmas when you promise your kid that a toy truck is going to be under the tree. And then I go there and the toy truck isn’t under the tree…not once, but twice. Don’t promise me if you’re not going to keep it. But Mike made a promise to Dan, and Dan (In His Dan Voice) “Loves his wife, Erin.”
Thomas: Oh my gosh, I thought that was Dan on the phone.
Holmes: So good!
Lavoie: We all are going for this advantage, and Shirin came up with the bright idea that we could all get our love letters if we put the game on pause. Mike, could it have been good gameplay for him? Of course, but this is a social game. It don’t matter how many immunity necklaces you have because that only keeps you safe for one week. It’s the bonds you build that will take you to the end. That’s why me and Sierra were in the top five.

Holmes: Probst did that gimmick last night where he asked how many votes Rodney would have gotten at the final Tribal. And it looked like you would have done better than Carolyn or Will. Do you think when Mike chose to stick with Carolyn it was because he thought you’d be harder to beat in front of the jury?
Lavoie: Mike will explain it to you, but yeah. With the impressions I got everybody laughing. And I was struggling. I couldn’t wait to get to the final Tribal to be able to tell my case. But what you saw was Jenn Brown pointing to the jury and everyone was exploding and going nuts when she said, “Mike Holloway this, Mike Holloway that. Mike Holloway is God. If you don’t vote for him, you’re stupid.” And what happened? She raised her hand and said she’d vote for me. Everyone was like, “Whoa, why is Jenn Brown going to vote for Rodney?” This is coming after Mike gets the hero edit. So, if I won the edit would have been different. If Sierra had won the edit would have been different.

Holmes: At final six the alliance decided to target Carolyn. She was able to save herself, but why was the decision made to go after her if she wasn’t going to be a big threat at the end?
Thomas: She was a threat to me. That’s why I thought she had to go. That’s why I voted for. The whole time I played this game I thought, “Who do I want to be with at the end.” And in my eyes that was not Mama C. I thought we could get rid of her, we struck, but she had the idol.
Lavoie: That was the point in the game where those two promises got personal for me. Me and Mama C. were in a really strong alliance. She voted with me every single time.

Holmes: Was there any talk of keeping Tyler in as he had an immunity win and could have matched up with Mike?
Lavoie: I love Tyler outside of the game. Inside the game I did not see him as a threat of all. All he did was stay very quiet. He didn’t want to strategize with me. He’d always told me (In His Tyler Voice) “Hold that thought, and we’ll get back to it.” Bro, we’re about to have a Tribal. What do you mean, “Hold that thought”? In that case, he went home because he held that information about Carolyn’s idol. You don’t share that with me and Will? I proved to Tyler my loyalty. Who was on the bottom after Joaquin was blindsided? Me and Tyler. I told Tyler, “Me and you just got screwed over. Now I’m on the bottom with you.” And then, Tyler gets caught with Joe when Joe tries deep throating the clue. And you know what the clue is and you tell Mike exactly what the clue said? And then Mike finds the idol? Those two things right there…that’s just really bad gameplay if you ask me.
Thomas: Tyler was so silent it was creepy. He was so quiet. This person is playing a great game and he has amazing strategy and he’s going to do something big at some point. He’s not a great athlete, so that part didn’t scare me. But, I just thought he had more up his sleeve. Like Rodney said, you would go to talk to him and he’d be like “Shh…we’ll talk later.” And he’d never talk to anyone. It was so weird. It freaked me out.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with So.
Thomas: Intelligent.
Lavoie: Malcolm’s girl.
Holmes: Vince.
Thomas: Feathers.
Lavoie: Misunderstood.
Holmes: Nina?
Thomas: I saw her as happy.
Lavoie: Sweetheart.
Holmes: Lindsey?
Thomas: My boo.
Lavoie: Firecracker.
Holmes: Max?
Thomas: Intriguing.
Lavoie: The beard.
Holmes: Joaquin?
Thomas: Baller!
Lavoie: Bash bro. Or you can put bromance.
Holmes: Kelly?
Thomas: Sneaky.
Lavoie: Lovable.
Holmes: Hali?
Thomas: (Laughs) Space cadet.
Lavoie: Surfer…dude.
Holmes: Joe?
Thomas: Amazing.
Lavoie: We kind of call him MacGyver Joe.
Holmes: Jenn?
Thomas: Spitfire.
Lavoie: Alcoholic.
Thomas: (Laughs)
Holmes: Shirin?
Thomas: Smart.
Lavoie: Super fan.
Holmes: Tyler?
Thomas: Creepy.
Lavoie: Captain Morgan.
Holmes: Dan?
Thomas: Manties.
Lavoie: Harry Potter’s Grandfather.
Holmes: Will?
Thomas: Who? Just kidding…lovable.
Lavoie: Loyalty.
Holmes: Carolyn?
Thomas: Mama C.
Lavoie: Savvy.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Mike.
Thomas: Snickers.
Lavoie: Texas rattlesnake.

Holmes: This was a season that featured a lot of “Survivor” fans, but you two hadn’t seen much of the show going in. Where are you with the show now?
Lavoie: Last night, getting that birthday cake and celebrating my birthday for the twenty five millionth time now…having Jeff Probst giving me a signed picture of him with his hair slicked back, looking like a GQ model, he hands me a birthday cake, everybody singing “Happy Birthday” on national television, that’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. It’s the best reality show of all time. It’s something you can pop in the DVD and think “Holy (expletive deleted), this is something that will go down in the history books.”
Thomas: I’m grateful. It’s amazing. I’ve made genuine relationships with every one of my castmates. To me, that’s worth more than the money. It’s an amazing game and I got to go far in it.

Holmes: I know you guys are super busy today, thank you so much for your time.
Lavoie: (In His Mike Voice) “Thank you! I can’t wait to spend the million dollars! We’ll go to Texas!”
Holmes: I will never get tired of that.

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

Tags:rodney lavoie, sierra dawn thomas, survivor, survivor worlds apart
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaways Sierra and Rodney on Why They Didn’t Vote for Mike

‘Survivor’ Finalists Carolyn and Will on Dan’s Edit, Mike’s Choice and Shirin

May 22, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Quick Note: Just because the season is over, doesn’t mean the fun is over. Check back for exit interviews with the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” final five. And, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Gordon Holmes: I’ve heard a rumor that you and your Dirty 30 buddies might be a bit hungover.
Will Sims: Nah…I’m fine.
Carolyn Rivera: (Laughs) I’ll admit I’m a little hungover.
Holmes: I appreciate the honesty, I’ll try to ask these questions in a low, calm voice.

Holmes: Carolyn, it was somewhat surprising when Mike chose you over Rodney. We’d been hearing that most people wanted to go to the end with Rodney and Will. Do you think he was trying to impress the jury by taking someone who is strong, or do you think he was secretly worried about Rodney?
Rivera: I think he took the people that he felt deserved it the most, honestly. I think what he did is he put it in our hands. He didn’t vote for me because he knew that Will and Rodney were voting for me. He wanted to go to a fire challenge and whoever wins deserves to be there.

Holmes: Will, I’m sure you’re going to get this question a lot today, and I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable…
Sims: No, let’s do it!
Holmes: Alright, whatever happened to those sandwiches you promised on day one?
Sims: (Laughs) We got wraps. I didn’t have enough ingredients to make bread, so I made wraps.

Holmes: Now, of course what I was getting at was your confrontation with Shirin. Take me back to when you were told people thought you might be lying about the snacks. How did it get so heated?
Sims: Multiple people came up to me, it wasn’t just Tyler, it was Dan as well. And, they were saying, “Shirin is saying awful things about you.” She was saying awful things about me and Dan the whole game, you guys never saw that. They said I was hiding food, and that set me off. Here I am making this kind gesture…we’re all out there starving. And I shared my food which was gone in one day and you’re going to question me about it? I just went off.
Holmes: We were given the impression that it was Mike, Shirin, and Jenn who were questioning the snacks. How did you react toward Mike and Jenn?
Sims: I was going off on Mike and Shirin at the same time. You guys didn’t see that. I’m yelling at Mike and I’m yelling at her. It looks like Mike just came in and saved the day. That’s not how it happened.
Holmes: And Jenn?
Sims: Jenn wasn’t anywhere around at all.
Holmes: Why did it go to, “You’re not a woman, you don’t have a soul, your family doesn’t love you.” Instead of “You’re calling me a liar, and that’s (expletive deleted).”
Sims: It got to that level on the way she was treating certain people. Shirin was not the nicest person out there. I know some of you drink the Shirin Kool-Aid and that’s fine, you’re going by what you see. We were living in that moment.
Holmes: Well yeah, I know Carolyn was the nicest person out there.
Sims: Yeah, that’s why we call her “Mama.”
Holmes: I was just checking to make sure you’re still there.
Rivera: (Laughs) Yeah, I’m still here.
Holmes: At the end of the day, it’s still a game. Was there ever concern about losing Shirin’s potential jury vote or had that ship long since passed?
Sims: Oh, that vote was gone at the split. I knew when she came to Nagarote.
Holmes: What has the reaction been like from fans?
Sims: I’ve gotten a lot more positive than negative. Everybody that’s come up to me on the street, the first thing they say is, “Can I get a picture?” And then, “I didn’t like Shirin either.”

Holmes: Carolyn, this was a big one for me; would you have played your idol if Dan hadn’t played his double vote? I was wondering if that tipped you off.
Rivera: I knew that my name was on the chopping block that day. The funny thing about the whole idol thing is that I only brought it to Tribal on two occasions. I was planning on using my idol that day. What I didn’t realize was that every single person except for Mike was going to be voting for me. I knew I was going to get votes, I was shocked by the number of votes. I wasn’t going to be the one that went home with an idol in her pocket. But when Dan played his advantage, I was pretending to be really scared because I didn’t want them to know I had the idol. Then I did the drama and waited a few seconds before playing it. I really enjoyed that moment.
Holmes: As did I.
Rivera: (Laughs)

Holmes: It seems like you both bonded with Rodney really quickly after the merge. How did that come about?
Sims: I clicked with Rodney from day one. Something about us, we vibed. At the the merge he was the first person to talk to me. He went and talked to Mike and I had talked to Kelly before the merge. Mike took me down to the river and that’s how that happened.
Rivera: It was kind of the same thing. I saw that he was from Boston, I was from New York. It’s a bit of a rivalry, but I knew it was that northeast thing. We clicked from the beginning. We stuck together. Will and I clicked when I went to Nagarote beach. We knew we were going to stick together. That’s how we became the Axis of Evil. (Laughs)
Sims: (Laughs) I’d forgotten about that. We were the Axis of Evil!
Holmes: That is a hell of a nickname.
Rivera: I love it.

Holmes: When you made the call to target Tyler, was it ever discussed that it might be worth it to keep him around in hopes that he could beat Mike in a challenge?
Rivera: Tyler was not as much of an immunity threat as Mike. Mike was clearly going to win those. But, Tyler was more of a threat from a likability factor. Sitting next to him in the end would be a problem.

Holmes: It’s ironic that you two are paired together today, cause you’re our karaoke singers.
Sims: We sang a lot! They would always say, “Quit singing, we don’t have the rights.”
Rivera: (Laughs)
Sims: But we’d sing all the time. We had a great time.

Holmes: Carolyn, I feel like you might have been hosed on this Second Chance thing.
Sims: She did get hosed, don’t say she might have been.
Holmes: Carolyn was hosed.
Rivera: Thank you.
Holmes: You weren’t allowed to campaign, your big moment with the idol didn’t happen until midway through the vote.
Rivera: It wasn’t meant to be. They’d better bring me back soon. I’m ready. Everybody knows I should be there.
Sims: We’re coming back for “Heroes vs. Villains.” I’m a villain and she’s the hero.
Holmes and Rivera: (Laughs)

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with So.
Rivera: Great person.
Sims: Beautiful.
Holmes: Vince?
Sims: Unconventional.
Rivera: His own person.
Holmes: Nina?
Sims: Sweet.
Rivera: So genuine.
Holmes: Lindsey?
Rivera: Strong.
Sims: Feisty.
Holmes: Max?
Sims: A good guy.
Rivera: Gamer.
Holmes: Joaquin?
Rivera: New York connection.
Sims: Charismatic.
Holmes: Kelly?
Rivera: Kelly is real.
Sims: Strong.
Holmes: Hali?
Sims: Bubbly.
Rivera: She was always smiling. I’m not good at this when I’m drunk in the morning.
Holmes: No wrong answers here. Joe.
Sims: Amazing!
Holmes: I’ve heard that.
Rivera: Joey Amazing! I would say he’s Macgyver.
Holmes: Jenn?
Rivera: Fiery.
Sims: The real deal.
Holmes: Shirin?
Rivera: I will say that she is her own person.
Sims: Liar.
Holmes: Tyler?
Sims: Schemer.
Rivera: Friendly.
Holmes: Dan?
Sims: Misunderstood.
Rivera: Straight forward.
Holmes: Sierra?
Rivera: Darling.
Sims: Delightful.
Holmes: Rodney?
Rivera: Feisty.
Sims: The truth.
Holmes: And we’ll finish off with Millionaire Mike.
Sims: The champ!
Rivera: He’s the winner.

Holmes: Dan had a really rough reunion. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I don’t think Dan’s a bad guy at all...
Sims: He’s not.
Holmes: Yeah, I truly don’t. I just think he got a hard lesson in reality TV. What state of mind was he in last night after the reunion?
Sims: He’s pissed. He’s upset. It seems like he got ambushed a little bit. I think they did him wrong. It was very uncomfortable for us to watch. It seemed like they had an agenda to make Dan look bad and eat his words. Cause Dan’s not that guy. Most of Dan’s comments were taken out of context. Dan’s not a woman hater, Dan’s not a misogynist. He’s not degrading women. Dan was one of the nicest guys out there, he’s just brutally honest. He’ll give you the shirt off his back, but if you push him he’s going to push back.
Rivera: I think that Dan…I don’t think it’s malicious intent. He has a very strong personality. He’s been trying to get on the show for ten years.
Sims: Fifteen.
Rivera: Right. He wanted to be remembered and some of those things may have played into how he played the game.

Holmes: Moments like Will and Shirin’s confrontation and Dan and Mike’s letter fiasco have kind of overshadowed a lot of the excitement this season.
Rivera: I really don’t want this season to be remembered as the season of fighting. It’s so annoying to me that that’s what people see it as. I think we have a close-knit cast. I think most of us will be friends for a long time. And there were so many funny, positive stories. That’s the way I want people to remember it.
Sims: I had a ball. I went to the end with the best in the game. I was happy to be there. Mike is LeBron James, Mama C. is Kobe Bryant, and then me…being me. (Laughs)
Rivera: (Laughs)
Sims: I can take a shot too.
Rivera: That’s true, you didn’t get there for nothing.

Rivera: Gordon, I have a bone to pick with you.
Holmes: Uh oh, what did I do?
Rivera: Every single picture you took those first three days, I was either mean-faced…you get all the young girls smiling and looking like a million bucks. I’ve got my rolls in my stomach, and my mean face on.
Holmes: In my defense, I was at White Collar beach for a little over an hour and you spent most of the time in the shelter.
Rivera: Oh, really?
Sims: I have a bone to pick too. You didn’t show my pictures until my wife sent you something on Twitter.
Holmes: I didn’t have much of you, because when I was at No Collar, you were off on the beach looking for the idol.
Sims: Well, you should of followed me. (Laughs)
Holmes: Alright, when I come out for “Heroes vs. Villains 2,” when you see me I want big smiles and dramatic poses.

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

Tags:carolyn rivera, survivor, survivor worlds apart, will sims
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Finalists Carolyn and Will on Dan’s Edit, Mike’s Choice and Shirin

‘Survivor’ Champion Mike – “Rodney Played a Great Game. A Scary Game”

May 21, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Mike Holloway: (Singing) Gordoooooooon.
Gordon Holmes: Aww…that’s the first time a millionaire has ever sung my name.
Holloway: Oh man, I’ll sing it from the rooftops, buddy. How are you?
Holmes: I don’t have a million bucks, but I’m feeling like a million bucks because I got to watch you take home the big check.
Holloway: I appreciate it, you should feel like a million bucks. Didn’t I hear that you’re getting married?
Holmes: Yes, sir.
Holloway: Dude, that’s worth a million dollars. Finding a good woman to put up with our (expletive deleted).
Holmes: She’s worth way more than a million bucks. And she puts up with so much (expletive deleted). Can I get a happy dance for that?
Holloway: Dude! I just got up, I’m doing a happy dance right now.
Holmes: Are you the only person I’m talking to today that doesn’t have a hangover?
Holloway: People were trying to buy me beers and shots, but I knew we had interviews today. But, some people got a little…on the side of not sober last night…we were blindsiding sobriety.
Holmes: This is the part of the interview where CBS begs us to talk about “Survivor.”
Holloway: No, this is your time and my time, brother.

Holmes: Alright, Rodney vs. Carolyn. I was under the impression that a lot more people liked Rodney then they were letting on. So, were you worried that Rodney might sway some votes or did you want to take Carolyn along because it’d seem like you were taking someone strong?
Holloway: Taking nothing away from Carolyn or Rodney, I felt like I could beat either one of them in the finals. But, the fire decision was to show the rest of the jury, “Hey look, we’ve been out here so long and these guys are taking 50 minutes to make a fire.”
Holmes: (Laughs)
Holloway: (Laughs) I had to show the jury, I couldn’t tell them. It’s like Dan, I couldn’t tell Dan that he was on the bottom. I had to show him. But the decision to take Carolyn over Rodney was that Rodney had turned a page in the game. Rodney had started being very humorous. And at the end of the game in “Survivor,” humor goes a long way. And I don’t think Rodney’s getting enough strategic respect for the game that he played.
Holmes: Agreed.
Holloway: He put together an alliance of people that he should have never been able to pull. When I left the game, I was like, “Oh Rodney. Rodney, Rodney, Rodney.” But then I watched his moves from the edit and pairing that with the experience of being there, and he played a great game. A scary game.

Holmes: When I talked to Dan about your move at the auction, his argument seemed to be that his lies were strategic, and your move with the letter was personal. Where did you stand on that move?
Holloway: The auction move strategically was brilliant. Socially it was like getting a hangman’s noose, putting it over a tree, getting on your horse, and letting the horse ride off with the noose around your neck. I was really upset with myself that I did lie. In that moment I went back on my word.
Holmes: Before the game we talked about lying and you said that your family is your family and the players aren’t. I think we used the term “Harder Mike.” You were going to lie.
Holloway: Yeah.
Holmes: It’s so different once you depend on these people, they become your family.
Holloway: I went into the game on the fence about whether I wanted to be a hero or a villain. You can play both. It’s not something that I’m proud of. That particular lie…but my Mom told me, “You’ve got to do whatever you have to do to win this game. You’ve committed yourself to play this game. If you’ve got to lie, cheat, steal, backstab to win the game.”

Holmes: When Will and Shirin had their confrontation, you came to Shirin’s aid. Was there any part of you that was thinking, “Well, as long as they’re not yelling at me” or did you have to step in?
Holloway: No strategy there. I was abused as a child. It’s in my bio. I was sexually molested as a child. That kind of stuff hits home for me. It’s a hot-button issue. I heard what was going on from very far away. So, I was running into camp, and if it was going to blow up my game or not, I didn’t care. That’s a young lady right there being attacked, not just by one person, but by the other people there as well…just sitting there. And it’s tough because a lot of people have never dealt with a situation like that before and it’s easy to just step back. But, there were people that I stood up for in the game, and thank God for my two beautiful angels, Shirin and Jenn Brown. They stood up for me at final Tribal. Before that those girls had a special place in my heart. But for that reason alone, they will always have my respect.

Holmes: Your mom got to play a little bit last night when she steered you the wrong way in the challenge. When you got home did you let her off the hook or did you keep quiet?
Holloway: My mom was so beside herself. She thought she had ruined my whole game. When I got back home I said, “Mom, what are you talking about?” I got to that first medallion so quick that they weren’t able to focus. I grabbed that thing…Gordon, I grabbed that first medallion…we can ask Jeff Probst to go back and check the tape, I guess.
Holmes: I hear he does that now.
Holloway: (Laughs) Apparently he does. But I let my mom off the hook. I broke down in front of her and let her know that I won that challenge convincingly. She’s so awesome. When she came out there she was 100% selfless. She gave me everything I needed in that moment to make it the rest of the game. She gave me such an advantage in that challenge.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with So.
Holloway: Stunningly gorgeous.
Holmes: Vince?
Holloway: My friend.
Holmes: Nina?
Holloway: Amazing woman.
Holmes: Lindsey?
Holloway: Firecracker…fireball.
Holmes: Max?
Holloway: Professor…wait…astute, intelligent, massive gameplayer.
Holmes: Joaquin?
Holloway: My bro!
Holmes: Kelly?
Holloway: My bae.
Holmes: Hali?
Holloway: You can have a PhD in Hali Ford and still fail the test.
Holmes: Joe.
Holloway: Joey Amazing.
Holmes: Jenn?
Holloway: (Laughs) My little hero.
Holmes: Shirin?
Holloway: Lifelong friend.
Holmes: Tyler?
Holloway: T-Freddy…sit there and look pretty.
Holmes: Dan?
Holloway: Love you, Dan…but go postal, brother.
Holmes: Sierra?
Holloway: My boo-boo
Holmes: Rodney?
Holloway: Misunderstood, amazing dude.
Holmes: Will?
Holloway: Will got the call 12 hours before we started filming. He’s a lovable No Collar.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Mama C.
Holloway: Challenge beast.

Holmes: You won the million, my mom has a huge crush on you.
Holloway: (Laughs)
Holmes: But do you have a Rodney impression?
Holloway: Oh man, no…YOU’D BETTER RELAX, BRO!
Holmes: (Laughs)
Holloway: That’s all I’ve got. Rodney is so good at impressions that I would never try to jump on his train.

Holmes: When we were out there you and I talked about a dude from Texas who played the game, dominated challenges, and lost. Now we’ve got a guy who did that and won. So, now who’s the best player from the Lone Star State?
Holloway: Kim Spradlin.
Holmes: Oh yeah…excellent point.

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

Tags:mike holloway, survivor, survivor worlds apart
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Champion Mike – “Rodney Played a Great Game. A Scary Game”

‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Finale Recap – Lone Star?

May 20, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

Previously on “Survivor: So? So long. Vince? Vamanos. Nina? Ni-nope. Lindsey? Tattoo ta-ta. Max? Meh. Joaquin? Bro down. Kelly? Cop rocked. Hali? Hasta la vista. Joe? No. Jenn? (Expletive Deleted), Jenn. Shirin? Snuffed clean. Tyler? Punted. And Dan? Edited out…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands…

The Merica Tribe (wearing purple)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

Alright, let’s wrap this business up!

We start off after last week’s crazytown Tribal with Rodney telling Carolyn that he’s upset with her because she didn’t tell them about her idol. However, Carolyn doesn’t feel too bad about it because they VOTED FOR HER.

Reward Challenge Time: The players will race under a net, then they’ll slide tiles through a target. After that they’ll use a machete to carry the tiles across an obstacle course. They’ll then use the tiles to figure out a combination. First person to open their lock and raise their flag wins time with their loved one and an advantage in the next immunity challenge.

Wait…this is a loved-ones challenge? Oh man…cue the tears…

Carolyn’s husband is out first, adorable…

Mike’s mom is out next. Equally adorable!

We meet Rodney’s dad, and hilariously, Rodney calls him “Bro.” Our Boston buddy also breaks down a little bit which is odd considering this happened…

“My father would see me crying, and he’d be like, ‘Are you bleeding? No? Then get the (expletive deleted) back up. You (expletive deleted).’ That’s how I was taught. There are no tears. One of the guys said that 80% of the people cry on this show. You’re not going to see a single tear out of me.” – Rodney (About Two Days Before the Game Started)

Rodney goes on to explain that his time in the game has helped him get over the death of his sister. That’s awesome. Good for him.

Sierra’s dad is next and he’s even taller than her! A family of giants!

Finally we get to meet Will’s wife. She still thinks he’s cute despite 30-some days in the wilderness.

The challenge starts off and Will has an early lead…wait, what?

Mike’s the first one to complete the tile sliding portion. He’s followed by Will, Rodney, and Sierra.

From there, Mike destroys the obstacle course portion. He figures out the combination and wins reward.

Back at camp, Mike’s mom Deborah is making herself at home. The Texas twosome goes for a walk and Mike fills her in on what’s going on in the game.

In a cute moment, he lends her his Texan swimwear so they can go in the water together. I adore Mike’s mom.

Later on, Mike and Deborah are allowed to spend time figuring out the next challenge. It’s a blindfold maze. She tries to lead him through the maze, but she makes a few mistakes. She feels terrible about this and is worried that she just screwed up his game.

Could you imagine? That’d make Thanksgiving awkward.

Immunity Challenge Time: The players will be blindfolded and placed in the middle of a maze. They’ll have to find four medallions and then the immunity necklace. First person to retrieve the necklace wins immunity.

We start off and there isn’t much to describe except for stumblin’ and a-bumblin’.

Mike is the first one to retrieve a medallion and he maintains that lead throughout the whole thing. Rodney even tries to help Sierra and Will, but it doesn’t matter. Mike wins immunity.

It wasn’t even close.

Quick Aside: I hate the challenge advantages. That was awful and boring.

Back at Merica Beach, Carolyn and Sierra approach Mike about getting rid of Rodney. Mike says he’s fine either way and isn’t writing Carolyn’s name down. But, he doesn’t like that everyone was working together in the challenge against him.

Sierra tries to mend fences and says she’ll vote with Mike. She swears 100% on her father’s love. C’mon, Sierra. Mike doesn’t work with percentages that low.

Later, Mike tells Rodney that the women are targeting him. Rodney counters by saying that Sierra has a better shot of beating Mike at final three.

That night at Tribal Council, Dan looks really annoyed that Mike has immunity.

Mike knows he’s the swing vote. But, he doesn’t trust anyone to get him to the final three.

Rodney says that he swore his vote on his sister’s life. Father’s love vs. sister’s life…yikes.

Sierra says she’s playing hard and she’s been second place behind Mike many times. Probst calls her out, saying she might be pointing out that she’s a threat.

Will says Mike’s out if he doesn’t win the next immunity. Way to keep him on your side there, buddy.

Also, Will says that’s a 150,000% certainty. Now there’s a percentage Mike can understand!

Voting Time: Rodney votes for Sierra, Sierra votes for Rodney, and the rest are secret.

Probst tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Sierra, one vote for Rodney, one vote for Sierra, and the fourteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” and the seventh member of the jury is…Sierra.

Wow…I thought Carolyn was an obvious first boot.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will untie knots to open a gate. Then they’ll race to the top of a tower to retrieve a key. Once they have the key they’ll slide down a giant slide and climb to the top of structure to retrieve a bag of puzzle pieces. Then they’ll do it again. Once they have all three bags, they’ll have to put together a light tower puzzle. First person to complete their puzzle wins immunity.

Mike gets an early lead, but Will and Carolyn are right behind him.

Will and Carolyn are dragging, Rodney eventually passes them.

Mike is the first to retrieve all three bags. He goes to work on his puzzle. Rodney isn’t too far behind. Carolyn and Will catch up as well.

Carolyn does well with the puzzle, but Mike’s lead was too much. Mike wins immunity.

So, the winner of “Survivor: Worlds Apart” by a vote of seven to one is…Mike.

Before we head to commercial, everyone congratulates and hugs one another. Will, Carolyn, and Rodney even ask to put the necklace on Mike. That’s nice.

Then, Mike treats us to some happy dance! Even better!

Politicking around camp starts with Rodney and Will wanting Carolyn gone because you can’t win the game against a Mama. Ummm…Missy is someone’s Mama.

Mike tells Carolyn that he’s not going to vote for her because his Blue Collar compadres turned on him. He wants Carolyn and Rodney to have to build fire as the tie-breaker. He tells Carolyn that she should start practicing. Lucky for her the tie-breaker isn’t clever impressions.

Like it matters, any combo of this final four will lose to Mike.

That night at Tribal, Mike says he was moved by the others wanting to put the necklace on him at the challenge.

Rodney and Carolyn both appreciate that they’re in danger.

Mike says they’re both threats and it says a lot that they got this far.

Quick Aside: Dan is making so many exaggerated faces that he’s probably going to owe Eliza Orlins royalties after the show.

Voting Time: Caroyln votes for Rodney, Rodney votes for Carolyn, and the rest are super secret.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Rodney, two votes for Carolyn, and the final vote is for…Rodney. We’ve got a tie.

Tie-Breaking Challenge: First person to build a fire high enough to burn through a rope gets to stay. Loser joins the jury.

We start off and Mama C’s flint breaks six minutes into it. Probst has a back up for her. Eventually Rodney needs a second flint too.

I wonder if those are the flints Wes lost in San Juan del Sur…

Forty five minutes later…ho boy…Rodney finally gets fire…kinda…no…it’s out.

Fifty three minutes later…Rodney gets fire again…and so does Carolyn!

They race to place wood on their fires…and Carolyn wins it!

So, the fifteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” and the eighth and final member of the jury is…Rodney.

As Rodney’s saying his farewell testimony, he says that he’s going to make Mike pay for making him do a fire challenge.

The next morning, the threesome is greeted by the traditional Day 39 brunch.

Wow…the final three is one from each collar. Hakuna Matata.

They each talk about how their collarness led them to the end. Mike says he has a battle waiting for him. Yeah…too many votes are going to be thrown at him.

That night at Tribal, Joe bats lead-off. He claims his vote is open at this point. He tells Will he won’t vote for him unless he owns his game. He tells Mama C. that she has to show how she outsmarted people. Then, he says Mike has to prove that he did things other than winning immunity.

Joe, he won like a billion immunities. Give him a break.

Hali asks Carolyn if being in the mother role has been a disadvantage. She says she embraced the mother role because everyone was younger than her.

Rodney goes next. He asks Will how he kept things real. Will says that he knew he was going to be the underdog. He tried to make friends and was very giving by sharing his snacks. He says he has a relationship with everyone except Shirin.

Shirin agrees.

Rodney then asks Carolyn what moves she made. She says she axed Tyler because she couldn’t beat him. She also admits that she was one of the few people who voted for Dan. Well played, Carolyn.

Tyler is batting clean-up. He asks Mike about his social game because he feels like Mike became paranoid toward the end. Mike says he wanted to do better socially than he did, but he thinks he failed.

Dan agrees.

Tyler then tells Carolyn that he’s heartbroken because she stabbed him in the back. She says Tyler was her most difficult vote, but “Survivor” makes you do things you’re not proud of if you want to get to the end.

Sierra asks Will which trait he would want that the other finalists have. Will says he likes how Carolyn analyzes things and he likes Mike’s work ethic.

Jenn doesn’t have problems with anyone. She then tells the jury that they’re bitter because Mike did better than they did. She says a vote for Mike proves that the voter is a fan.

Dan goes next. He tells Mike that Colby proved that winning immunities doesn’t win you the game. He claims that Mike didn’t care about the jury. Mike says his biggest regret in the game is losing Dan’s trust. He says he’s sorry and he hopes that they can be friends. Dan thinks that’s the most honest thing Mike has said to him since the auction.

Finally, we get to Shirin. She’s very proud that she was able to stand up to Will during his attack. But, she was very moved that Mike came to her aid. She then admits that she made her first million by the time she was 25. She says Mike doesn’t have her vote, because she’s voting for who played the best game and Carolyn is still in it.

She says Mike is like a howler monkey because he’s loud and will rip you apart if you get in his face. She thinks Carolyn is a hidden stingray who will sting you dead if she needs to. She points out that Carolyn was on the winning side of every vote.

Um…what about the Sierra vote?

EDIT: I stand corrected, Carolyn did vote for Sierra.

Finally, she says Will was a dead fish that they dragged in with their nets.

She wraps it up by quoting Sue Hawk. C’mon, Shirin. You can go more obscure than that.

My Thoughts: I’m still pretty sure Mike’s gonna win this, but Carolyn did a heck of a job.

Voting Time: Jenn votes for Mike, Rodney votes for Will, Sierra votes for Carolyn, Dan bangs his head against the voting podium because he’s soooooooo torn, and the rest will have to wait till we get to Los Angeles.

We meet up with Probst in the City of Angels and he’s ready to read ’em. We’ve got one vote for Mike, one vote for Will, one vote for Carolyn, two votes for Mike, and the winner of “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Mike.

Verdict: Lindsey called it. A Blue Collar won the whole thing.

Overall, this season had all of the strategy, backstabbing, and craziness that I love from “Survivor,” but it was overshadowed by some ugliness.

Mike’s a solid winner, but this season will probably end up in the middle of the pack for me.

Power Rankings Results: Josh and I had Mike and Rodney in the right spots for four points. While Reed only had Mike in the right spot for two points. So, the final score is Team Josh: 88, Team Reed: 94, Team Gordon 96. Thanks again to the Broadway Betrothed for being such awesome Power Rankings competition!

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

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor worlds apart
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CBS Announces the Fan-Selected Cast of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance’

May 20, 2015

"Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance" (CBS)

Quick Note: XFINITY TV will be sending me deep into the wilderness to bring you all kinds of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance” goodness. Before the season airs, I’ll have all manner of behind-the-scenes interviews, images, and more to share. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

For the first time in the show’s fifteen-year history, the fans were given the chance to select the cast of “Survivor.” Over 10 million votes were cast on CBS.com and the results were read during the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” finale.

The cast of ten women and ten men is made up of former competitors who have only ever played once before and have never won the game…

	Name: Kelly Wiglesworth Season: “Survivor: Borneo” Finish: Finalist Why You Should Remember Her: In the season of “Survivor” that first captured America’s imagination, Kelly went on an impressive individual immunity run (four straight wins!) and was the victim of Sue Hawk’s legendary “Rats vs. Snake” speech.
	Name: Kimmi Kappenberg Season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback” Finish: Twelfth Place Why You Should Remember Her: Kimmi accidentally let Tina Wesson know that a member of her tribe had previous votes against him. That tribe member was…
	Name: Jeff Varner Season: “Survivor: The Australian Outback” Finish: Tenth Place Why You Should Remember Him: Jeff was eliminated from the game because of the old rule where tie votes are broken based on the amount of previous votes that were cast against the tied players.
	Name: Andrew Savage Season: “Survivor: Pearl Islands” Finish: Tenth Place Why You Should Remember Him: The leader of the Morgan Tribe was sent home after eventual finalist (and one of two returning Outcasts) Lil turned against him.
	Name: Terry Deitz Season: “Survivor: Panama” Finish: Third Place Why You Should Remember Him: Terry won five consecutive individual immunity challenges and was the first person to have a “Whaaaaambulance” called for him.
	Name: Peih-Gee Law Season: “Survivor: China” Finish: Fifth Why You Should Remember Her: Peih-Gee threw a challenge in China by tossing away a piece of the puzzle and then laughed about it. Classic.
	Name: Stephen Fishbach Season: “Survivor: Tocantins” Finish: Finalist Why You Should Remember Him: “The Wizard” orchestrated the show’s first-ever cross-tribe alliance but received no votes at the final Tribal Council.
	Name: Monica Padilla Season: “Survivor: Samoa” Finish: Seventh Place Why You Should Remember Her: Monica was offered a spot at Russell Hantz’s side at the merge, but she decided to stick with her eight-person Galu alliance. This ended up being a mistake when the Foa Foa four managed to overcome those steep numbers.
	Name: Abi-Maria Gomes Season: “Survivor: Philippines” Finish: Fifth Place Why You Should Remember Her: The Brazilian beauty is best known for stabbing her alliance-mate RC Saint-Amour in the back.
	Name: Vytas Baskauskas Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” Finish: Tenth place Why You Should Remember Him: The brother of “Survivor: Panama” champ Aras Baskauskas made a strong showing for himself, but was quickly voted out after the merge when the brother pairing was deemed to be too powerful.
	Name: Ciera Eastin Season: “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” Finish: Fifth place Why You Should Remember Her: Ciera became the only person in “Survivor” history to vote out a family member when she sent her mother Laura Morett packing.
	Name: Spencer Bledsoe Season: “Survivor: Cagayan” Finish: Fourth Place Why You Should Remember Him: This “Young Lad” almost went the distance after “Survivor” host Jeff Probst (and…uh…someone else) went on record saying he had no chance to win.
	Name: Tasha Fox Season: “Survivor: Cagayan” Finish: Sixth Place Why You Should Remember Her: With her back against the wall, Tasha pulled off three consecutive immunity challenge wins.
	Name: Woo Hwang Season: “Survivor: Cagayan” Finish: Finalist Why You Should Remember Him: Woo probably would have won “Survivor: Cagayan” if he had chosen to take Kass to the final two over eventual winner Tony.
	Name: “Chaos” Kass McQuillen Season: “Survivor: Cagayan” Finish: Third Place Why You Should Remember Her: Kass earned her “Chaos” nickname by turning on her alliance and voting out Sarah Lacina. She also had a very dramatic come-from-behind win at the final four immunity challenge.
	Name: Jeremy Collins Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” Finish: Tenth Place Why You Should Remember Him: Jeremy had a very impressive run in the game, but he might be best remembered for sending his wife to Exile Island after beating her in the opening challenge.
	Name: Keith Nale Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” Finish: Fourth Place Why You Should Remember Him: Keith accidentally got his own son voted out of the game when he tipped Jon off by urging Reed to “Stick to the plan.”
	Name: Kelley Wentworth Season: “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” Finish: Fourteenth Place Why You Should Remember Her: Kelley and her father Dale ended up on the losing end of a family feud that pitted them against Baylor and Missy.
	Name: Joe Anglim Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Finish: Tenth Place Why You Should Remember Him: “Joey Amazing” was a challenge stallion and he crafted the most impressive fake immunity idol this side of “Runaround” Bob Crowley.
	Name: Shirin Oskooi Season: “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Finish: Eighth Place Why You Should Remember Her: Shirin got back at Will after his tirade by not allowing him to read his letter from home.

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

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor cambodia, survivor worlds apart
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on CBS Announces the Fan-Selected Cast of “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance’

‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Power Rankings – Millionaire Mike or Carolwyn? Edition

May 19, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Quick Note: The season might be coming to an end, but stick with XFINITY after Wednesday’s finale for interviews with the final five contestants. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

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Finale Rules: For the finals, each player will rank the remaining Survivors in the order in which they think they will finish. The first contestant is the winner, the second received the second most votes at Tribal, etc. Each correct placement is worth two points. The person with the most total points for the season will be named the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Last Week: Josh and Reed had Dan in spot five while I had him in spot four. So, the current score is Team Josh: 84, Team Reed: 92, Team Gordon 92.

Let’s check in with our three competitors before we put a bow on this season…

Gordon Holmes: So, what’ve you two been up to since we saw you on the show?
Reed Kelly: Since our time in San Juan del Sur, my personal favorite player from season 29 proposed to me on stage during the Broadway Boyfriends cabaret at 54 Below. No, it wasn’t Missy, it was the ever-cunning Coyopa kingpin, Josh Canfield! He did a great job of keeping me so focused on prepping for the cabaret that it truly was a #blindside and I could not be more thrilled about it.
Josh Canfield: I’m still on cloud nine and we have now begun to plan the wedding.

Holmes: That’s awesome to hear. How are things professionally?
Canfield: I’ve also gotten back into the swing of theatre. I recently opened on Broadway in the show “Doctor Zhivago” as Liberius, a morphine-addicted soldier for the wrong side.
Kelly: Professionally, I’m back to doing what I do best: lifting famous girls and kicking my leg for money. As we speak, I’m getting ready to start rehearsals to bring “Bombshell” (the Marilyn Monroe musical from NBC’s “SMASH” staring Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty) to Broadway. I’m super excited about getting to revisit this wonderful chapter of my life after having such a blast on “Survivor.”

Holmes: When it’s all said and done, where do you think “Worlds Apart” will rank against the other seasons?
Canfield: Definitely not as good as “San Juan del Sur” ;-), but I thoroughly enjoyed “Worlds Apart” and would probably place it between 10-15 as far as my favorite seasons go. A lot depends on this finale and who ends up in that final three.
Kelly: I really enjoyed Season 30 and it would definitely make the merge if it were competing against the other “Survivor” seasons: it’s totally dateable.

Holmes: I’ve made my “Second Chance” picks, who are you guys pulling for?
Kelly: I’m thoroughly looking forward to “Second Chances,” especially if Keith gets on and figures out how to actually stick to the plan without talking about it. Other than that; Stephen, Vytas, Spencer, Joe, Mike, and Carolyn are at the top of my list.
Canfield: I’m really looking forward to seeing Vytas, Spencer, Troyzan, Stephen, Carolyn, and Tasha play again! Here’s hoping they all get that Second Chance!

Holmes: Well, before we head into the final round, I really want to thank you two for being such awesome competition.
Canfield: I’m so grateful that I was asked to be a part of the Power Rankings! It’s fun to voice my thoughts even though I’m often very wrong!
Kelly: I love this game and I love this show. This whole experience really has been like a fairy tale, and we all know how much I love those too. Thanks, Gordon and CBS for asking us to do the rankings this season! #BigSmiles


Josh’s Score = 84 Any questions for Josh? Drop him a line on Twitter: @joshuacanfield	Reed’s Score = 92 Any questions for Reed? Drop him a line on Twitter: @thereedkelly	Gordon’s Score = 92 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Mike: I’m hoping Mike is our winner, it would be a great end to a good season. We have seen him make mistakes, we have watched him go from the top to the bottom of alliances, and we’ve seen his humor and his dark side. A very well rounded and satisfying winner. #pleasebethesolesurvivor	1. Mike: Who doesn’t love an against-all-odds, fight-to-the-end, underdog story? I know I do. I have my fingers crossed that this is what we are building up to. As far as Mike’s tribe mates go: they’d be foolish to keep him around until FTC if they can help it, because I believe the jury would reward his underdog story too.	1. Mike: I’m not usually one to back somebody who needs to win out to get to the end, but Mike is a force of nature. He’s also been eating regularly (if you consider one big meal every three days “regularly.”) The title for his autobiography will be “From Scorpion Dinner to ‘Survivor’ Winner.”

2. Sierra: She is the perfect second-place survivor, just look at last season and Jaclyn. They are similarly edited and are even playing a similar game in ways. The only reason she will get votes is if you have angry jury members who are voting against someone else. #secondplaceisbetterthaneleventh	2. Rodney: I can’t figure out if the things we’ve seen from him this season add up to a million dollar win; for me they don’t, but he and Will seem tight and maybe that’ll be enough to get him into the FTC. I sure enjoyed watching Rodney’s madness. It reminds me of the time I saw [Sports Icon] miss that [Sports Action] and lose the [Year] [Championship Event]. Yeah, Rodney was just like that.	2. Sierra: Everyone thinks taking Rodney and Will to the end is a solid strategy, but I disagree. Like Rodney or not, he ran the show for a while. Sierra seems like a safer bet to bring along. Her autobiography will be titled, “Barrel Racin’ and Second Placin’.”

3. Will: Will is the ideal third-place goat, also look at last season and Missy. He will make it to the FTC because everyone knows he won’t get any votes, and he doesn’t have a loved one with him to toss a sympathy vote. #whoareyouagain	3. Will: Good for him for getting this deep into the game. It takes all kinds to play Survivor. He apparently had just the right combination of “non-threat” in both the social and physical elements; and the right personality for this group to get to where he is. From where the viewer is sitting, he seems like the quintessential goat, but who cares? Goats make great money!	3. Will: Does Will get a single vote? Even one? Does anyone bring up that he never delivered on his day-one promise to have sandwiches for the No Collars? His book is titled, “Where There’s a Will, There’s Literally No Chance This Dude Is Going to Win ‘Survivor.'”

4. Rodney: If the final 3 is Rodney, Sierra, and Will, who do you vote for? I guess you force yourself to write Rodney even though you would be screaming and crying as you did so. Rodney’s “Survivor” legacy is complaining, misogyny, and all around negativity. #nobirthdaypartyforyou	4. Sierra: Feels like she played a solid game of Make It To The End and sometimes that is the best a person can do within the confines of their season. I’d be totally cool with getting to see her plead her case at the FTC.	4. Rodney: Rodney is too well-liked to take to the end. There’s a young voting block there. Better to bring someone who never made a move like Sierra. Can’t wait to pick up his book “First Impressions” when I catch his Vegas show.

5. Carolyn: The only other person who deserves to win besides Mike, that’s why I think it will be one of these two with the first snuffed torch of the episode. She has maneuvered this game so well, and has made it to the home stretch. If she finds herself gone, I will look forward to seeing her on S31. #SecondChances	5. Carolyn: Has played a fantastic game throughout and looked good doing it, I just worry for her that people have now clearly figured that out. If I were anyone else still in the game, I certainly wouldn’t want to go up against her in the FTC. Right now she would be a super-satisfying winner for me. All in all, this just feels one episode too soon to be making the last order and I’ve done them like 10 different ways; going with this one finally and can’t wait to see what happens!	5. Carolyn: Mama C. and Mikey T. (“T” for Texas? I don’t know. Stay with me) are the game’s remaining big guns, and only one of them can win that first immunity challenge. Her title? “A Second Chance? Yeah, Baby!”

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

Tags:Josh Canfield, Reed Kelly, survivor, survivor worlds apart
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Dan – “I Really Felt Like I Was Not Properly Portrayed”

May 14, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, and Power Rankings with Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

In pre-game interviews there are two questions I always use on new players; are you willing to lie and are you willing to flirt? A lot of people hate these inquiries, but I always ask them so we can set a baseline for how someone’s going to play.

For example, in Dan’s Ponderosa video, he points out the difference between his bluffs and Mike’s lies. But, he said this before the game started…

Gordon Holmes: Are you comfortable lying in this game?
Dan Foley: (Long pause) Yeah. Oh yeah. Pretty much the only thing I won’t do is sleep with somebody else, and that’s pretty much it. That’s my line in the sand.

I spoke with Dan the morning after his elimination to get his take on if there is a lying line that shouldn’t be crossed, his post-game belief that he’d be portrayed as a hero, and last night’s crazytown Tribal Council…

Gordon Holmes: Last night’s Tribal was a doozy. Did anyone know that Carolyn had an idol?
Dan Foley: I’m pretty sure Mike had a good idea that she had it and he manipulated her into playing it. And it was a good move. Good on him.
Holmes: In hindsight, do you think you playing your vote advantage tipped her off?
Foley: I don’t think it would have mattered. I think Mike had gotten into her head enough that it was irrelevant. She was going to play her idol no matter what. What they didn’t show was Mike, Carolyn, and Will went on the reward together. When they got back, Sierra comes up to me and says, “Hey Dan, listen…Will’s talking about getting rid of you now.” She said, “He asked me if now is the time to get rid of you.” Sierra and I mended fences, so that was percolating in my mind. To use my line against myself, “I can do basic math.” Why would I use my advantage when there’s an odd number of people to make an even number of votes and maybe cause a split? There’s no sense in that. I wanted to wait until there was an even number of players.
Holmes: Smart.
Foley: So, Will’s talking about flipping. That’s a potential three vs. three. My vote doubling makes it four vs. three. And, Will specifically said, “If Dan has an advantage, he’d better play it tonight.”
Holmes: Oh did he?
Foley: Yeah, he came out and said it.
Holmes: Will trying to flush an advantage. Amazing.

Holmes: Mike’s move at the auction really seemed to hurt you. Having watched the edit, I know that Mike knew he was being targeted beforehand. Now that you’ve seen all the pieces, does that change your opinion on that move?
Foley: The whole thing started back when the mix-up happened and Joaquin came into our tribe. We intentionally threw that challenge and Mike and Sierra wanted to get rid of Joe. I said, “No, Joaquin is the bigger threat because Joaquin and Tyler are tight.” Every time we see Carolyn at a challenge, she’s winking and nodding and waving. We knew they were still tight. We assumed they’d still be tight with Shirin….that’s four. And Rodney was gone. If Joaquin stayed in that game, Rodney was gone. There was no getting around it. I knew Rodney was making deals on the side. Power couples have to go. So then we got rid of Joaquin. I knew Rodney was trying to make side deals, but so was I. So was everybody. And when Mike said, “I am 100% blue,” what they didn’t show was when I said, “You weren’t 100% blue when you turned your back on me at the auction.” So, trust is earned, not given. Mike lost his trust and he kept looking at me like I had betrayed him.
Holmes: In your Ponderosa video, you pointed out the difference between lying and bluffing.
Foley: Right.
Holmes: “Survivor” is a game where lying is expected. Where was the line drawn for you that this was a lie that goes too far?
Foley: Wow…that’s tough to say. Where’s the line for anything? Are there ever concrete lines in the sand? For some things, of course there are. But, in a game like this where all the lines are blurred and convoluted. I looked at Mike as a friendship. And it’s easy if you’ve never played the game to play armchair quarterback. When you haven’t eaten for weeks and you’re missing your wife and children…when I saw my letter, and it was right in the front, I could see it and I started to cry the moment I saw it. When Carolyn came up with the idea that one person bid and we all go in on it…I looked at Mike and I was sobbing. I said, “Please.” And he said, “OK.” That’s when he lost my trust. I thought we’d made a connection. And at that moment I felt like he’d betrayed my trust. That goes way beyond the game for me. Where is the line? I don’t know. But in my world, that goes beyond the line.
Holmes: So, the difference is your lies were gameplay and Mike’s move with the letter seemed personal?
Foley: I lied to Tyler when he was going home. Joe asked me who going home, I told Joe the truth. Shirin asked me, I told Shirin the truth. I was willing to lie. But there’s still degrees of lying to people. That’s just gameplay. What Mike did at the auction was different. That went beyond gameplay. If he’d not gone back and he stuck with it…it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d still be public enemy number one.

Holmes: In your Ponderosa video, you said that you were going to be viewed as a hero. Obviously that was not the case. What were you anticipating as far as your edit at that point?
Foley: They don’t cast people because they know how to knit and talk about their feelings. They cast people because they’ve got big personalities. And I believe you and Probst said before the game started that you were waiting to see the real Dan. You guys hadn’t seen the real me yet. Have you seen the real me now?
Holmes: I feel like…
Foley: I’m actually asking you that. I’d like an answer to that. I’ve been waiting to ask you that question.
Holmes: Sure thing, I think…
Foley: Forget it. Nevermind.
Holmes: No, no, we can absolutely have that conversation.
Foley: We’ll have to do it later cause we’re on a time crunch. The thing is that I just…now I’ve got myself all distracted. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Foley: When I went to my final round of interviews, Lynne Spillman asked how I thought I’d come back, and I said, “I think I’ll come back a hero.” And the first thing she said was, “Heroes don’t win this game.” And I said that I wanted to prove that heroes can win this game. We all have our own baggage. I’m not saying any is equal to another, but we all have our own stuff. I’m the fat guy. I own it. It is what it is. I’m an honest guy, some people don’t like that. I got picked on in school a lot because the fat guy never does well in school. When you push me, I will push back. I don’t care who you are. I don’t care about your race, your gender, your creed, your orientation. I will push back. And, I really felt like I was not properly portrayed because lots of things were withheld that could have portrayed me better. I understand that there’s a limited amount of time. But perfect example…Shirin? The most accurate portrayal she has was in Tyler’s Ponderosa video. Sixty percent of his video was her complaining about him. If that’s how she was shown through the entire season, I don’t think people would have sympathy for her. And I think because they showed her differently, we’re all seen differently than we wanted to be seen. I know damn well that I didn’t look like a hero. I looked like a very bad person. And, that’s not who I am. And the people who know me know that isn’t true.

Holmes: Did you prepare a word association for us, or do we get to do this the way it’s meant to be done?
Foley: I’ve got something…oh…where is it…
Holmes: Did you lose it?
Foley: My wife cleaned up and now it’s not here.
Holmes: Nice. Thank you, Mrs. Foley. Let’s start with So.
Foley: Lady Deathstrike.
Holmes: Vince?
Foley: Blackhawk.
Holmes: Nina?
Foley: Who’d I put Nina as…one of the Wonder Twins.
Holmes: Lindsey?
Foley: Banshee.
Holmes: Max?
Foley: Professor X.
Holmes: Joaquin?
Foley: Beast.
Holmes: Kelly?
Foley: Juggernaut.
Holmes: Hali?
Foley: Catwoman.
Holmes: Joe?
Foley: Cyclops.
Holmes: Jenn?
Foley: Um…Jenn’s definitely a bad guy. Poison Ivy.
Holmes: Shirin?
Foley: Spiderwoman.
Holmes: Tyler?
Foley: The Riddler.
Holmes: Mike?
Foley: Captain Merica! (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs) Nice. Sierra?
Foley: Psylocke.
Holmes: Carolyn?
Foley: Mystique.
Holmes: Rodney?
Foley: The Joker?
Holmes: Will?
Foley: Aquaman. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs) Got one for yourself?
Foley: The Hulk.

Holmes: In a Secret Scene, you mentioned that you hoped “Survivor” might help you meet your birth father. Is there any update on that front?
Foley: No, to the best of my knowledge, he actually doesn’t know I exist. He doesn’t know he has a son. Obviously I’d like to find a way to see if that can happen.

Holmes: Whenever a super fan goes on, I worry that it’ll wreck their love for the game. Where are you with the show now?
Foley: It’s kind of like when you go to Universal Studios when they pull back the curtain and show you how the movie magic is done. Do I still love the show? Of course I do. I’m part of one of the greatest reality programs that has ever existed. I spent 14 years of my life trying to get there. I’m thrilled I got the chance and would I do it again? Yeah. (Laughs) I’d play again.

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

Tags:dan foley, survivor, survivor worlds apart
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‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Episode 13 Recap – With All the Trixin’s

May 13, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

A Second Quick Note: Check out my twenty votes for “Survivor: Second Chance.”

Last Week: Someone had a case of the birthday blues, Mike played his idol despite Rodney’s ruse, and Carolyn made sure Tyler got some bad news…

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…

Let’s take a look at the tribe as it currently stands…

The Merica Tribe (wearing purple)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Dan – Postal Worker, 47
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

We kick things off after Tribal where Mike tells us that he needs to find an idol or win the rest of the challenges. How hard can that be? Fabio did one of those things.

Dan’s not impressed though, as the idol only saved Mike for one more cycle. He goes on to say “To hell with Mike.” Well, that’s the best possible Season 31 endorsement Mike could get.

Carolyn, meanwhile, wants Dan to go because of his advantage. She approaches Mike and spills the beans that the advantage is an extra vote.

Reward Challenge Time: The tribe will be divided into two teams of three. The teams will run down a net, then climb over some obstacles. From there they’ll use a hatchet to release blocks with letters on them. The first tribe to unscramble the six-word phrase will win a chopper tour of Nicaragua and enjoy a surf and turf dinner.

On one side we have Rodney, Dan, and Sierra. On the other is Mike, Will, and Carolyn.

Before the challenge starts, Rodney hopes someone will be nice enough to give him their reward. Mike thinks it’s tough to watch Rodney suffer, but if he just wins he’ll be guaranteed to go.

The challenge starts and Team Rodney has a slight lead up until the word puzzle. But..then…it…slows…down…

An hour goes by and they still can’t get it. Seriously, this is not one of those trademark Holmes exaggerations you’ve grown to love.

Probst gives them like a billion clues. Finally, Carolyn figures out that it’s “A Reward With All the Fixins.”

Probst asks Carolyn if she wants to give her reward to Rodney…and she keeps it. Is there merit in feeding Rodney so he can beat Mike in a physical challenge? I know Carolyn has done well in endurance challenges, but what if the next one involves power lifting or impersonations?

On the reward, Mike pitches Will and Carolyn as a final three. Carolyn’s into it because they represent all the collars. Well, that would make Lindsey’s day-one prediction of a blue collar winning come true.

Back at camp, Dan finds some mystery fruit. They cut it open and find six immunity idols. Just kidding, but they do have a nice little feast. This puts Rodney in a much better mood.

Before we head off to the challenge, Mike tells Sierra that Dan can only beat Will and Rodney at final Tribal. Just thinking of that made me throw up in my mouth.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will use grappling hooks to retrieve three bags of balls. Then they’ll use one of those balls to complete a table maze. First person to complete the maze wins immunity.

The first person to grapple all three bags is Mike. Dan is right behind him. Sierra and Will eventually join the party.

We watch Mike’s ball roll around the final hole for about a half an hour (there’s that Holmes-trademark exaggeration) before it drops in. Mike wins immunity.

MERICA!

Back at camp, Dan tells us that he wants to get rid of Carolyn next. Rodney, Sierra, and Will agree. And, Sierra tells Dan that the others are targeting him.

However, Rodney, Will, and Carolyn ask Mike if they should get rid of Dan.

Mike takes this news and goes right to Dan. But, Dan doesn’t buy it.

Later on, Mike points out to Carolyn and Sierra that Dan and Rodney are sleeping together and thus working together. He thinks they’re going to target Carolyn.

Wait…don’t get the wrong idea. They were sleeping in the shelter together. Get your minds out of the gutter.

That night at Tribal, Rodney…can’t…put…a…thought…together. He says it’s because of limited food. Well, if SOMEBODY would give up a reward…

Eventually, Rodney admits that he’s sick of being around the same people for so long. But, he’s sticking with his alliance.

Carolyn knows her head is on the chopping block, so she’s nervous.

Dan believes that he’s in trouble too.

Will is also nervous…because? Why be nervous, dude? You’re the most secure finalist ever.

Dan thinks tonight would be a good time to use his advantage, but next Tribal could be better.

Voting Time: No votes are shown.

Probst goes to tally…and Dan stops him so he can play his advantage.

Dan’s Special Voting Time: The vote isn’t shown.

OK, now Probst tallies.

And before he can read them, Carolyn plays her idol. Stop interrupting the man!

We’ve got five votes for Carolyn, one vote for Dan, and the thirteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” and the sixth member of the jury is…Dan.

Hmmm…would Carolyn have played her idol if Dan didn’t spook her with his vote? They still would’ve won four to two.

Verdict: Dan was like “Blam!” And I was like “Wha?!” And Carolyn was all, “Not tonight, Mister.” And I was like, “Oh, snap!” Then Probst was all, “Tribe has spoken, Dan.”

That was pretty cool. But, I’m worried that “Survivor” is starting to turn into Calvinball.

Who’s Going to Win? If Mike can get to the end, it’s all his. But, Carolyn’s got a solid shot.

Power Rankings Results: Josh and Reed had Dan in spot five while I had him in spot four. So, the current score is Team Josh: 84, Team Reed: 92, Team Gordon 92.

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

Tags:jeff probst, survivor, survivor worlds apart
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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 11 – First-Chance Edition

May 12, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

The Rules: Each week our three combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three players will earn. For example, if Carolyn is voted out this week, Josh and Reed will each receive one point and Gordon will receive two points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Last Week: Josh had Tyler in spot four, Reed had him in six, and I had him in seven. So, the current score is Team Josh 79, Team Reed 87, and Team Gordon 88.


Josh’s Score = 79 Any questions for Josh? Drop him a line on Twitter: @joshuacanfield	Reed’s Score = 87 Any questions for Reed? Drop him a line on Twitter: @thereedkelly	Gordon’s Score = 88 Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

1. Carolyn: She betrayed her closest ally Tyler this past week. Was it the smartest choice at this point? Would Tyler have done the same to her soon? Regardless, she is killing it in this game. She’s strong in challenges, has made big moves, and still has the idol. If the others let her in to the Final, she will win the whole thing. #yeahbaby	1. Carolyn: I love that she made the push with Mike to take out the threat, Tyler; wise on her part. Wondering if anyone else knows about her idol now. She has several viable options and in addition to that idol. Without an act of overconfidence, I don’t see her going home this week.	1. Will: Oh man, Will’s such a lock to go to the end of this game. Seriously, why bother going to immunity challenges? Why go to Tribal? Just jot down your vote on a spare piece of paper and let Rodney deliver it.

2. Will: The best goat this season. I can’t think of one reason that a jury member may vote for him. #golden	2. Will: Are we just to assume that he is so ensconced in numbers and such a non-threat that he’s just going to sail to the FTC? It’s always fascinating to me to watch this particular archetype get so far along season after season.	2. Carolyn: Mama C stabbed her biggest ally in the back last week. Good move? Well, if Mike loses one of the next immunity challenges and they can finally send him home, she’s a genius. If Mike can run through a Tyler-less field and get to the end, she’s going to regret it.

3. Sierra: She needs to do something, anything, so that she can have content in her FTC speech. #ghost	3. Sierra: Wondering who is going to align with her to take advantage of her eager vote. I feel like she is constantly poking around the edges, trying to find her way into a solid sub-alliance.	3. Rodney: For the love of all that is good with “Survivor,” will someone please bring a birthday cake to the finale? Can Probst lead the audience in a chorus of “Happy Birthday”? I felt terrible. And in spite of his crushing disappointment, at least he was trying to come up with a way to trick Mike into not playing the idol.

4. Rodney: Poor, sad, angry birthday boy seems to be the man that everyone looks to for decisions, which is really strange to me. How did he get this position? By being the loudest, or maybe the most sexist? Perhaps. Whatever the reason, it’s worked and he is in the final six eyeing FTC. #loudleader	4. Rodney: Besides seeing him pout over it being the worst Birthday ever (which I don’t know how any other BDay could top one being celebrated during a game of “Survivor”), we didn’t see much from him in this episode. Not sure if that means there could be a lot of him coming up in a boot episode or if he goes even deeper.	4. Dan: Everyone is afraid of Dan’s advantage and this next Tribal is the best time to use it. It turns an even vote into an odd vote and as we’ve discussed before, odd votes are the best time to make moves. If I’m Dan, I pick my two partners and make my move now. If it works, the next vote will be final five and you’ll already have the numbers.

5. Dan: He is paranoid after votes have been cast his way. He will make some (more) mistakes this next episode as he tries to do anything to get the focus off of him. #treadingwater	5. Dan: I feel people (like Carolyn) would be smart to align with him to capitalize on his advantage and then sit next to him at the FTC. He needs to start advocating to others the benefits of him being the perfect goat if he’d like to make it to the FTC.	5. Sierra: So, the consensus among the exit interviews seems to be that most people want to go to the end with Rodney and Will. Makes sense to me, although, I think the jury might like Rodney more than they’ve been showing. But what about Sierra? It seems like she might not get points for her gameplay, but she’s been a prominent part of the Ladies Couch. The jury likes her. If Mike wins immunity, I’d target her.

6. Mike: He successfully fractured the alliance by playing his idol and sending Tyler packing. This guy is hanging on for dear life, and will do anything to stay in the game. #lastchance	6. Mike: He is playing a balls-to-the-wall game right now because he has to and he caused the majority alliance to cannibalize one of their own. As much as I love rooting for him as an underdog story, I’m not sure if he’ll make it past this week or next.	6. Mike: Forget the “Second Chance” vote, Merica Mike can win “Survivor: Worlds Apart.” But, he’s gotta be perfect. He needs to find an idol or go on a perfect challenge winning streak, because anyone who decides to throw him a bone and vote with him is playing for second place.

Tags:Josh Canfield, Reed Kelly, survivor, survivor worlds apart
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‘Survivor’ Castaway Tyler: “Had I Known, I Would Have Blown It Up”

May 8, 2015

"Survivor: Worlds Apart" (CBS)

[xfinity-record-button id=”7116600190773202112″ program_type=”series”]

Every “Survivor” bio has a question that annoys me; “Which ‘Survivor’ Player Are You Most Like?” Now, the reason I hate this question is because the answers are usually terrible. It tends to be something like, “I’m a mix of Parvati’s flirting, “Boston” Rob’s social game, and Ozzy’s challenge skills.”

I was so busy hating the answers that I’d never really thought about which “Survivor” player am I most like? When I finally sat and tried to figure this out, it was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated.

Until I watched Tyler.

Based on what I saw on my television, Tyler is a solid representation of how I’d like to play the game. While others were exploding, he was quiet and reserved. He kept an eye on everything. He kept lines of communication open with many people.

It wasn’t enough to blow up and be someone people would want to take to the end. It was about getting in front of the jury with a chance to take the whole thing.

Unfortunately for Tyler, this gameplay made him a target. And when his alliance was forced to boot someone, he was considered the biggest threat.

I spoke with Tyler the morning after his elimination and asked him about his gameplay, Carolyn’s blindside, and Will’s explosion…

Gordon Holmes: What happened last night? I wasn’t shocked to see you go out, I was shocked to see who voted for you.
Tyler Fredrickson: So was I, dude! So was I! She did me dirty. But good on her, she was able to get me before I was able to get her. So, I can’t blame her.
Holmes: Everyone is saying, “Tyler’s a threat”…which is true, but Mike’s the biggest threat to win out there. It makes sense to me to keep my challenge competitors on board until Mike’s gone. Was that ever part of your pitch to stick around?
Fredrickson: Honestly, I didn’t know they were coming for me. It was a complete #blindside for me. Looking back at the edit, were the signs there? Were they pointing to me? Yeah, but you’re not a part of that. From what I knew we had a core four. And we were going to rock and roll and push forward. We had to throw some votes at Mike in case he doesn’t play the idol. Of course he’s going to, but you don’t know that completely. We throw a few votes at Dan, then we move forward. Had I known, I would have blown it up. Gordon, I would have blown everything up. “The advantage is this, idols are here…here’s the core four. Mike, what do you want to do, bro? Let’s go. Let’s go the end. Me and you, two strong players.” Mike’s a strong guy, but Mike’s not unbeatable. I feel like I’m a pretty competent player too. I just hate stupid endurance challenges.
Holmes: (Laughs)
Fredrickson: It doesn’t play to my strengths as an athlete at all. Especially after I’ve lost almost thirty pounds. Looking at it now? You’re right. Will’s not going to do anything in challenges. Rodney is challenge kryptonite. Sierra has proven to be completely inept. And Dan’s just…Dan. So, Carolyn is going to compete against Mike? She’s great, but no offense, my money is on Mike. I’ll take that every step of the way. But, you’ve got to think eventually he’s going to lose and they can get him out, but you never know.
Holmes: Did you ever ask Carolyn to play her idol for you?
Fredrickson: It came up. We talked about it. I kind of beat around the bush about it. I didn’t want to say, “Yo, if this happens, you need to hook me up. You need to play this.” I never wanted her to feel pressure. It got to the point where I wondered if she was avoiding talking about it too much. And she even said that she did not bring her idol to the Tribal where Mike and Shirin blew me up. When she didn’t throw it out there, I said, “Yo, if we’re in this together and you’re not willing to play this at that point, are we not in this together?”

Holmes: You gave Carolyn kudos for getting you before you got her. How close were you to pulling the trigger on her?
Fredrickson: I knew she had to go, she had the idol, we’ve gotta make our move. Rodney’s pissed at her for not taking him on reward. Will’s wants her gone. Dan’s over it too. We’ve got all these people on board to get Carolyn, and then she wins immunity. Then I have to pull back. I’ve got to continue to trust our core four, get past this vote, then I’m going big. I’ve reworked the scenario in my head so many times. Do I tell them, “I’ll tell you something after Tribal that will blow your mind?” Everybody would say, “Tell us now or you’re going home.” All six of them wanted me gone and not a single person said anything about it. What can you do?

Holmes: You looked through Dan’s bag. You knew about his advantage. The game has never had something like it. What were you worried he might do with it?
Fredrickson: Because I didn’t have the extra vote, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I might do with it, or how I would get in Dan’s graces and then try to maneuver with it. Our core group was big and strong. What I tried to do was build it up to be something extremely powerful. “We don’t know what it is. It could be a vote doubler, it could let him rip up a vote, he could immediately send someone home. We don’t know what it is, all we know is it’s scary. And you don’t have it, right Will? Right Rodney? OK, so we’ve got to think of targeting this dude sooner than later.” But, when you’re dealing with people who are rather reactionary, things like that aren’t in the forefront of their mind. It’s more about being hungry and not having a reward.

Holmes: If I gave you the booking power to write out how “Survivor: Worlds Apart” should have ended, what was your dream final three scenario?
Fredrickson: It was me, Will, and Rodney. I think you ask a lot of people and Will and Rodney are going to be there. At least in the top four. Will was just sitting back, he hadn’t made a lot of moves. Rodney is talking a massive good game. But, it’s all talk. So much talk. Where’s the strategic mastermind? Where’s the subtle good game? Where’s the puppetmaster? Where’s that strategy? We have a season where there are big personalities and people like to fight.
Holmes: Hold the phone there, you’re telling me Rodney’s not subtle?
Fredrickson: (Laughs) Not subtle. We were on a season where people yelling and fighting and arguing was apparently much more interesting than strategic gameplay. Maybe I have myself to blame for that. Maybe I was boring in confessionals. It was difficult for me to get out of a quiet, more subtle kind of gameplay on the island. It’s hard when you’re immersed. It’s hard when you’re hungry. It’s hard when you’re exhausted and beat up. Rodney’s good TV. He’s better TV than me, I’ll give him that.

Holmes: It was portrayed that you were somewhat responsible for Will’s meltdown, being that you were the person who told him about Mike, Jenn, and Shirin doubting his snack story. What is your take on that ugly situation?
Fredrickson: These are pretty complicated issues. They’re layered issues. They require educated discussions from people who have more degrees than I do. All the bullying, the victim, the passive bullying…bystandering or whatever it’s called. Shirin and Will are two of my friends. I get the way they’re feeling and I want to respect that. Here’s what I’ll say, Gordon…there was an argument between two people and it grew pretty heavy. I believe that Will took it much further than it needed to go and I actually encouraged him to apologize to Shirin after that. At Tribal she mentioned that I was the only person to do so, but that was edited out for some reason. I really think it’s now up to them to work through. Hopefully CBS will give them the chance to do that.

Holmes: I was there on day three when the White Collars voted out So. It seemed like Max, Carolyn, and Shirin were a pretty solid group. When was the decision made to partner up with Joaquin?
Fredrickson: Max and I bonded really quickly, but I could never trust Max. Max makes a horrible first impression. He’s an incredible dude. A caring, great, freaking smart guy. But on the island it’s like, when is Max going to make his own thing? I can’t trust him. I wanted a Carolyn or a Sierra. Someone I could lock in to. So, when Carolyn came to me I thought, this is more important than Max. Max had Shirin because they were geeking out over the whole situation. When So departed, Joaquin realized that this game is bigger than him and he’s playing with fire right now. What was great about Joaquin is I could walk up to him and say, “All we’ve got to do is win. Forget the strategy. We win and we never go to Tribal again.” We had the best streak of first and second finishes. We never went back again until the mix-up when we threw the memory challenge. And we still would have won that…and they got rid of Joaquin. Joaquin and I were on a streak of like five or six in a row.
Holmes: In the early going, you made it seem like you didn’t want to strategize at all.
Fredrickson: It wasn’t that I didn’t want to strategize. I strategized consistently. But, the reality was if you acted like you didn’t want to strategize, you came across as less threatening. People were already going to assume I was a threat based on my size and because I carried myself more quietly. All I wanted to do was be a meathead and talk about winning, it’s us vs. them. Shirin is still befuddled about that to this day, which I chalk up as a really great response in my favor.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association…
Fredrickson: You’re going to hate me, dude.
Holmes: You wrote yours out in advance too?
Fredrickson: …I did.
Holmes: You people are monsters.
Fredrickson: I’m sorry! And I did everybody like Shirin did.
Holmes: …
Fredrickson: Think about it this way; people know your work. We all talk about it. We all anticipate really great questions like this.
Holmes: Well, that I like. In order, let’s start with So.
Fredrickson: Spike.
Holmes: Vince?
Fredrickson: Discovery.
Holmes: Nina?
Fredrickson: Outdoor Channel…closed captioned…
Holmes: (Laughs) OK…I get it. Lindsey?
Fredrickson: BabyFirst TV.
Holmes: Max?
Fredrickson: Adult Swim.
Holmes: Joaquin?
Fredrickson: Playboy.
Holmes: Kelly?
Fredrickson: Bravo.
Holmes: Hali?
Fredrickson: CW.
Holmes: Joe?
Fredrickson: Netflix.
Holmes: Jenn?
Fredrickson: MTV.
Holmes: Shirin?
Fredrickson: Lifetime.
Holmes: Mike?
Fredrickson: Showtime.
Holmes: Sierra?
Fredrickson: CMT.
Holmes: Carolyn?
Fredrickson: Esquire.
Holmes: Dan?
Fredrickson: History.
Holmes: Rodney?
Fredrickson: Food Network.
Holmes: Will?
Fredrickson: BET.
Holmes: Alright, anything for that guy Tyler?
Fredrickson: Amazon. Because I’d be trying to be cool and mainstream. But in the end, not known primarily for good TV.

Holmes: So, five of your “Worlds Apart” buddies are eligible for the Second Chance season. Assuming that Mike and Carolyn remain eligible, rank the players based on who you’d most like to see play again.
Fredrickson: As a viewer…you’re putting me on the spot with my Dirty 30…I’ll go Joe, Mike, Max, Carolyn, and Shirin. That’s from most to least.

Holmes: The Second Chance is a huge topic of conversation now. If given a second chance, what would be your strategy?
Fredrickson: I have no regrets in the game I played. Relating to people and forming relationships was really key. Listening before speaking. I probably would have approached my confessionals a lot more aggressively. I’d try to be who I really am, “I’m running this show and everybody’s got to listen to me.” I’d have taken more advantage of that opportunity. For the actual gameplay, I’d try to play slightly more aggressive. Or maybe try to anticipate blindsides a little better. (Laughs)

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

Tags:survivor, survivor worlds apart, tyler fredrickson
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaway Tyler: “Had I Known, I Would Have Blown It Up”

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