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‘Survivor’ Castaway Lindsey – Rodney Is a “Two-Timing Scumbag”

March 20, 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.

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One week it looks like you have an awesome girl power alliance with a Boston-based fourth and the next you’re screaming at people and threatening to feed them their own jaws.

“Survivor” is kind of awesome that way.

I spoke to Lindsey the morning after her elimination to get her take on the logistics of her jaw-eating plan, what happened at Blue Collar, and why people thought she might have an idol…

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Gordon Holmes: I thought you, Sierra, Rodney, and Kelly were running the show at Blue Collar. That obviously wasn’t the case. When did things split up?
Lindsey Cascaddan: For a little while we were a core four.
Holmes: Was it Rodney’s comment about women should  hold themselves to a higher standard that broke things up?
Cascaddan: You have to kind of choose not only who you’re going to play with, but also the type of person you’re going to play with. And I just wasn’t willing to play alongside Rodney and come home and have to explain that. I don’t want my friends and family to say, “You didn’t stick up for women, you didn’t stick up for humanity as a whole. What’s wrong with you?” And the Blue Collar tribe, Rodney aside, we kind of all came to that conclusion. Nobody wanted to go home and say I worked with Rodney. But, I think a couple of people decided to work with him because at the end of the day, who’s going to vote for a guy like this?
Holmes: If he is rubbing everyone the wrong way, it seems like he’s the dream person to take to the end.
Cascaddan: Right.

Holmes: I enjoyed our time together in Nicaragua, but I have to call you out on this; how can you feed someone their own jaw? They won’t have a jaw.
Cascaddan: (Laughs) You know, I think there are a couple of lines that just came so unfiltered because of exhaustion and starvation and…you know…you’re right. But, I stand by the fact that if I was his mother, I would’ve broken it and fed it to him for breakfast.

Holmes: Last week it seemed like everyone had an issue with Mike. Did you notice that Mike and Rodney were patching things up and seemingly getting along?
Cascaddan: No, Rodney and Mike weren’t pow-wowing around camp. Kelly, Sierra, and I sat Mike down at one point and said, “Dude, you’ve got to chill. We haven’t lost. Our camp is running flawlessly. You have to just take a couple of breaths and stop yelling at everybody.” And I think that Mike did the smart thing and adjusted his game. He didn’t want to piss people off all the time. But Rodney and Mike weren’t pow-wowing around camp.

Holmes: When you were discussing the fire with Mike, he was really offended by your statement that God hadn’t been tending to that fire. Have you received any feedback about that comment?
Cascaddan: I actually have not. I did get one email and all it said is “I hope you’re ready for what’s coming because of the comment.” And I’d like to reach out to that person and say, “Nothing has come to me because of that comment.” It wasn’t there to offend any religious people. It was there to say, “That’s great that you have God. We all can have God, and maybe we all do. But that’s not why the fire is being tended to. It’s being tended to because I’m tending to it.”

Holmes: Put me in your shoes for that challenge where you’re tied to a person who’s obviously injured, but you can’t even raise your buff to get a look at how serious it is.
Cascaddan: It was pretty awful. I asked her immediately after she was hit if she was OK and she said, “Yeah.” So we literally brushed it off and kept going. When I heard, “She’s bleeding,” we didn’t know who they were talking about. Kelly didn’t even know she was bleeding. It wasn’t until Jeff was like, “Blue team take a knee. Medics come in.” I asked if she was hurt and she said, “No.” Then she asked if I was hurt and I said, “No.” I think we just had so much adrenaline that when they said it was Kelly it was terrifying. You’re blindfolded, you’re wondering how bad it is. You’re also in the middle of a challenge and your game is on hold because your partner in crime is hurt. This is not good. And even in a challenge for chickens…chickens seem really important on day nine or day ten of not eating. So, I had concern for Kelly and our team.

Holmes: Did you ever think you’d become best friends with a barrel racer?
Cascaddan: I didn’t. But, I’m so happy I did. I love Sierra. I’m so Team Sierra. I can’t even tell you how much I love her.

Holmes: Help me understand Dan. One minute he’s making a savvy move and the next he’s calling everyone stupid for the way they’re building a shelter.
Cascaddan: Dan as a game player is extremely Switzerland. He’s right in the middle, he doesn’t want to have an opinion on things. He doesn’t want to form an alliance that’s actually an alliance. His outward opinion and what he said going into Tribal was, “I’ll vote for anyone who isn’t me. As long as I don’t go home, I don’t care.” I think that Dan is such a fan of “Survivor” that he doesn’t play as player, he plays as a fan. It’s really difficult to work with him. It’s difficult to play any kind of logic with him. He is funny and he is a good guy. He’s a great husband. But, he’s a little bit maddening.

Holmes: They split the vote last night between you and Sierra. Did they have a reason to think you had the idol?
Cascaddan: I played hard. I looked for the idol every single day. And for the most part, nobody else looked for the idol unless they were with me. So, they had every reason to believe that I had the idol. And if I had a clue I would’ve had it. I was relentless.
Holmes: Sometimes the clues will be found hidden in a reward. Were you looking through them?
Cascaddan: We searched high and low whenever we got a reward. The first time we kind of knew it wouldn’t be on our one little fishing gear. But, we still looked. And then when we got the comfort, I looked at that huge pile of stuff and said, “It’s in there, I’m going to find it.” I ripped apart that whole thing myself. And I’m telling you there was no clue.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Kelly.
Cascaddan: Quiet, in the middle…funny…but kind of irrelevant.
Holmes: Mike?
Cascaddan: Hard-working, annoying, funny, and he’s very blue collar.
Holmes: Dan?
Cascaddan: Dan is…annoying. (Laughs) He’s maddening. He’s extravagant.
Holmes: Sierra?
Cascaddan: Beautiful, smart, funny…she’s perfect. She’s what Rodney would say is an “angel.”
Holmes: She holds herself to a higher standard.
Cascaddan: (Laughs)
Holmes: Let’s finish with Rodney.
Cascaddan: Rodney is gross. He’s all for himself. He’s a two-timing scumbag.

Holmes: Did you learn anything about yourself during your time out there?
Cascaddan: I learned a lot about myself. As a mom and someone who runs her own business…as a daughter…I just learned that being away and being kind of lost and being with strangers and…really being alone. You’re around these people, but you’re really alone. I found out what was really important to me. Being away from my daughter was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Hands down. And I learned that ultimately in my life it is more important to stay true to who you are than to win a million dollars. I think that mindset is something that not a lot of people can say that they have. I really am a strong woman and I am proud of that.

Holmes: You were my pick to win.
Cascaddan: I know!
Holmes: And my pick always loses.
Cascaddan: (Laughs) You jinxed me! Jerk!
Holmes: And I feel terrible about it. So, I’m going to make the standard deal where if you play again…
Cascaddan: I promise you’ll see me again.
Holmes: And when we do, I’ll pick someone else.
Cascaddan: Yes! Do that.

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

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Max – “The Reads I Had on Carolyn Were So Off”

March 19, 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.

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I assumed Max had it in the bag. Surely he had some kind of tight alliance with Carolyn or he wouldn’t have been doing things to annoy his other tribemates.

As usual, I was wrong. You win again, “Survivor” editors.

I spoke with the bearded guy in the buff (take that either way) the morning after his elimination and asked him about what happened with Carolyn, his plan at the swap, and if his time in Nicaragua was everything a “Survivor” fan could hope for…

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Gordon Holmes: Oh, Max…
Max Dawson: Does this hurt my chances of doing Power Rankings?
Holmes: (Laughs) I assumed that was your first thought after Probst read that final vote for you last night.
Dawson: Well, hopefully Shirin will do better and if she does I’m happy to secede that honor to her because there is nobody in world who is a bigger Shirin Oskooi fan than I am.
Holmes: We’ve got two Survivors doing Power Rankings this season. Maybe we can arrange a three-way White Collar dance between you, me, and Shirin. We’ll see how it goes.

Holmes: I was at that first Tribal. I figured you, Carolyn, and Shirin were rock solid. When did that fall apart?
Dawson: You’re the one person, Gordon, thankfully who had an appreciation for how rock solid we were. Rock solid to the point where on day three I turned to Carolyn and said, “I will go to rocks for you at this first Tribal if it comes down to it.” And I meant it. No one was voting out my Mama C, not that day, not any day. What I didn’t realize was that the delicious “Big Brother” strategy of offering Carolyn up as a pawn to Joaquin and So would come to backfire and destroy my game in the long run. After the Tribal, Carolyn was livid that So and Joaquin had written down her name. She confronted Joaquin and he said, “Because Max told us to.” Of course I told them to, I was trying to blindside them. Carolyn was our pawn. Classic “Big Brother” strategy; put up someone you have no intention of voting out to get out a threat. Carolyn didn’t get that. Or maybe she didn’t like the fact that we used her as the decoy. From that point on she harbored a real animosity toward me. And it was amplified by the fact that she grew disdainful of Shirin. We’ve seen so many eye rolls from Carolyn while Shirin does the things that you and I love about her. She’s a quirky, off-the-wall individual. But Carolyn thought I was the Jim Jones of Nicaragua and it ultimately led to my downfall.

Holmes: That’s what got to me. The nudity,  your downtime, and Shirin needling Joaquin. I think you and Shirin are both savvy players and you wouldn’t be doing those things if you didn’t have the tribe locked down. Were you so confident in your three that you didn’t worry about rubbing people the wrong way?
Dawson: Yeah. Unfortunately, that assumption was incorrect and it made everything else I did completely horrible. If I had it correct that Carolyn, Shirin, and I were a rock-solid, 39-day alliance with Tyler as an accessory, as a big, beefy, meat shield accessory, then I have the capital to strip down and flaunt my beautiful bod on that beach. I thought I had the capital to work with Shirin to needle Joaquin and try to get him to lose his cool. The confrontation Shirin had with Joaquin over the idol search was very much motivated by a conversation that she and I had that Joaquin had done so well in the challenge that he was threatening to work his way back into the core of the tribe. Shirin and I set out to make sure he didn’t by putting him in a situation where he would be horrible and obnoxious to her. Unfortunately, what I didn’t realize that Joaquin calling Shirin a horrible woman and being obnoxious and sexist toward her, he would actually win the respect of Tyler and Carolyn. That was a head scratcher. Another misstep I made. We tried to cast Joaquin as the outsider, and it only cast Shirin as the person, as Tyler said, with a black X on her back and me as the guy who was using his cerebellum to make people do what they didn’t want to do.

Holmes: Did you and Shirin know that Carolyn had an idol?
Dawson: Oh no we didn’t. Oh, Gordon…there were so many moments that in retrospect were screaming indicators that she had the idol. But we took it as her being an old-school “Survivor” player. Carolyn kept saying how the idol would only bring divisiveness to the camp. And Tyler would agree. I was thinking, “How did I get on a tribe of people who think we’re playing in Vanuatu. How am I on a tribe with the casuals of all casuals who believed Boston Rob when he said they shouldn’t look for the idol?” A lot of assumptions I made based on the reads I had on Carolyn were so off. But, it’s tough to read someone like Carolyn who is incredibly smart and successful, but has that crazy motor, that crazy energy. She’d stay up all night tending to the fire, she’d barely eat. Then she’d go to challenges and kick butt. She had some inner fire that verged on mania. I thought, “This woman is pretty transparent. I can see where she’s going.” But I didn’t realize that she is a very multi-layered player.

Holmes: Once we hit the merge, everyone went for Kelly as the swing vote. Was there any talk of going for a No Collar who might be on the outs?
Dawson: Yeah, in retrospect I probably could’ve peeled Will off easily. Will approached me on the first day and said, “Man, it’s good to have another grown-up here.” I think he said the same thing to Carolyn. I think he’d reached the end of his rope, feeling like he was babysitting and not getting paid. But I had one intention going into the swap. Before I left White Collar beach, Tyler and I talked to the members of the group about how we’d reunite at the merge and be five strong. But our biggest priority was to remove the one I called, “Joey Amazing.”
Holmes: (Laughs)
Dawson: I watched that kid physically dominate. I watched him kill that first puzzle. All I could think about was, they’ve been wanting to give Malcolm a million dollars for a while. Maybe they’ll just give it to “Joey Amazing” instead. I saw Joe getting the winner’s edit as I was standing there playing “Survivor.” It was too obvious that this kid had all of the assets. I could already see the beautiful merged tribe flag that he was going to paint. It was too much. All I could think was I need to take the legs off of this kid’s table. And if I have to go to Tribal for the next three episodes and vote out first Will, because I know Jenn and Hali won’t play an idol for him. And then Hali and then Jenn, that is what I have to do. I have to take his legs and make sure my boy Tyler is there too because Tyler has so many of the assets that would make him a great ally and a big target on the new Escameca. I thought if we found a way to win a challenge, we’d come in and see Tyler gone. That would’ve broken my heart and thrown a huge monkey wrench into my game.

Holmes: Why do you think they targeted you over Shirin?
Dawson: Cause I’m more annoying.
Holmes: Fair enough, but you’re the tallest guy on your tribe and you lost a challenge where height is an advantage.
Dawson: This is the tribe that got rid of Vince and kept the guy who can’t swim and Nina. They’re clearly not making decisions based on thinking ahead.
Holmes: That’s so No Collar.
Dawson: We also knew that even though the first challenges privileged height and strength, pretty soon we’ll get to some that are balance, or puzzles, or something. They’d probably still lose a physical challenge with me.

Holmes: Let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Joaquin.
Dawson: Twenty four.
Holmes: So?
Dawson: Twenty six and or twenty two.
Holmes: Carolyn?
Dawson: Eleven.
Holmes: Tyler?
Dawson: Two.
Holmes: Jenn?
Dawson: Twenty one.
Holmes: Hali?
Dawson: Twenty three.
Holmes: Will?
Dawson: Twenty nine!
Holmes: Kelly?
Dawson: Nine.
Holmes: And we’ll finish with Shirin.
Dawson: Twenty eight.
Holmes: Is there a key for this?
Dawson: I’ll let you figure it out.
Holmes: It’s like “National Treasure.”

NOTE: Now that I’ve had time to think about it, maybe the numbers represent the season of the “Survivor” winner the person is most like? Let me know your thoughts.

Holmes: You’re a student of this game. What surprised you when you were out there?
Dawson: The good surprise was seeing the massive manpower and resources that goes into making “Survivor” one of the most astounding experiences that I’ve ever had. Seeing what goes into a challenge. Seeing what goes into producing the show. Seeing it up close and watching the men and women who make it happen only increased my appreciation for the game. The most unpleasant surprise was it’s really difficult to spend twenty four hours a day, seven days a week with reality TV contestants.
Holmes: (Laughs)
Dawson: They are highly unpleasant people who have been selected from pools of thousands. They possess qualities such as narcissism, exhibitionism…these are really unpleasant people for the most part. I  love my dirty thirty family, and I don’t keep myself out of that context, but we are all such lunatics. Just spending time with us is insufferable.

Holmes: How are you coming to terms with being the fifth one out?
Dawson: Imagine if someone came up to you and said you’re going to be starting pitcher for the Cardinals. You probably wouldn’t make it out of the first inning, but you’d have the experience of a lifetime. Maybe I didn’t make it out of the first inning, maybe I gave up fifteen homeruns, but I’m walking off of the mound, not hanging my head in shame. I’ve got the biggest (expletive deleted)-eating grin that somebody, somewhere made a mistake and let me play “Survivor.”
Holmes: Excellent analogy.

Holmes: After the challenge last night they cut to you and you’re saying that you’re glad you lost and you can’t wait to strategize. That is the classic sign that someone is going home. What was it like to watch that knowing what was coming?
Dawson: I love “Survivor” so much. And part of what I love is watching a cocky bastard who thinks he has it figured out get blindsided. It just so happens in this case it was me.
Holmes: We talked about seeing how the sausage was made affecting your love for things. Has being on the show enhanced your love, diminished your love?
Dawson: It’s totally enhanced it. The best part of it all is that I got to play “Survivor” with what I think is the best cast in the history of the show. I got to play in what I think might go down as one of the best seasons of this show. ‘Survivor” season 30 is going to be historic. If you’ve been unsatisfied, just give it time. This season will go down as massive.
Holmes: You’re making me giddy.

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

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‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Episode 4 & 5 Recap: Swap Your Collar

March 18, 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.

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Last Week: A pair of monkeys showed Shirin how they mate, Lindsey and Mike had a theological debate, and Nina tried to get down with the cool kids, but she was a little too late.

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

Let’s take a look at these tribes as they currently stand…

The Masaya Tribe (wearing yellow)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Joaquin – Marketing Director, 27
Max – Media Consultant, 37
Shirin – Yahoo Executive, 31
Tyler – Ex-Talent Agent Assistant, 33

The Escameca Tribe (wearing blue)
Dan – Postal Worker, 47
Kelly – State Trooper, 44
Lindsey – Hair Dresser, 24
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27

The Nagarote Tribe (wearing red)
Hali – Law Student, 25
Jenn – Sailing Instructor, 22
Joe – Jewelry Designer, 25
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

We kick things off after Tribal where Hali is psyched to have Nina gone and embers in the fire. She takes this as a sign that they’ve been through the worst. So, No Collars’ glasses are half full?

Over at Blue Collar, Mike cuts off the head of a snake. Not figuratively, you know…alliance-wise…he literally cuts the head off of a snake. He roasts it up and shares it with Rodney.

Huh…this is early for an immunity challenge.

Reward Challenge Time: One person from each tribe will stand on a tower and call out instructions while their blindfolded tribemates stumble out to get items. They’ll then put the items on a platform and hoist them up. Finally, they’ll have to retrieve a flag. First tribe to raise their flag gets some hens and a rooster, the second tribe gets some eggs.

Yup…eggs.

Tyler will sit for White Collar, Mike and Rodney will sit for Blue Collar.

Sierra, Joe, and Carolyn are our callers. Callers, not to be confused with Collars.

The challenge starts off and everyone is getting hit in the groin. It’s like an episode of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

The No Collars have a lead, but the platform raisers keep dropping the platform violently. Probst warns them to take it easy. Foreshadowing?

Yup, Kelly gets hit hard. Like really hard. You can see blood pouring out of her blue buff. Medical is called in…and we go to commercial.

Boo…

It looks like she has a cut in her hairline. But, she’s so tough she doesn’t care. Go Kelly. They bandage her up and keep going.

The No Collars are the first to get their flag, winning the challenge. The White Collars claim second.

Man, that’s a lot of bruises for some eggs.

Back at No Collar, we learn that it’s Will’s birthday. Birthday poultry!

Jenn doesn’t want to eat the chickens. She goes off while Hali and Joe take care of business. Jenn makes the most of this opportunity by going on an idol hunt. That’s actually a very solid alibi.

Eventually she find a unique tree and finds herself a unique idol. Way to be, Jenn!

Over at Blue Collar beach, Kelly says she got six stitches, one for each member of their tribe. Good thing it didn’t happen at the merge.

Later on, Sierra, Rodney, and Lindsey are discussing the differences between the sexes. Rodney shares some sexist views and Lindsey says if Rodney was her son, she’d break off his jaw and feed it to him. How’s he going to eat his jaw without a jaw, Lindsey?

This conversation seemed to start off fun, but it gets heated. Rodney thinks women should hold themselves to a higher standard because men want angels. Or college professors…or babysitters. Lindsey gets mad and storms off.

At White Collar, Shirin tells everyone that she slaughtered a rabbit before coming on the show to practice. Hey, she’s prepared.

While Shirin is away, the other four discuss who to sit out in the next challenge. Max doesn’t want to sit Shirin because they don’t want her to feel like she’s on the outs. Carolyn doesn’t like this idea.

When Max leaves for a bit, Carolyn pitches getting rid of Max because Shirin is drinking his Kool-Aid. She says he’s the head of the snake. Figuratively, this time.

Immunity Challenge Time: All four players from each tribe will be tethered to a rope. One by one, they’ll travel along an obstacle course. Once all four members are at the end, they’ll use poles to create a staircase. From there, they’ll stand on a balance beam and use ropes to maneuver balls along a hole-filled course. The first two tribes to put three balls in their places will win immunity.

Dan and Lindsey will sit for Blue Collar, Shirin is out for White Collar.

The challenge starts off and Will is terrible. Rodney isn’t doing a great job either.

The Blues are the first ones to the ball maze, White Collar is right behind them. Joaquin gets the first ball in, he’s followed by Joe. Then Mike gets one in.

Carolyn gets White Collars second ball, Jenn sinks one for the No Collars, while Sierra hits Blue Collar’s second.

It’s down to Kelly, Hali, and Max.

Hali gets the third ball in and wins immunity. Kelly gets really close, but she loses her balance. Rodney takes her place.

Max lands the third ball to win it for the White Collars. KOOL-AID MAN! OH YEAH!

As we head to commercial, Sierra lets us know that she wants Rodney gone. Oh…didn’t see that coming.

Back at camp, Lindsey says that no matter what, she’s really happy that she ended up on a mat with them on day one. That’s kinda sweet.

Dan and Lindsey head out to talk strategy and she wants Rodney gone too. Dan says he’s going to listen like a woman, which apparently means emphasizing. He agrees with her.

He also says he’s smarter than he looks. I don’t know what to do with that.

Later on, it seems to be Dan, Rodney, Kelly, and Mike as a solid foursome. How’d that happen?

Rodney compares himself to Tom Brady, which is a cool comparison because they cheated in that first challenge.

That night at Tribal, Dan says that Sierra and Lindsey are super close.

Rodney admits that he doesn’t get along with Lindsey because they’re like chicken parm and tuna fish. She says “potato” and he says “(Expletive Deleted).”

Lindsey thinks Rodney has no morals.

Sierra thinks Rodney is vulgar and demeaning.

Kelly wants Rodney to shut up sometimes.

Rodney says he loves his mother and she thinks he’s a sweetheart. He also thinks women should be held to a higher standard and respect themselves.

Rodney had better hope his mom makes the jury.

Lindsey still thinks a Blue Collar is going to win the game. Mike finds that very inspiring. Well yeah, he’s a Blue Collar.

Voting Time: No votes are shown. Uh oh…

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Rodney, one vote for Lindsey, one vote for Rodney, one vote for Lindsey, one vote for Ciara (?!), and the final vote is for Sierra. Three-way tie!

Voting Time Part Deux: No votes are shown.

Jeff tallies again. We’ve got one vote for Lindsey and the fourth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Lindsey.

In other news, my pre-game rankings always suck. There goes my pick…

Back at camp, Sierra is not pleased. Mike tries to make nice and calmly tells her why they split the vote.

Dan takes another approach by sitting her down and telling her all of the terrible things she’s done during challenges.

Challenges they won, by the way.

Reward Challenge Time: Psych…we’re swapping.

Buffs are dropped and it’ll be just Escameca and Nagarote from now on.

Probst hands new buffs out and we’ve got Joe, Dan, Sierra, Tyler, Joaquin, Mike, and Rodney wearing blue and Shirin, Carolyn, Jenn, Hali, Will, Max, and Kelly wearing red.

That’s…not…even…

Reward Challenge Time: A player from each tribe will launch balls into the air, first tribe to catch five balls wins kitchen supplies. They’ll also win the White Collar tribe’s previous rewards.

Round One:  Max catches one, Joe catches the other.

Round Two: Joe snags one, Tyler gets the other.

Round Three: Joaquin lands one, the other falls to the ground.

Round Four: Will gets the first one, but Mike gets the other one to win reward.

So, all tall dudes were catching the balls. Great.

At Nagarote beach, Hali wants to get Kelly on their side immediately, but that’s not a very No Collar way to be. Dude, no more collars.

Shirin wants Kelly on her side too and it seems like Kelly is into it.

At Escameca, Mike is psyched that the former Blue Collars have a majority. Yeah, until Dan tore  Sierra apart last night.

When Sierra gets a minute alone with Joaquin, Tyler, and Joe, she tells them that she hates her former tribe.  Tyler smartly sees this as an opportunity.

Mike begs Dan to apologize to Sierra. Dan agrees and then does a terrible job. In fact, Sierra might be madder now.

Back at Nagarote, Shirin is singing the National Anthem for some reason. Then she whistles. Then she talks about poop.

Jenn does not love this.

Ooo…then Max gets stung by a sting ray. Good thing he was clothed. Jenn knows exactly what to do, putting his foot in a pot of boiling water. After a while, we learn that Max has a plantar wart on his foot.

Hali does not love this.

So, wait…you don’t want a contagious wart in the pot that boils your drinking water?

Heh…boiling warter.

Also, Carolyn is getting sick of Shirin and Max. Man, they were so close after that first Tribal.

Immunity Challenge Time: Two members from each tribe will drag pots on a sled through obstacles. Then they’ll put the pots on pedestals. Finally, a tribe member will use a wrecking ball to smash the pots. First tribe to destroy their pots wins immunity.

We start off and Escameca jumps out to an early lead…and a middle lead…and a late lead…

Dan smashes all of the pots looong before Nagarote even gets to swing a wrecking ball.

Sooo…can we just merge next week?

Back at Nagarote, Max is excited to start playing the game. Famous last words?

Jenn and Hali want to boot Shirin. They’re sure that Will is still on their side.

Max, Shirin, and Kelly want to target Will because he’s bad at challenges.

However, Carolyn doesn’t think Kelly is the only swing vote. She approaches Jenn with the idea of flipping.

Oh man, now Kelly’s having second thoughts because the No Collars are so tight and Carolyn isn’t tight with Max and Shirin.

Jenn thinks they should vote for whoever is the most annoying. Haha, you can’t vote for me.

That night at Tribal, Shirin thinks everyone gelled really quickly. Then she laughs because Probst is making a face. Dude, back up, that face has fourteen Emmys.

Max points out that the swap was a disaster. He compares it to “One World,” because of course he does.

Jenn laughs at him for his “Survivor” recall. But, Max is proud of his knowledge.

Max says he has to force himself to relax. This bothers Will because he thinks it’s a strategy.

Hali believes the vote will make camp life better.

Shirin and Will think it’ll be a blindside.

Voting Time: Shirin votes for Will, Jenn votes for someone she wants to stop talking, and the rest of the votes aren’t shown.

Probst tallies and returns for the third time tonight. He puts the “pro” in Probst.

Jeff asks if anyone wants to play an idol. Max pretends like he’s going to, but doesn’t.

We’ve got two votes Will, three votes Max, and the fifth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Max.

Verdict: I’m not a fan of swaps. Especially when they end up as lop-sided as that one. And double especially when it was an even season and all three tribes had been to Tribal.

Here’s hoping we don’t end up with an Escameca sweep until the merge.

Who’s Going to Win? Well…with Lindsey gone…and the No Collars all safe…maybe…Jenn?

Power Rankings Results: Josh had Lindsey in spot seven. Reed and I had her in spot nine. Reed has Max in spot four while Josh and I had Max in spot five. The current score is Team Josh 37, Team Reed 40, and Team Gordon 44.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 3 – Blind Man’s Buff Edition

March 17, 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.

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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 Tyler is voted out this week, Josh and Reed will each receive one point and Gordon will receive eleven points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Josh had Nina in spot 15, Reed had her in spot 14, and Gordon had her in spot 16. So, the current score is Team Josh 25, Team Reed 27, and Team Gordon 30.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Josh’s Score = 25

Any questions for Josh? Drop him a line on Twitter: @joshuacanfield

Reed’s Score = 27

Any questions for Reed? Drop him a line on Twitter: @thereedkelly

Gordon’s Score = 30

Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Tyler: I’m putting Tyler on top because he and Carolyn were the ones who had the confessionals about Shirin being “annoying and obtrusive as a howler monkey”, and Max and Joaquin were not given screen time on the matter.  He is still in the best spot with every member of his tribe, including the outsider Joaq, as Tyler calls him. #Joaq+Tyler
   1. Tyler: We see him heavily involved in the goings-on within the tribe. He’s in an alliance, he’s supervising an idol hunt, and he’s narrating for us.  I feel he’s in a pretty good place as of now.
  1. Carolyn: OK, in three-tribe seasons there’s always a swap after the fourth Tribal. (See: “All-Stars,” “Philippines,” and “Cagayan.”) And ranking swaps IS THE WORST. Carolyn, you’re this high because you’re the only person we’re sure has an idol.
  2. Joe: Even though he made the wrong decision about the strategy of the challenge, his tribe didn’t blame him or even care, all they did was try and make him feel good.  This says a lot about Joe, everyone wants to be on his good side.  He is shown providing for the NC’s while others are out surfing.  He is controlling this tribe right now, no doubt. #MalcolmOzzyKiminone
  2. Carolyn: Feels nestled into numbers on her tribe and has an immunity idol.  She has a bit of a buffer between her and Ponderosa, but she needs to get out and idol hunt with the rest of them!
  2. Hali: It drives me insane when people get on me for having someone like Hali so high in the rankings. I’m not saying she’s going to win, I’m saying she is sooper safe this week. She ain’t goin’ nowhere.
  3. Hali: I think Hali has Jenn beat in the tight 3 alliance simply because I could see Hali maneuvering into another secret alliance once a swap or merge happens.  Other tribe members will want to approach her and get her in their numbers.  She will have options throughout this game. #surferbabe
   3. Joe: Catching lizards is no easy feat and of course he knows ASL!  What can this man not do?  He benched Nina, they lost, and it wasn’t his fault in their eyes.  He’s doing fine right now.
  3. Jenn: See Hali.

  4. Rodney: Rodney let too much of himself show in this last episode, and that’s not a good thing.  He’s short-tempered, arrogant, and has a hard time seeing other people’s POV.  But that being said, I don’t think this hurt his game play because it was made clear that the people he was frustrated with are the two who are at the bottom of the tribe.  The girls of Blue Collar are on #TeamRodney at this point.
   4. Max: Not a ton from our neighborhood “Survivor” expert this week, though I know that doesn’t mean he’s not up to things.  Keep on truckin, sir.
  4. Sierra: Things are getting ugly over at Maison Blue. Sierra and Kelly are the only ones who’ve managed to stay out of it. That’s a good place to be.
 5. Max: We didn’t hear or see a lot from Max this week, but I think it’s safe to say that he is in a good position.  I’d put him right in the center of the pecking order of his tribe and honestly, that is the best place to be pre-merge.  Sometimes those who are too visible in the beginning have the biggest targets on their back come merge (ex. the writer of this post). #middleground
  5. Sierra: Feels the way Lindsey does about things, has her back, but primarily lets Lindsey do the dirty work in confronting Mike.  I like it.  It’s smart.
  5. Max: Not much from Max last week. But that’s probably not a bad thing. He’d better hope his pre-challenge quips didn’t rub anyone the wrong way if there’s a swap.

 6. Sierra: The justification of putting Sierra this high is that she is the less outspoken between her and Lindsey, so if it came down to one of them going home, the focus would be on Lindsey.  These two girls are clearly tight with Rodney, and most likely with Kelly in their numbers, they are just fine. #justfine
  6. Kelly: What is it with us Kellys getting such quiet edits?? lol.  I do enjoy her when her confessionals get airtime.  I like how she stands back and lets others implode; solid gameplay happening.
  6. Shirin: What does it tell me that Carolyn didn’t go on the idol hunt? Well, Shirin and Max aren’t stupid. They’d notice her not hunting. So, she must’ve told them she has it. However, Shirin needling Joaquin might cause her trouble if Joaq finds some buddies after a swap.

 7. Lindsey: She has a mouth on her, that’s for sure, and while it makes great TV, I’m not so sure that her strong opinions will keep on being enjoyable to the people around her.  I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with her once a tribe swap happens. #truckermouth
  7. Hali: Quite frankly I have no idea how these girls had the energy to surf, but then again it’s only day seven.  Her relationships with the majority on her tribe can take her far in this game.
  7. Kelly: You said something last week! Hooray! Someone’s got to make sense of the terrible gameplay going on at Blue Collar Beach.

  8. Carolyn: You weren’t out looking for the idol with your entire tribe?!!!  What?!!  How do you not realize that by staying back at the camp it looks like you are comfortable?  She should have been out searching with everyone else, then there would be no reason to suspect she has the idol.  #rookiemistake
  8. Jenn: Has a good relationship with Hali and Joe, and let’s face it, relationships are everything in this game. A threat to her would be a tribe swap. Surfing anyone??
  8. Rodney: I was worried that you were the only one sparring with Mike, but apparently that isn’t the case. Lindsey stepped up in a big way during her little fire diatribe. If we’ve got a Rodney/Lindsey/Sierra/Kelly alliance, that’s a foursome that could go a long way.

 9. Jenn: Not sure about Jenn right now.  She’s obviously fine for another treehouse Tribal if her  team keeps their losing steak, but I worry about her future in the game.  She needs to hang on for dear life to Joe and Hali and find some good allies once the swap/merge takes place. #surferbabe2
  9. Lindsey: Is the mouthpiece for her tribe’s discontent.  This usually inkles a person feels comfortable enough to speak for the majority, that is if the situation doesn’t turn on them before they realize it.
  9. Lindsey: Oh…Lindsey. The…uh…the fire thing… It’s not cool to make fun of someone’s religion. That’s the kind of thing that could come back to bite you.
 10. Kelly: The #PurpleKelly edit right now for sure.  Still don’t know enough about her and her dynamics within the tribe to accurately assess her situation.  What I do think is that she is not on the bottom.
   10. Shirin: I’m getting a bit nervous for her as she seems to be getting on her tribe’s nerves. Behavior at camp can play a huge part in how long you stick around in this game.
  10. Dan: I have friends I’ve known for 20 years whose mothers I’m comfortable calling “(Expletive Deleted).” Would I say that to someone like Rodney after knowing him for a week? Probably not. Other than that, kudos to you for working to fix your disastrous first couple of days.
  11. Mike: Mike this is “Survivor” not your worksite.  It’s a social experiment, and if you have watched any of this show before you know that you can’t boss people around or tell them how they are supposed to be playing this game.  If you want to work hard, do it, but don’t push that on anyone else.  Calm down, and you’ll be fine, keep up the captain role, and torch snuff. #Dale
  11. Mike: Eek.  I get nervous for him with his complete lack of self-awareness.  You’re never going to “win” in those confrontations with tribe-mates.  Just smile and agree.
  11. Tyler: Everyone thinks Tyler is the man over at White Collar. I don’t believe it. I think there’s still a very solid Carolyn/Shirin/Max alliance and if Joaquin went out next, Tyler would be right after him.
  12. Joaquin: Everyone, including him, keeps saying that he is on the outs of his tribe, but from this episode it seemed as if Shirin was on the bottom.  Will this hold up?  Not sure, but he’s getting close to Tyler which is smart, and he’s essential in helping the WCs win challenges, I’d keep him around. #leaningout
   12. Rodney: His hot-headedness will be his undoing in this game.  Chill out, bro. He needs to deescalate and disengage, but I don’t think he can help himself.
  12. Joe: What?! Why is golden Joe so low? Because I only have one rule I stick to during swaps; the dominant challenge competitor in the tribe that is down numbers is always in danger. Now, this is less of an issue with three tribes, but I’m not risking it. Joe is in big trouble if there’s a swap.

 13. Shirin: I was hoping that Shirin’s quirkiness would help her in this game, but it’s gone the other way and her tribe just seems annoyed by her.  Not a good sign when your alliance members are saying that you would be next to go.  She needs to go invisible for a little bit so that the attention can go back on Joaquin. #monkeysex
   13. Dan: Treading water in his tribe, just trying to stay afloat.  His biggest savior is other people’s ridiculousness drawing the focus off of his awkwardness and rough edges.
  13. Mike: I blame myself. When Mike and I sat down before the game started I should have looked him in the eye and said, “Don’t ask people to vote you out.” Maybe a new tribe will give Mike a chance to reset.
 14. Dan: He’s desperately trying to fit in, but he doesn’t.  If he wouldn’t try so hard he could easily get the target on Mike and off of himself.  I don’t think he has the self-awareness to do this. #keepquiet
  14. Will: Looks like he’s really working to show his allegiance to his tribe, but he comes across as a shifty character to them and they’re uneasy … rightfully so.
  14. Joaquin: Remember when Joaquin wanted to keep So because she was better at challenges? How many challenges has White Collar lost since that Tribal?  Anywho, Joaq needs a tribe swap in the worst way.
 15. Will: I wouldn’t doubt the No Collars losing immunity again, once you’re on a losing streak it’s hard to stop unless someone “throws” a challenge (ex. the writer of this post’s tribe).  He is outside the numbers and it’s his own fault for when he voted out Vince instead of Jenn. #fourthout
  15. Joaquin: Tension rise between he and Shirin.  He’s hunting like crazy for the immunity idol and doesn’t care who knows it. This wreaks of desperation and isolation, two very unwanted things in this game.
  15. Will: Do-or-die time for you, buddy. If No Collar loses the next challenge, you’re done. If they win and there’s a swap, you’ll have plenty of room to maneuver.

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Nina: “I Don’t Use My Hearing as a Crutch”

March 12, 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.

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“I think Nina is overwhelmed and it doesn’t have anything to do with her hearing. She’s quite capable and a strong woman. I think sometimes you get out here and it becomes too real and you realize you’re not going home. I’m going to be eating bugs and sleeping with snakes. I think Nina probably already wants to go home.” – Jeff Probst

Well, Jeff was right that Nina would be an early exit, but she definitely didn’t want to go home.

I spoke with the latest castaway and asked about Probst’s assessment, how her disability affected her tribe life, whether or not Hali and Jenn were acting like bullies, and Joe’s odd challenge strategy…

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Gordon Holmes: Do you think you would’ve done better if you were a bigger St. Louis Cardinals fan?
Nina Poersch: (Laughs) I don’t think so, Gordon. Believe me, I have already caught flak for that.
Holmes: Well, that was just a little more flak for you.

Holmes: OK, how did the Cochlear Implant perform out there?
Poersch: It performed very well. It performed as well out there as it does in my real life. Anyone who has it is going to have a little bit harder time communicating because it’s not 100% the same as normal hearing.
Holmes: Were Hali and Jenn being bullies?
Poersch: I’m not sure I’d say “bullies,” I don’t know. I think for both of them they really didn’t know how to react to someone who had a disability. Coupled with the fact that I’m thirty years older than them and maybe they couldn’t get that out of their head. Including me would be like including their mothers. When I was out there I didn’t feel like I was being bullied, I just felt like they were being mean. Not understanding. When you’re young and you haven’t dealt with someone with a disability, I guess it was tough for them.
Holmes: Jenn said last night, “We get it, you’re deaf…stop using it as an excuse.”
Poersch: I don’t use my hearing as a crutch. I’ve never, ever once told any of them I can’t do something because I can’t hear. All I did was ask them to look at me when they talk so I can hear them and watch their lips. And a lot of them struggled with that. And that gameplay is what you do when you get to the individual game. In the beginning it’s a tribe. You need to have everybody feel like they’re an important member of the tribe. That’s how you win challenges. You start making someone feel like an outsider? The emotions start to take a toll. It’s tough to be out there and think nobody wants to keep you around.

Holmes: It seemed like you, Will, and Vince had a solid plan to have the kids split the vote. Then it looked like Will flipped when he learned that Vince was worried about his challenge abilities.
Poersch: Vince asked me to talk to Will about it.  We had a long conversation. There was a lot that wasn’t shown. When it got to talking about his health and stuff, it got to a level where I was trying to be a friend. “Will, you need to not look like you’re struggling and don’t talk about being exhausted so much.” And the reason I talked to him about it is because he was in my alliance and I needed him in my alliance. I didn’t want Will to be voted out. In a way I was nervous that Vince might vote him out.
Holmes: Did you ever go to Joe, Hali, and Jenn after that vote and tell them how close they’d come to having Will betray them?
Poersch: Yeah. I did. I told them straight out that I would be much more loyal than Will. And as far as the physical part, I could swim better than Will and felt like I was stronger. I just felt like I had a better chance at helping them win challenges than Will along with the loyalty part.

Holmes: Jeff Probst didn’t think you’d do well with the elements out there. Was he right?
Poersch: I was having no problem with the elements. I’m not sure where he got that from. I’m an avid hiker. I go out all the time. I run, at one point in my life we had 30 tarantulas living in my house. I had friends that didn’t want to come over. I’m into all those creepy crawly things. We had snakes, scorpions, lizards, which is why I wouldn’t eat the lizard. I don’t eat my pets. If there’d been a gross food challenge I would’ve eaten a lizard. So no, the elements don’t bother me at all.

Holmes: Tell me about Joe’s challenge plan last night.
Poersch: When we first got on the beach, Joe asked me if I would be able to do the challenges. He was like, “You can’t hear. What if we have a calling challenge?” And I said, “Joe, I’ll be the caller.” And he said, “What if we’re yelling and you can’t hear us?” I said, “Joe, I can do that challenge. I have every confidence.” So, right off the bat he planted the seed that he was holding it against me.
Holmes: How did he pitch the strategy to have you basically not do anything?
Poersch: He looked at what we were going to do and he said, “Nina, we’ll put water in the bucket and you wait for us to come. You’re going to help us lift the bucket over.” And when they got to me and we had hardly any water, I knew I needed to help plug holes. When I said, “Let me help.” Him and Jenn were like, “No, no. Just go.” If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t even listen to them. I’d plug holes.

Holmes: Let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Vince.
Poersch: Loving.
Holmes: Will?
Poersch: Nurturing.
Holmes: Joe?
Poersch: Cocky.
Holmes: Jenn?
Poersch: Loud.
Holmes: Hali?
Poersch: Neutral. Because she was really hard for me to figure out.

Holmes:  Have you heard from people in the hearing impaired community who were inspired by your time on the show?
Poersch: I have so many stories. They’re inspired and they’re going to go out and do things that they didn’t think they could do or they were afraid to do. Watching me on TV has made them want to do it. I had one dad tell me that his nine-year-old daughter has always wanted to do “Survivor.” And after she saw me on TV she said, “I can do ‘Survivor!’” I don’t think you should let anything hold you back. And one of the things I took away from the experience is I don’t care what other people think about me. This is who I am.
Holmes: So, no matter how much I try to pressure you into being a Cardinals fan, it’s not going to happen.
Poersch: (Laughs) I’m not a baseball fan, but if I had to pick my favorite baseball team it would definitely be the Cardinals.
Holmes: I’ll take it!
Poersch: (Laughs)

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

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‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Episode 3 Recap: Challenge Challenged

March 11, 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.

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Last Week: Dan showed he had a lot of guts, Vince was sent back to his coconuts, and Shirin and Max exposed their rears.

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

Let’s take a look at these tribes as they currently stand…

The Masaya Tribe (wearing yellow)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Joaquin – Marketing Director, 27
Max – Media Consultant, 37
Shirin – Yahoo Executive, 31
Tyler – Ex-Talent Agent Assistant, 33

The Escameca Tribe (wearing blue)
Dan – Postal Worker, 47
Kelly – State Trooper, 44
Lindsey – Hair Dresser, 24
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27

The Nagarote Tribe (wearing red)
Hali – Law Student, 25
Jenn – Sailing Instructor, 22
Joe – Jewelry Designer, 25
Nina – Hearing Advocate, 51
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

Aaaaand…we’re off. We begin with the No Collars making their way back from Tribal. Joe doesn’t understand why Will didn’t stick to the plan and now he doesn’t trust him anymore. Will plays it off saying he didn’t know who to trust. Oh boy, that’s not what your alliance wants to hear.

Will then claims to be playing chess while the others playing checkers. Yeah, you’ll have plenty of time for both at Ponderosa.

Nina, who knows she’s next, asks that they not make her an outcast.  Jenn is sick of Nina using her lack of hearing as an excuse. Be less deaf, Nina!

The next morning we meet up with Shirin while she’s talking to some monkeys. The monkeys respond by totally doing it. So, Shirin’s voice is a monkey aphrodisiac?

She shares the events with the rest of the tribe and they’re not terribly impressed. Tyler thinks Shirin is trying too hard to fit in and it’s painting a target on her back. Maybe someone’s just jealous that he missed all that sweet monkey lovin’.

Over at Blue Collar, Lindsey is psyched that they finally have water that tastes like water. Ooo…I’ve got to get that recipe.

During what seemed like some good-natured ribbing, Dan tells Rodney that his mother is a (expletive deleted). This does not go over well with Rodney.

Then someone named Kelly said something.

Over at No Collar, Jenn and Hali fashion some rudimentary boogie boards and go surfing. Hali claims surfing is her third favorite thing. She didn’t say what the first two are. I’m assuming crazy fringe bikinis are one of them.

Meanwhile, Joe takes Nina aside and expresses to her that she’s wanted by the tribe and not on the outs. He tells us that he knows sign language because apparently he’s freakin’ perfect.

Nina realizes she needs to change or she’s going to go home.

Later on, every White Collar except for Carolyn is looking for the idol. That’s…not…subtle.

Shirin tries to call an idol-hunting truce until after the challenge. But, Joaquin won’t go for it because he hasn’t trusted her since day one.

Joaquin eventually takes Tyler aside and shows him the clue. This means a lot to Tyler because it means Joaquin trusts him.

Tyler then says that the nudity and talking to monkeys has Shirin on the top of everyone’s voting list. You wanna vote someone out who can communicate with monkeys?!

At Blue Collar, Mike is annoyed with his tribe’s work ethic. He calls Rodney out in particular. Rodney lets Mike know that he isn’t his father or the tribe captain. Dan takes Rodney aside and calms him down. I thought Dan would be first out, but he looks to be turning it around.

Rodney is worried that he’s breaking his three Cs of staying “Cool, calm, and collected.” I would’ve bet money that one of those Cs was “Celtics.”

Rodney gets a huge armload of wood and chucks it at the pile.  While this is going on Mike, Lindsey, and Sierra discuss who’s thanking who around the camp.

Things get reaalllllly ugly when Lindsey asks Mike who’s keeping the fire going, “Your God?!” I didn’t expect theological debates from the Blue Collars.

Immunity Challenge Time: The tribes will carry a big bucket to a water tower. They’ll fill it then race back to a barrel while plugging holes in the bucket. First two tribes to fill their barrel wins immunity. The first place tribe will win chairs, pillows, candles, and a tarp. The second tribe will win a tarp. The losing tribe will get a date with Jeff at Tribal.

Lindsey will sit for the Blue Collars.

The challenge kicks off and the No Collars have a curious strategy where only four of them will carry the bucket. For some reason they send Nina ahead. I’m not sure I understand what they’re doing. Probst doesn’t either. I guess they think she’ll get in the way?

Anywho, the White and Blue Collars dominate with the Blue Collars picking up first and the White Collars getting second.

So weird…and Will is zonked.

Joe eventually says the plan was for Nina to plug holes later in the challenge. Wha-huh?

Back at camp, Joe takes full responsibility for his bizarre strategy. Nina is upset because she thinks he made the call because he didn’t think she could do it.

Will tries to make him feel better by saying they’re playing “Survivor” and not “Friends.” More things not to say to people you’re aligned with.

Backup Joke: If they were playing “Friends” then Jenn would totally be Phoebe.

Jenn thinks that Hali and Will suck equally in the challenges, but they think that Will is playing harder and they don’t trust him.

That night at Tribal, Joe says that he was worried about Nina stumbling, so he sent her ahead in the challenge.

Nina thinks they have no faith in her due to her disadvantage.

Probst points out that hearing had nothing to do with the challenge.

Will says that no matter how many times they try to cheer her up, she always brings up the disability.

Joe makes a good point saying she’s misunderstanding them as much as she feels misunderstood.

Will thinks he was fine in the challenge and it was a team loss.

Nina says they’d be crazy to keep Will because of how bad he is in challenges.

Jenn is worried that Nina has too many emotional outbursts.

Hali isn’t sure if Nina is living the No Collar lifestyle, man. She thinks Nina needs to be more No Collar if she’s going to fit in, bro.

Nina knows she can do it and wants to be a part of the tribe.

Voting Time: Nina votes for Will, Will votes for Nina, and the rest are lost to the magic of editing.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Nina, two votes for Will, one vote for Nina, and the third person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Nina.

Verdict: Not shocking. But, I’ll have to admit I thought it was going to be Will there for a second.

Alright, time for Blue Collar to go to Tribal.  I wanna see Rodney throw down.

Who’s Going to Win? Lindsey is my pick, but that blow up in front of Mike has me nervous.

Power Rankings Results: Josh had Nina in spot 15, Reed had her in spot 14, and I had her in spot 16. So, the current score is Team Josh 25, Team Reed 27, and Team Gordon 30.

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

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‘Survivor’ Power Rankings Round 2 – Will He Regret It? Edition

March 11, 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.

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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 two players will earn. For example, if Tyler is voted out this week, Josh will receive one point, Reed will receive five points, and Gordon will receive eleven points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” Power Rankings Challenge Champion.

Last Week: Josh had Vince in spot 10, Reed had him in spot 13, and Gordon had him in spot 14. So, the current score is Team Josh 10, Team Reed 13, and Team Gordon 14.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Josh’s Score = 10

Any questions for Josh? Drop him a line on Twitter: @joshuacanfield

Reed’s Score = 13

Any questions for Reed? Drop him a line on Twitter: @thereedkelly

Gordon’s Score = 14

Any questions for Gordon? Drop him a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
 1. Tyler: He’s tight with Carolyn and is the only one she has told about the idol, this gives him a lot of power.  He isn’t getting naked every two seconds, but seems to be in tight with Max and Shirin.  I have to say it was hilarious watching his amazing uncomfortableness when Shirin was walking around bottomless.
   1. Hali: I like where her game is right now. She doesn’t feel like a huge threat, nor does she stick out as incapable or unsociable. Barring something crazy, I could see her being around for a while.
  1. Carolyn: She’s got an idol, she’s in the dominant alliance, and she proved she can go in challenges. Say it with me everyone, “Yeah, baby!”
  2. Hali: She is trying her best to include Nina and be strategic in her interactions with her tribe.  Vince and Nina were going after Jenn, which is great for Hali, because regardless of how her tribe ends up going, I think she will will always be in the numbers. #nakedalliance1
  2. Kelly: Again, not a ton of from Kelly on this episode, but I think it’s because she has potential to be a strong player in this game.  I’m not concerned about an impending boot for her.
  2. Max: I don’t think Max’s nudity was a big deal, but it does beg the question; would a “Survivor” strategist make a move that would potentially upset tribemates if he wasn’t in control of the game? I’m sure he’s fine.
  3. Rodney: Thought we would have seen more from Rodney by this point, but the fact that we haven’t is probably because he will be here a long time.  He’s the top guy on his tribe and won’t have any problems sailing through until there is a swap or the merge.
   3. Rodney: Appears to have found a momentary nice spot in this game.  He’s strong, currently well-liked, and in the numbers.  He needs to continue this trend and not show his slightly chauvinistic side outside of confessionals.
  3. Shirin: Again, I’m viewing the nudity as a sign of confidence in their safety. So, maybe Shirin is only half as confident as Max.

  4. Joe: It was a little scary there for a moment, He could have easily been voted out due to the absurd move to split the votes this early in the game and the vendetta Vince had against him.  Will sided with Joe and that speaks volumes.
   4. Sierra: Looks to be in a good spot within the numbers of her tribe. The way I see it, they’re are bigger threats and bigger screw-ups to point to right now. Keep pressing forward.
  4. Sierra: Sierra, buddy…if this whole “Survivor” thing doesn’t work out and you get tired of the barrel racing circuit, you should give the WNBA a call. You were draining those threes.
 5. Carolyn: She has the idol, and Tyler knows it.  The only reason she would exit the game is if Tyler blindsides her with the information by letting Max and Shirin know about it.
  5. Tyler: He seems like he’s always touching base with someone socially, whether they are in his numbers or not.  This is an integral part of this game and I like that he’s doing it.
  5. Lindsey: It looks like the power in the blue tribe is Lindsey, Sierra, Kelly, and Rodney. This may sound odd, but they might want to lose soon. Getting to a merge or a swap with two guys who are clearly on the outs could be real trouble.

 6. Sierra: She’s not going anywhere yet.  Looking forward to hearing more from her, but it seems to me that she is the top female on her tribe right now.
  6. Shirin: I’m all for being naked, but there’s a time and a place for everything.  I’m shocked that she can be so blithely unaware of Tyler’s uncomfortable body language and severely-averted gaze.  Not ideal social gameplay, but not game-ending.
  6. Hali: The No Collar Kids really dodged a bullet last week as they were definitely splitting votes. The question now is; do they think Will messed up his vote or do they realize he played them?

 7. Lindsey: I’m still guessing we are going to see a tight alliance of Lindsey, Sierra, and Rodney, with Kelly possibly as the 4th.  I like Lindsey, but can she keep her emotions (and face) in check when her tribe mates are being crazy?
  7. Lindsey: I wonder if she’s as vocal about her dislike for Mike to other tribe mates as she is in her confessionals, something tells me she is.  This likely only endears her closer to her tribe and accelerates his departure.
  7. Kelly: Heh…Blue Collar, Purple Kelly.


  8. Max: It’s a strategic move to be alone?  What?  Not sure how he got there, but I’m hoping he knows what he is doing.  I really like Max, but comparing yourself to Richard Hatch is probably not a good thing.  I don’t think his nakedness will play too much against him, but I don’t see how it helps him either. #nakedalliance2
  8. Joe: I’m glad we quickly resolved the impending Joe/Vince melodrama and that Jenn sided with Joe.  Splitting votes is risky business and it was shown as a tad too close for my comfort.  It would behoove him to make sure Will feels very included in the alliance after this vote.
  8. Jenn: That’s what I love about “Survivor.” You’re giving each other stinky, uncomfortable hugs one minute and are stabbing each other in the back the next. Anywho, Jenn’s got a solid three, so she should be safe for a while.


 9. Shirin: Shirin should still be solid in her alliance with Tyler, Carolyn, and Max.  Was her nakedness around the guys her smartest play?  No.  Will it hurt her?  No. #nakedalliance3
  9. Carolyn: Always astute and sitting on an idol. As long as Tyler doesn’t try to orchestra a blindside to flush it, I like her game currently.  Hoping she plans to keep a wary eye on Tyler moving forward.
  9. Joe: If the original plan was to bounce Nina after a tie, then JoJali should really be upset at Will. Losing Vince is going to be a big challenge problem for them.
 10. Jenn: It wasn’t good news that she was the target of the minor alliance in her tribe.  Vince and Nina had issues with her, which could be a recurring theme for her throughout this game. #nakedalliance4
   10. Jenn: I hope that her being targeted by the minority alliance isn’t indicative of deeper issues that we aren’t seeing just yet.  It would be good for her to stick with Joe and use him as a shield moving forward.
  10. Rodney: Mike wants Rodney to get firewood and doesn’t even have the decency to offer him a turkey sandwich?! If these alphas are going to start butting heads, I’m pretty sure Rodney has the upper hand.
  11. Kelly: Still don’t know much about Kelly.  I think she’s safe if her tribe goes to council, but there’s just not a lot for us to go on yet.
  11. Max: If he was using his nakedness as a cover to go idol hunting I’d be down, but as just an excuse to be alone, I don’t really see the benefit in a social game.  He’s seems well ensconced in an alliance at the moment so I’m not overly concerned.  Nice quads though.
  11. Tyler: I think Tyler deserves a break here. Nobody’s quite sure what the island etiquette is when someone you’ve just met starts running around in their birthday suit. The nudies are lucky he didn’t dress up like a hobo and scare them.
  12. Will: Did Will make the right decision by voting out Vince?  I don’t think so.  He now seems to be the 4th person in the 4 member alliance, whereas he could have voted with Nina and Vince sending Jenn home, and then he would have a solid three.  Thankfully for him in this game anything can happen and he may somehow still get to the right side of the numbers if there is a swap in the near future.
   12. Will: It’s nice to be a swing vote sometimes (just ask Jonclyn) but it can cut both ways.  He’s put himself at the bottom of a four-person alliance.  I want him to try to get in with them as best he can so he has multiple potential options of allies if/when tribes swap.
  12. Dan: Lookit Dan the Man stepping up in the immunity challenge! And with Mike drawing all the heat with his workaholic ways, Dan might be able to make a run at this.

 13. Mike: Uh-oh Mike.  This was not a good episode for you.  Is it possible that you have put yourself on the outs by demanding everyone does as much work as you? In this game you need to play games when your tribe is playing games, go swimming if your tribe is going swimming, get firewood if your tribe is getting firewood, etc. etc. etc.
   13. Dan: There are many things to overcome here right now.  He’s really alienated himself with his big opinions and now his missing manties.  Mike’s teased fight with the tribe could be the biggest boon to Dan’s game yet!
  13. Will: Credit to Will for having way more game than anyone expected. But, I’m not sure he made the best move. He went from being in a solid three to being the fourth guy in a young-person alliance. And, that threesome he’s partnered with has to wonder if he can stick with a plan. Aaaand, if he stays a challenge liability, it might be worth it to keep Nina around.
 14. Dan:  If I’m being honest, I’d probably be annoyed at Dan in my tribe, and unfortunately he doesn’t have enough to offer, even as a goat. He’s lucky the blue collars have not been to TC.  14. Nina: This environment is challenging, especially with a disability, but in order for her to be successful she needs to take initiative and include herself in things, not wait for an invitation.  This is “Survivor”, not brunch.
  14. Joaquin: Last week was kind of a best-case scenario for Joaquin. With Vince gone, I have to wonder how well our No-Collared friends are going to do in immunity challenges.
 15. Nina: Things don’t look good for Nina.  She got lucky this past treehouse tribal, but I don’t suspect that she would be so lucky again.  Jenn and Hali are not being mean to you. Stop playing the victim, and play the game of “Survivor” and insert yourself into their group.
  15. Mike: I know how frustrating it can be sometimes to just go with the tribal flow, but you have to just suck it up and shut up when people aren’t doing what you think they should; otherwise it’ll spell disaster.  Hungry castaways hate being told when to do chores!
  15. Mike: Alright, I’m going to let everyone in on a little secret. The key to not being the first person voted out of your tribe is two little words, “Be cool.” Just be cool, man. Let someone else turn themselves into the first boot. (Ahem…Dan.)

 16. Joaquin: Still see him at the bottom of the tribe.  He wasn’t focused on much in the last episode, and that may be a good thing for him.  I’d probably want to keep him around a bit longer if I was Shirin or Carolyn because he is an easy vote off later on in the game, and Max and Tyler will be harder to beat.
  16. Joaquin: Looks like he’s out of the numbers, untrusted, and I’m highly doubtful he can recover from this.  It’s hard to see him anywhere else than at the bottom of this game right now.
  16. Nina: Same for you, Nina. I’d be upset if Jenn and Hali went skinny dipping without me, but I wouldn’t make a big stink over it. And now with Vince chopping coconuts at Ponderosa, I think you’re about to join him.

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‘Survivor’ Castaway Vince – “I Wanted to…Tear Joe’s Head Off in the…Game”

March 5, 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.

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I’ll admit it, I didn’t expect much from Will this season. With his polite demeanor and his lack of “Survivor” knowledge, I thought he’d be “Worlds Apart’s” Edna Ma.

Last night Vince got a rude awakening when Will proved me very wrong.

I spoke with the man who coined the term “Body Karate” the morning after his elimination and asked him about his shocking blindside, his relationship with Jenn, and his competition with Joe…

Watch Every Episode of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

Gordon Holmes: I heard there was some issue with the pregame interview. If I misheard you, I want to make sure we set the record straight.
Vince Sly: The only thing that was a little wacky was the description of the coconut, it’s a portable, spherical oasis. The “spiritual” oasis seemed like it was playing excessively into the character.
Holmes: Gotcha. I’ll make sure that gets updated in the pregame interview.

Holmes: Last night at Tribal…it took me a while to figure out what happened.
Sly: I’m going to give you a new perspective. Going into it, it was going to be a split between Joe, Jenn, and Hali and Will, Nina, and I. It felt that way all the way up until just before Tribal. On day two I set into action things like, “Hey, I think Nina is really searching for an idol.” Day three, “She’s out there a lot and nobody’s talking to her. “ On day four I said, “I’m pretty sure she found the idol.” Day five,  “She’s definitely found the idol, she just showed it to me and it’s in her bag,” so they would split the vote. The only way to break up three out of six so it’s not a tie is to get them to split the vote. The only way to get them to split the vote is if someone has an idol.
Holmes: Nice. All that work seems like it was tossed out the window when Nina let Will know that you were concerned about his challenge abilities.
Sly: I put all of this work into it. And who knows if it was Nina’s comment that broke the camel’s back or if it was a series of events. Maybe it was my own behavior. The game of “Survivor”…it’s sometimes captured in moments. The changes are contingent upon something so small. It’s a single comment, it’s how you move your body. This comment happened to be pretty big because I’m fairly sure that Joe, Jenn, and Hali realized that I was gunning for one of them. They’re going to try to convince Will that I want him out. So, maybe he was primed and ready for what Nina said.
Holmes: It feels like Will went from being in a solid three to being the fourth man on the totem pole.
Sly: I put a lot of work in with Will and there was no other way to vote from our perspective. It was like, once we do this and get one of them out, we have complete control. Keep the two strongest of them in the game so in challenges we’re good to go. And we’ve already broken them up, so we’re in control. It didn’t make any sense to go any other way. I think that that comment, unfortunately shattered his confidence in me.

Holmes: When I visited your camp on day two, you and Hali were in the woods and she apologized for the past crazy 48 hours. And, she specifically referenced a “Nina thing.” Do you remember what she was talking about?
Sly: I can’t really remember…the experience kind of blends together. But, I feel like they didn’t show any conversations between Hali and I. Hali and I were developing a deep connection. She was kind of…an innocent bystander. She was part of the alliance with Jenn and Joe. She was connected with Jenn from the very beginning, but I don’t feel like she was a strong strategist. She has a really good social game. She’s pleasant, she’s pretty. But, those first couple of conversations we had were relating that she’s not a  hardcore gamer and she doesn’t know who to trust. She doesn’t know what’s going on. In relation to Nina, I feel like she wasn’t purposefully being mean to Nina, whereas some of the comments…I wouldn’t say Jenn was purposefully being mean to Nina, but Jenn is younger. I’m not going to talk poorly about anybody. I chose not to do that on the show. These are humans who are just like me going crazy with no sleep and no food. And you have weird reactions. Were some of the reactions more juvenile than I would have hoped for? Absolutely. Did I play that to my advantage? 100%.

Holmes: It seemed like your relationship with Jenn went south when she started buddying up with Joe. Was that accurate?
Sly: It’s not because I had a crush on her or because I was jealous of Joe. What they chose to portray, from my perspective, was highly inaccurate of my character and what happened out there. What really went down was she developed a more natural connection with Joe. Right off the bat she and I were quirky and fun, and we had a willingness to express ourselves where everyone else was more reserved. I felt that initial connection. She’s the first person I had a whole conversation with. She was the only person I could tell right away was a game player. When she developed that connection to Joe…I’m not going to say she has a crazy crush on Joe, but she likes Joe, I noticed that. I noticed that was going to shift power away from me in a way that’s not going to benefit me.

Holmes: How do you feel about the term “No Collar.”
Sly: I feel like No Collar represents those who are governed by their own desires. They’re motivated, instead of by money, but that which will bring them the most amount of happiness. I feel like another aspect of No Collars is those who’ve been able to make their own careers. If it’s a jewelry designer, it’s someone who has a little jewelry empire. The most successful No Collar is probably Steve Jobs. He made one of the biggest companies in the world and he was a college dropout. That to me is No Collar. Someone who has a dream, a vision, a quest and they go for it.
Holmes: Do you believe Jeff Probst is a No Collar?
Sly: I don’t know Jeff that well, but from what I can tell? Yeah. I don’t know his history, but he’s the host and executive producer of one of the greatest TV shows ever made. He loves it. You can see that he hasn’t lost his absolute glee and appreciation for the game.

Holmes: Alright, word association time…
Sly: Oh boy…
Holmes: I know. Let’s start with Nina.
Sly: Kind…subtle…(laughs).
Holmes: There are no wrong answers here.
Sly: Word association is hard. There are things that come up like, “insecure.” Nina is insecure, however I don’t need to talk crap  about people who in the real world I really care about. In the game Nina was insecure, that’s obvious.
Holmes: Well, it doesn’t have to be negative. And I call it word association, but use all the words you need.
Sly: The gameplay characters? I wanted to (expletive deleted) tear Joe’s head off in the (expletive deleted) game. But in real life he’s like my little brother. I want to take him to festivals and introduce him  to a world where people embrace each other and truly accept each other for what they are. In game vs. out game? Are you asking about their characters in general?
Holmes: The first thing that pops into your head when you hear their name.
Sly: OK. Nina shines joy through her smile.
Holmes: Jenn?
Sly: Quirky, whimsical, doesn’t give a (expletive deleted).
Holmes: Hali?
Sly: Cute, has a mysterious depth that she only shares with those who get really close.
Holmes: Joe?
Sly: Fun, playful, talented, and immature.
Holmes: We’ll finish off with Will.
Sly: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) WILL!
Holmes: (Laughs)
Sly: I’m just kidding. (Laughs) Will is a devoted, charismatic, family man.

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

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‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Episode 2 Recap: Bet Your Bottom, Collar

March 4, 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.

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Last Week: Carolyn snagged an idol, like you’d take a hat off a rack, Sierra didn’t approve of the size of Dan’s sack, and So went to Nicaragua twice and each time was sent back.

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

Let’s take a look at these tribes as they currently stand…

The Masaya Tribe (wearing yellow)
Carolyn – Corporate Executive, 52
Joaquin – Marketing Director, 27
Max – Media Consultant, 37
Shirin – Yahoo Executive, 31
Tyler – Ex-Talent Agent Assistant, 33

The Escameca Tribe (wearing blue)
Dan – Postal Worker, 47
Kelly – State Trooper, 44
Lindsey – Hair Dresser, 24
Mike – Oil Driller, 38
Rodney – General Contractor, 24
Sierra – Barrel Racer, 27

The Nagarote Tribe (wearing red)
Hali – Law Student, 25
Jenn – Sailing Instructor, 22
Joe – Jewelry Designer, 25
Nina – Hearing Advocate, 51
Vince – Coconut Vendor, 32
Will – YouTube Sensation, 41

Things kick off over at the Blue Collar Bar and Grille where Dan has somehow lost his tiny undies in the ocean. No worries though, he made a new pair out of a shirt. He’s like an underwear MacGyver.

Lindsey thinks the underwear stunt is all a ploy to get back into the tribe’s good graces. So, Dan loses his undies and it’s strategy, but when I do it I’m a creep.

Later on, the White Collars are finally able to create fire. Max takes the opportunity to relax, strip off his shorts, and go skinny dipping. He claims to be honoring Richard Hatch, but the most recent player to lose their undies is technically Dan.

Backup Joke: Now that they have fire, let’s hope he doesn’t feel the need to honor Mike Skupin.

Everyone finds this amusing, except for Shirin who finds it inspiring. She drops her undies and shows everyone her Yahoo.

Over at the No Collar Commune, Hali’s trying to make friends with Nina, but Nina is having trouble hearing her.

Later, Hali and Jenn go skinny dipping themselves and Nina is upset that she wasn’t invited. This is like the nakedest episode ever.

Nina calls them out on excluding her and things get really emotional and uncomfortable. Will tries to cheer her up, but it’s obvious to him that there’s a target on her back.

Back at Blue Collar, everyone is playing a fun basketball game they invented…everyone except for Mike. He’s annoyed because there’s work to be done. C’mon people, those scorpions aren’t going to eat themselves.

At No Collar, Vince confronts Joe about their shelter tiff from last week. Boys, you’re both pretty. It looks like the lines are breaking Vince, Nina, and Will vs. Joe, Hali, and Jenn.

Immunity Challenge Time: A player from each team will navigate a ball through a series of obstacles. Once they get to the end, the next person will transport another ball. Once all five balls have been brought to the end, they’ll shoot them into a goal basketball-style. First tribe to sink all five shots wins immunity and fishing gear. The second team wins immunity, fishing line, lures, and a spear. The third tribe wins self doubt.

Kelly will sit for Blue Collar while Nina will sit for the No Collars. Probst thinks it’s odd that Dan is going to play, but Dan promises to prove his worth to his tribe.

The Survivors are ready and they go. Impressively, Dan manages to best both Vince and Tyler in the first round. Way to be, Danny.

The rest of the relay portion is pretty even until Will gets stuck in an obstacle and costs his tribe a ton of time.

The White Collars are the first to reach the final platform and start shooting. They sink their first shot right as the Blues join them.

The No Collars finally make it to the platform, but Joaquin is on fire. He hits the shots and gives the White Collars the win. Sierra’s right behind them, racking up all five baskets in quick succession.

See Mike, and you thought camp basketball was a waste of time.

Over at the No Collar camp, Hali points out that they’re going to have to make a decision and that isn’t a No Collar trait. Just be people. Be a person. You’re not a collar. Or a lack of a collar.

My head hurts.

Anywho…Vince thinks that Will is a target because he was too exhausted during the challenge, but it might be a good chance to blindside Joe.  You know, their best challenge competitor.

Meanwhile, Jenn pitches the idea of getting rid of Vince to Joe and Will. Joe seems into it, but he’s worried about Nina being the weakest link. They decide to split the vote between Vince and Nina and then vote out Nina if nobody plays an idol.

Later, Will lets us know that he doesn’t want to get rid of Nina and the vote splitting is their opportunity to flip the game. Wow…did not expect that level of strategy from a non-fan.

Vince kinda wants to keep Joe around because of his challenge strength. So, it looks like they’re going to target Jenn.

NOOOOOOO!

Oh wait, Nina tells Will that Vince is worried about Will’s health. This upsets Will.

So many twists. Like forty in five minutes.

That night at Tribal, fire still represents life.

Nina feels left out because she’s an older person and because of her hearing disability.

Jenn thinks it’s a game and she should deal with it.

Vince thinks he’s right in the middle. He also thinks he’s the glue that keeps the tribe together. But like a really safe organic glue made from ox tears.

Joe thinks the person who needs to go home will go home. Buh…

Jenn admits that her and Hali are bros. But, winning challenges is her top priority.

Will thinks she’s talking about him because water is a “black man’s kryptonite.”

Jenn thinks she could be on the chopping block, but she’s psyched to be at Tribal Council.

Voting Time: Nina votes for Jenn, Hali votes for Vince, Joe votes for Nina, and the rest are sooper secret.

Oh boy, the kids went for the split.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Jenn, one vote for Vince, one vote for Nina, one vote for Jenn, one vote for Vince, and the second person to be eliminated from “Survivor: Worlds Apart” is…Vince.

Whaaaaaaat?!

Verdict: Well, I certainly didn’t see that coming. When I was on location, it looked like Vince and Hali were buddying up.

As for this season…more! Bring me more!

Who’s Going to Win? Lindsey FTW.

Power Rankings Results: Josh had Vince in spot 10, Reed had him in spot 13, and I had him in spot 14. So, the current score is Team Josh 10, Team Reed 13, and Team Gordon 14. That second sentence felt really redundant.

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

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A Sneak Peek at the Second ‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’ Immunity Challenge

March 3, 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.

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There were a lot of things to get excited about during my visit to the “Survivor: Worlds Apart” set in Nicaragua. There was a cast full of gamers, the return of the killer three-tribe format, and a calm cove that is perfect for water challenges.

While I was out there, I had the opportunity to check out a special test run of the season’s first water-based (and second overall)  immunity challenge.

Watch the Premiere of “Survivor: Worlds Apart”

To start, five members from each tribe will gather on platform. The first member of each tribe will dive from the first platform and swim to a second. Once they’re on the second platform, they’ll take a ball and run it along a rope. The rope twists and turns around the obstacle that is attached to the second platform. Once they’ve gotten the ball over the obstacle, they’ll climb the obstacle themselves and jump into the water.

From there, the players will have to maneuver the ball over, around, and through a floating obstacle.


Then they’ll swim the ball to the final platform. Once they’ve placed the ball in a basket, the next member of their tribe will start the course. When all five of the balls are in the basket, the tribe will have to shoot them, basketball-style into a floating goal. The first two tribes to sink all five shots wins immunity.

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

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