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‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Gordon Holmes: This is a really odd season. Everybody is swinging for the fences. Did you feel that vibe when you were out there that the winner couldn’t get by on just charm, they needed to pad their resume?
Will Wahl: Yeah, it was a very hyper-competitive environment. As you said, everyone was swinging for the fences very early on. And it was apparent that there were a lot of superfans and they were all coming to play. It was kind of refreshing as a super fan to be on a season where everyone is playing so hard.

Holmes: Traditionally when you flip, you’re in danger of having some enraged jurors later on. How do you balance making the moves, but keeping the votes on your side.
Wahl: I don’t think I balanced the two very well. Which is why I think I was voted out. But I tried to come across as a the kid who’s playing hard, is willing to make new deals. But at the same time, I still want a ride-or-die. I want to have people’s backs so long as they have my back. I wanted to build a trust.

Holmes: What was the mood like before last night’s Tribal?
Wahl: There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach going into Tribal and then at Tribal that I was going to be in trouble. But, by then it was too late. I wasn’t going to be able to flip Bret or Sunday. I was really trying to see if there was anything I could do. Any idol plays, anyone willing to help me out, but anyone who was my ally at that point had really turned against me.

Holmes: As a superfan, you know that whenever someone is talking about being in the power seat, they’re probably in trouble. Did you laugh when you were watching it?
Wahl: (Laughs) Yeah, it’s all in good fun. It’s really interesting to watch the progression where I went from thinking I was the king and the next thing you know, I get voted out. That’s a classic “Survivor” blindside, someone being too arrogant. And I learned that arrogance will take you down and take you down hard.

Holmes: This is one of the most civil seasons we’ve had in a long time. It doesn’t seem like people are holding grudges. When Bret, David, and Zeke got heated a few weeks ago it was shut down quickly. Was that something you discussed back at camp?
Wahl: Oh yeah. Everybody was very good natured. Everyone was very comforting to each other. Even if you were on the other side of the vote…like Hannah and I rarely voted together, but we were really close out there. We had a brotherly/sisterly relationship. Everybody was each other’s support out there. To have people who are helping you out…it was kind of how we wanted this season to go with this cast. We wanted to be competitive, but at the same time, be supportive.

Holmes: If I’m playing this game and it’s not getting personal, people are respecting big moves, jurors don’t seem like they’re going to be bitter at final Tribal. This would seem to encourage more and more big moves. It’s like a perfect storm. You’ve got this crazy, flip-flop, no-two-people-are-in-trouble-in-consecutive-episodes season.
Wahl: With the flipping, I described it as a pendulum. It would swing back and forth between groups. And like you said; nobody was in trouble twice. After the Taylor vote, Jay and I thought we were next. But really, the pendulum swung the other way and we were safe for a little while. Somebody would do something to warrant their being voted out, then it’d be someone in some other trust cluster.
Holmes: And you’re OK with the use of the term “trust cluster?”
Wahl: More or less. It really was kind of a joke. People like Bret and I weren’t the biggest fans of that term. We moreso used “alliance” or “voting block.”

Holmes: You’re the youngest person to ever play “Survivor.” Do you think people underestimated you because of your age?
Wahl: Yes, especially at the beginning people were really underestimating me. It came back to bite me a little bit during the jury phase. I’d be looking at them for reactions and they were looking at me like I was a little kid. That’s not something you want a jury to be thinking. You want them to think you’re a strong competitive player. That’s why I went the way I did. I tried to make a big move and gain everyone’s respect.

Holmes: Given a second chance, what would you do differently?
Wahl: I would start off laying low. After that, I’d try to find that ride-or-die, one or two people I could trust and keep their trust. And I’d ride that to the end. A Jeremy/Tasha/Spencer kind of thing.
Holmes: Word association thing. Let’s start with Jay.
Wahl: Admirable.
Holmes: Adam?
Wahl: Intelligent.
Holmes: Sunday?
Wahl: Quiet.
Holmes: Mari?
Wahl: Gamer.
Holmes: Figgy?
Wahl: Loud.
Holmes: Michelle?
Wahl: Calculating.
Holmes: Taylor?
Wahl: Hungry.
Holmes: Chris?
Wahl: Leader.
Holmes: Zeke?
Wahl: Comical.
Holmes: Michaela?
Wahl: Intelligent.
Holmes: Jessica?
Wahl: Unlucky.
Holmes: Bret?
Wahl: Funny.
Holmes: Hannah?
Wahl: Trustworthy.
Holmes: Let’s finish with David.
Wahl: Wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Holmes: The Tribal where Adam played his idol as a safeguard in case you didn’t flip, do you feel like that may have stolen your thunder?
Wahl: The way I view it is I got Adam to waste his idol. He didn’t need to play that idol. It flushed it out of the game. I look at that as a win.

Holmes: Before the season we were trying to guess the theme. With you being a young Republican, we thought we might be looking at some kind of Liberals vs. Conservatives angle. Were you relieved that it was Millennials vs. Gen-X?
Wahl: Very relieved. Getting to play with people around my own age definitely helped me in the beginning.

Holmes: Did “Survivor” change you?
Wahl: I think I came into the game very arrogant, full of myself, thinking I’m going to win a million dollars. I’m coming out of it a lot more humble, a lot more empathetic of other people. And I feel like that’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

Last Week: Zeke was voted out. Sigh…

39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor Blog…

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

The Vinaka Tribe (wearing black)
Adam – 25, Homeless Shelter Manager
Bret – 42, Police Sergeant
David – 42, Television Writer
Hannah – 24, Barista
Jay – 27, Real Estate Agent
Ken – 33, Model
Sunday – 45, Youth Pastor
Will – 18, High School Student

We start off with Will telling us that he started this game as a kid and then left Tribal as the man. So, all of that awkward stuff last week was puberty? Makes sense.

He also lets us know that he has opened every door and should be able to flip and flop his way to the end. Yeah, jurors are totally there at the end. They even have special seats.

The next morning, Bret, Sunday, and Adam start discussing the biggest threats left in the game. They name Jay, David, and Will in particular. Is nobody afraid of Ken?

The trio agrees to work together, or at least Bret and Sunday agree to vote with Adam. It wasn’t clear.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will stack a group of discs on a pole and then carry them through an obstacle course. They’ll then stack the discs onto a different pole and carry them through a wire maze. If your discs drop, you have to start over. The first person to roll all of their discs through a target at the end of the course will win immunity.

The Survivors are ready…and they go. There isn’t much to describe except for some wobbly walkin’

David and Ken are the first ones through the first phase. They’re eventually joined by everyone except for Will.

Jay is the first one to the disc-rolling portion. David and Bret are behind him, but it’s too late as Jay tears up the final phase and wins it.

Politicking back at camp starts off with Will wanting to target David. The belief is that David has taken Zeke’s title as the guy that can’t be beaten at final Tribal.

Adam, however, doesn’t want to work with Will because Will thinks he has power and is going to make big moves to pad his resume. Bret and Sunday are on board with this plan, but it seems like Hannah is on the fence because Will saved her last week.

That night at Tribal, Zeke shows up wearing an AMAZING shirt.

David immediately admits that he thinks he’s in trouble.

Jay says David should relax if he trusts Will.

Hannah is fascinated at how often the alliances have changed.

Adam points out that when you make a big move to pad your resume, you show everyone that you’re a threat.

David believes it’s essential to make big moves, otherwise you’ll be a goat.

Jay isn’t sure who’s going to go home because everybody is a player.

Voting Time: No votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone would like to play an idol…and nobody does.

We’ve got two votes for David, four votes for Will, and the thirteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor:Millennials vs. Gen-X” is…Will.

Verdict: Well, that was an uneventful episo…oh wait…there’s more.

Fun Fact: Will is the youngest person to ever lose “Survivor.”

Back at camp, Jay is not pleased that all of his alliance members keep getting blindsided. I can see how that would be disturbing.

Immunity Challenge Time Part Deux: The players will complete a block puzzle while keeping a ball rolling on a separate table. If the ball falls off the table, they’ll suffer a time penalty and have to a wait to continue with the puzzle. First person to finish their puzzle wins immunity.

I’m not sure if I did a great job describing this challenge, but it’s very creative. The players are constantly having to run back and forth between the two tables.

Ken builds a bit of a lead, and in an interesting moment, Adam starts telling Ken when he needs to go back and tend to the ball on the other table.

This allows Ken to win immunity. Jay is not pleased.

Back at camp, Jay calls Adam out for helping Ken win. Adam claims that he didn’t want David to win. Well, that’s half right.

Adam’s plan is to take out Jay if he doesn’t play the idol and David if he does. David’s plan is pretty much the same thing, but targeting Bret if Jay doesn’t play the idol.

Hannah, on the other hand, would rather see Sunday go over Bret because she’s an enticing goat.

Quick Aside: Calling dibs on “Enticing Goat” as a band name.

Later on, Adam tells Jay that he needs to play his idol. Jay, however, has been lied to before and isn’t sure if he trusts him.

Then, Adam tells Jay about his mother’s battle with cancer. Aaaand, “Survivor” has me crying again. ARGH!

Another Quick Aside: After last week’s “Survivor” cry fest, my wife and I caught up on “This Is Us.” Big mistake. My tear ducts were shooting out dust.

That night at Tribal, David tells Jeff that you have to lean on your friendships at this point.

Jay is bummed because his alliances are long gone. He then makes the argument that he’s less dangerous because he doesn’t have numbers.

David wonders if Jay is a free agent and he a lot of options.

Adam thinks juries would root for someone like David.

Hannah admits that everyone is thinking about their end game.

Sunday is there too.

Voting Time Part Deux: No votes were shown.

JPro tallies and returns. He asks if anyone would like to play an idol…and Jay does.

Alright, we’ve got one vote for Jay, two votes for David, three votes for Sunday, and the fourteenth person eliminated from the game is…Sunday.

Verdict: So, we’re voting out potential goats instead of actual threats?! This season is so weird…ly awesome.

Power Rankings Results: Michele Fitzgerald had Will in spot eight and Sunday in spot six. Shirin had Will in spot eight and Sunday in spot two. The current score is Team Michele 108, Team Shirin 101.

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

‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X’ (CBS)

QUICK NOTE: XFINITYTV.com is the place to be for all of your bug-eatin’, back-stabbin’, “Survivor” coverage. During the season we’ll have insightful weekly Power Rankings, exit interviews, and full episode recaps. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute updates.

Watch Full Episodes of “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” 

The Rules: Each week our two combatants will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the person who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the players will earn.  The person with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen-X” champion.

Last Week: Michele Fitzgerald had Zeke in spot 1, while Shirin Oskooi had Zeke in spot 5. So, the current score is Team Fitzgerald 94, Team Oskooi 91.

Quick Note: XFINITY “Survivor” loudmouth Gordon Holmes will be unable to participate in this season’s Power Rankings due to being more than a bit spoiled. Therefore, he has invited defending Power Rankings champion Shirin Oskooi to take his place.

Michele Fitzgerald and Shirin Oskooi’s Rankings

Team Michele’s Score = 94 Any questions for Michele? Drop her a line on Twitter: @meeshfitz	Team Shirin’s Score = 91 Any questions for Shirin? Drop her a line on Twitter: @theshirin
1. – Adam: One check mark away from that million dollar check?	1. – Hannah: Between ties, rocks, idols, flippers, and bigger threats, this hide-and-seek champion may find herself at final Tribal Council unseen. #RIPMichaela #RIPMari
2. – David: Drawing a line in the sand and washing away your competition.	2. – Sunday: Duck.
3. – Hannah: You seem to get votes cast for you at every Tribal. Will this trend end on day 39?	3. – Bret:  Duck.
4. – Ken:  How long of a conversation would it take for you to jump into bed with someone? Asking for a friend.	4. – Ken: Goat. P.S. I don’t want to regret not making this joke if Ken is voted out: Ken’s life may yet again be frustrated by a plastic doll with no penis: Jay’s idol.
5. – Jay: If you don’t act at the right moment, Mom and Mel could have two souvenirs from your trip to Fiji.	5. – Jay:  The idol chatter won’t become idle chatter; they’ll come for him soon.
6. – Sunday: It’s 8pm on Sunday and after a relaxing afternoon, stress has finally crept in. You have a lot of work to do in the morning.	6. – David: He’s got no parachute left, so hopefully some of these other warm bodies can break his fall.
7. – Bret: I always find myself hoping you win reward so I can watch you get drunk. But this week, I’m hoping you win immunity.	7. – Adam: Will people follow him into battle or present him as a sacrifice to the other side?
8. – Will: To land a job, networking gets your foot in the door. If you wanted to sit at final Tribal you should have focused on your relationships more than your resume.	8. – Will:  Flipper Free Willy