Posts Tagged ‘survivor’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

“Survivor” Castaway Jon – “(Jaclyn Is) a Better ‘Survivor’ Player Than Me”

December 11, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

MEGA IMPORTANT NOTE: Cast your vote for the best Tribal Councils ever in this year’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame.

One thing is for sure about “Survivor: San Juan del Sur.” If your name is Jon (or John), you’re leaving with an idol in your pocket.

I spoke with the latest member of the “Survivor’s” Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda Club the morning after his elimination and had a chance to ask him about broken alliances, missed idol opportunities, and his campfire renditions of our favorite Disney movie…

Gordon Holmes: I know you had a rough evening, so I wanted to do something to cheer you up. Are you ready?
Jon Misch: (Laughs) Ready.
Holmes: (Singing) Gotta keep, one jump ahead of the breadline. One swing, ahead of the sword. I steal, only what I can’t afford.
Misch: (Laughs) That’s everything!
Holmes: That’s all I’ve got for you.
Misch: You’re the man! That is awesome! (Laughs) I can’t believe everybody knows that about me now.
Holmes: Even if doesn’t end up on TV, your fellow Survivors will tell the world about your Nicaraguan “Aladdin” performances.
Misch: (Laughs) Did Jeremy say that he thought I was faking because of that?
Holmes: No.
Misch: When I was voted off, Jeremy told me that he thought when I was doing all of these skits and singing Aladdin, and Genie, he thought, “This is an act. Nobody is this goofy.” And then he said the moment he realized it was real was after the merge and Jaclyn saw me doing this and said, “He’s going to be a great father.” And Jeremy realized it was real.
Holmes: I like the idea that you’re being entertaining around camp, but then in your aside interviews you’re like, “I got all these jerks fooled.”
Misch: (Laughs) It’s all part of the game.

Holmes:  So, Missy stabbed you in the back last night. Put me in your shoes when you’re so close with someone and then they send you home.
Misch: We were even closer than people could see from the show. Since the tribe swap, Missy and I talked about being in the final three together. Regardless of “Survivor,” we just talked about personal issues. We had a very close friendship out there. You probably saw how confused I was when I saw Jaclyn’s name twice. I was so oblivious to the fact that I was going to be blindsided. Then I was like, “Oh yeah. They’re splitting the votes, stooge. You have an idol.” It was a huge shock, but I can’t say I was mad at her. It was very upsetting. I preached it more than anybody else that we’re playing a game. I blindsided Jeremy. I have so much respect for him. He’s a huge role model for me. It’s part of the game.

Holmes: You and Natalie were on the original tribe together. What was your relationship like before the swap?
Misch: Before the swap, Jeremy did a good job of selling me on me, him, and Drew and Missy was going to help us out as a fourth. So, before the swap I felt very good with those four. But, I was trying very hard to talk with Kelley and Julie and Natalie, but I didn’t have a lot of success. Maybe because I was so hyper they were just like, “Get away from me. Stop doing ‘Aladdin.’” (Laughs) I didn’t really have a huge alliance with her before. Jeremy was the centerpiece.

Holmes: Everybody I’ve spoken to thinks that if Julie hadn’t quit, that Jeremy would have gone home at that Tribal. Is that the way you and Jaclyn were leaning?
Misch: It was. I was so mad when Julie quit because I had finally gotten up to the courage, and Jaclyn too, to vote out Jeremy even though he’s a friend of ours. As soon as we did that, Julie quits and we’re like, “Oh no! Please let us go to Tribal anyways!” It ended up being a huge game changer. After Exile, we decided to go another way.

Holmes: I heard that Jaclyn is now your fiancée.
Misch: She is. We were engaged October 22nd.
Holmes: Congratulations, sir.
Misch: Thank you.
Holmes: I think you two kissed more than any two Survivors ever.
Misch: (Laughs) I’ve heard that. I don’t know why… But I think they showed every single kiss.
Holmes: I don’t blame you guys, you’re both very attractive. But after 30-some days without a toothbrush, I might just go in for a fistbump.
Misch: One of the strangest things…after “Survivor” I went in for a dentist appointment. My dad’s a dentist, so I just kinda went in to get my teeth checked out. This was five days after so I’d been brushing my teeth. My gums were back to normal. They said it was the best checkup I had ever had because we weren’t having any sugar, there was nothing to cause decay or anything like that. And, I didn’t notice her having terrible breath. We both smelled like campfire.

Holmes: Is there any update on your father’s health issues that you’re comfortable sharing?
Misch: He’s still fighting.
Holmes: Good.
Misch: He does chemo once a month because the type of cancer he has they have to be continual. There’s no remission for this. So, during his chemo it’s a little harder. But about a week after he’s done, he’s my normal dad. It’s great to have this time with him.
Holmes: How does he feel about his kid and his future kid-in-law running around Nicaragua?
Misch: (Laughs) He loves it. I actually did not want to go.  I didn’t want to miss that time with him. We knew about the prognosis and the diagnosis and all that. But he was insistent that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and “I don’t want you holding back from that because of something that I’m going through.” He was excited before the show was on. The fact that we got to watch some episodes together made it all worth it.

Holmes: When you and Jaclyn had your tiff on the island…
Misch: (Laughs) Yeah.
Holmes: I’ve been there, my friend. I’ve never been there in the midst of a game for a million dollars. Can you say, “I know you’re mad, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry” or would that make things worse?
Misch:  I was saying that. I said, “Jaclyn, you can be mad, but we need to talk about what’s going on tonight.”  And…it’s very hard to stay emotionally stable when you’re starving and you’re around a group of people you can’t trust very much. I just trust people. She’s a better “Survivor” player than me. She’s wary about things. That’s why you saw her saying, “What if Natalie’s blindsiding you.” And I’m saying, “No, I’m not worried about that.” So, for her being around that group for so long was very hard. She never trusted anyone. It was a different perspective for her, that’s why I think the argument was harder on her.
Holmes: So you’re like a trusting Sultan, buddying up to Jafar and she’s more of a skeptical Princess Jasmine?
Misch: (Laughs) Yes! Definitely. That’s perfect.
Holmes: You need to share that with her later.
Misch: I definitely will.

Holmes: You guys were always in the middle. But it never really seemed like it was by design. Was staying the swing vote the plan or was this a situation where you were easily swayed?
Misch: I’m really glad you asked that. I’m good friends with Dan Gheesling, one of the winners of “Big Brother,” and he gave me a few tips. One of them was to not talk strategy with people until they bring it up. In doing that, we maintained friendships with both alliances. Our goal was to be friends with our alliance, but don’t shun the other alliance because they can be very helpful to you. Missy had a lot of people who didn’t like her on the other alliance. So did Baylor, so did Natalie. We were the only two people that played both sides. Not in that we were always talking strategy, but we maintained the relationships so they felt comfortable coming to us to talk about the game. On social media people said we were so lucky, but it’s not luck. You have to position yourself to be approachable.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do word association. We’ll start with Wes.
Misch: I’d say frat boy hunter.
Holmes: Reed?
Misch: Honest.
Holmes: Alec?
Misch: Friendly.
Holmes: Josh?
Misch: Intuitive.
Holmes: Drew?
Misch: Bro.
Holmes: Natalie?
Misch: Sneaky.
Holmes: Baylor?
Misch: College.
Holmes: Missy?
Misch: That’s a hard one…genuine.
Holmes: Keith?
Misch:  Absent minded.
Holmes: Jeremy?
Misch: Role model.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Jaclyn.
Misch: (Laughs) Love of my life.

Holmes: You’ve entered the unfortunate fraternity of people who have left the game while holding an idol.
Misch: Gah…
Holmes: Does that stick with you? Are you going to be able to move on? Should we hold an intervention?
Misch: I’m dying over here, man. (Laughs) It’s hard. The thing that’s more frustrating is that they didn’t show a lot of conversations where I said I was having trouble trusting Natalie and Missy together. There were a few times leading up to that Tribal. We went back and forth about it and I said, it’s stressing me out too much. We’re going to pick one now and we’re going to go with it and keep it until the end. And at that moment, we decided we trust them because we didn’t think Missy would be swayed. If Missy wouldn’t, then Baylor wouldn’t because she just does what Missy does. It sucks to be in that group, but I don’t hate it. I made it to the final six. It was a fun game and I don’t regret anything. If I trusted someone to much, then I don’t consider that a flaw.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on “Survivor” Castaway Jon – “(Jaclyn Is) a Better ‘Survivor’ Player Than Me”

‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Episode 13 Recap – Who Got the Boot?

December 11, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

MEGA IMPORTANT NOTE: Cast your vote for the best Tribal Councils ever in this year’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame.

Last Week:  Jaclyn and Jon huffed and puffed, Natalie’s attempts to make a move were rebuffed, and Alec and Reed’s torches were snuffed.

39 Days, 18 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog

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

The #Huyopa Tribe (wearing blue)

Baylor – 20, Student
Jaclyn – 25, Media Buyer
Jon – 26, Financial Assistant
Keith – 53, Fire Captain
Missy – 47, Owner of Cheerleading Gym
Natalie – 28, Crossfit Coach

Team Jacljon is very confused after Tribal as to why Alec went home. Natalie acts like it was a mistake and everyone seems to buy it.

Feel free to make your own joke about Jaclyn and Jon being confused.

The next morning, Natalie confesses to Keith that she saved his bacon. She pitches her, him, Missy, and Baylor as a solid unit. As someone who was just on the outs, Keith definitely goes for it.

Quick Aside: I don’t like this move as I think Keith is the only person who could possibly beat Natalie in front of a jury.

Reward Challenge Time: The players will be divided into two teams and then tethered together. They’ll go through hay and under a hitching post. They’ll then fill a bucket with water and go over a teeter-totter. They’ll use the water to fill another bucket and lower a wall. The first team to complete the puzzle that lies beyond the wall will win a trip to a spa.

It’s Keith, Missy, and Jon in blue vs. Jaclyn, Natalie, and Baylor in yellow.

The challenge starts and Missy isn’t having a great run of it. She headbutts the hitching post more than a few times. Then, she twists her ankle on the teeter-totter. This slows her team down considerably.

The yellow team has a major lead when they get to the puzzle. Probst tells the blue team they need to move. He doesn’t elaborate on whether or not they should dig deep.

The blue team finally makes it to the puzzle and manages to catch up and win the challenge.

But, Missy’s in bad shape. She tells Probst she’s fine.

Jon tells Missy that the spa will make her feel as young as she looks. This annoys Jaclyn because Jon is so happy. I’m no relationship expert, but if the sight of your partner’s happiness annoys you, that can’t be good.

Jon decides to give Baylor his reward so the mother/daughter duo can have an afternoon they’ll never forget. Ugh…this season.

Meanwhile, Natalie volunteers to go to Exile. Ugh…this season.

At the reward, Keith admits that it’s OK being at a girly spa as long as there’s food there. He doesn’t mind the massage either.

Quick Aside: I kinda wish they’d flown in the torture masseuses from “The Amazing Race.”

Back at #Huyopa, Jaclyn is still talking to Jon so they’ve got to consider that a win. They discuss Natalie’s voting “mistake.” Jaclyn brings up the idea that Natalie might be working with Keith. Jon doesn’t believe it though, because he can’t see Natalie flipping.

#famouslastwords

Over at Exile, Natalie laments on being a twinnie left all alonie.

Immunity Challenge Time: Wait…not yet.

Keith and Baylor have to practically carry Missy in.  Missy breaks down because the pain has gotten much worse. Probst calls medical in. The doctor is concerned that the foot could be fractured because it isn’t getting any better. He wants to do an x-ray, but he’d have to pull Missy from the game to do it.

However, the doctor thinks she can stay in the game if they immobilize the foot. Missy sucks it up and decides to stay in the game.  Way to be, Missy.

Also, Baylor brought rice for Natalie which is an awesome gesture. Way to be, Baylor.

Immunity Challenge Time: Players will hold onto handles with their hands while standing on a teeter-totter that has a vase attached to it. Last person with their vase standing wins immunity.

There must’ve been a sale at the teeter-totter store this episode.

Also, Missy will obviously forfeit the event.

The challenge starts and Jaclyn is out first. She’s followed by Baylor.

A while later, a gust of wind claims Keith’s vase.

Nat and Jon go toe-to-toe, with Natalie eventually pulling out the win.

Jon’s cool with it though, because it’ll give Natalie a chance to finally vote for Keith. Oh Jon…you’re so pretty.

Back at camp, Natalie wants to split the votes between Jon and Jaclyn. Then if Jon doesn’t play his idol, they’ll vote for him.

Natalie asks Keith to not freak out when they pretend to target him. Yeah Keith, stick to the plan.

Jaclyn is a little worried that there could be a blindside, but Jon doesn’t think it’ll happen.

#famouslastwords

Baylor approaches Missy about voting for Jon and it does not go over well. Missy says that she has given her word to Jon and she won’t break it. Baylor brings up her mother’s divorces for the 40th time this season, saying that her mom always puts men first.

That night at Tribal we’ve got an all-dude jury. I bet the Ponderosa toilet seat is always up.

Keith says that he’s been trying to pierce the five, but there are no cracks. Nice, Keith.

Jaclyn believes it’s natural for people to think of different scenarios, but she doesn’t think her and Jon are going anywhere.

#famouslastwords

Natalie thinks anything can happen in the two days she was gone, so she’s glad she won immunity.

Missy says she loyal and she doesn’t waver.

Voting Time: No votes are shown. Oh man, it’s so on.

JPro tallies and returns. We’ve got one vote for Keith, one vote for Jaclyn, one vote for Keith, one vote for Jaclyn, one vote for Jon and…one vote for Jon! Three-way tie!

Voting Time Part Deux: No votes are shown.

JPro tallies and returns a second time. We’ve got  one vote for Jon and the thirteenth person to be eliminated from “Survivor: San Juan del Sur – Blood vs. Water” and the sixth member of the jury is…Jon.

So in the end, Natalie was the one who always knew when Jon should have played his idols.

Heh…Jon forgot his torch on the way to Probst. But, he had a good attitude about it. Good guy.

Verdict: I don’t get this season. There are big interesting moves, but it doesn’t feel right. It just doesn’t pop.

Who’s Going to Win? Natalie or Keith, right? I’m thinking Nat’s got it.

Power Rankings Results: Spencer had Jon in spot five while I had him in spot four. So, the current score is Team Farm Guy 97, Team Corinsanity 113.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ Episode 13 Recap – Who Got the Boot?

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame: ‘Survivor’ Press Names Their Top Tribal Councils

December 7, 2014

'Survivor' Hall of Fame Press Corps

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is proud to have the “Survivor” press corps as a part of the Executive Voting Committee. As members of this exclusive committee, these gentlemen (along with Host Jeff Probst and other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate their three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

NOTE: All of the nominations were requested at the same time, so some Tribal Councils may be nominated more than once.

Gordon Holmes – XFINITYTV.com

Gordon Holmes is a Managing Producer at Comcast and the lead “Survivor” know-it-all for XFINITY TV. He’s been hooked on “Survivor” from the moment he first saw Jeff Probst kick sixteen strangers off a boat and into the sea back in May of 2000. Gordon has visited the set of “Survivor” on five separate occasions (“Gabon,” “Nicaragua,” “South Pacific,”  “Philippines,” and “Blood vs. Water”) and boasts an Ozzy-esque 5-1 immunity challenge record.

“Survivor: Borneo” – Final Tribal Council: In my book, there’s only one MUST VOTE pick for this whole shebang, and it’s Sue Hawk’s classic “Snake vs. Rat” speech from the original “Survivor.” It’s an iconic TV moment, it helped shape reality TV, and it set a bar for jury venom that has only been approached (but not surpassed) by Corinne Kaplan.

NOTE: I know moments such as Erik coughing up his idol and Parvati’s double idol play are going to be nominated. So, my other two picks are going to be moments that I don’t think will win, but deserve some recognition…

“Survivor: Gabon – Episode 9 Tribal Council: “Payback’s a b—tch.” “You are a disgusting old, hot-headed, alcoholic.” “You need to grow up before you die alone.” “This vote is not strategic, it is strictly personal.” Those things were all said during the voting process BEFORE Crystal screamed “Forget you, go home, bye!” loud enough for everyone to hear it. That had all of the makings for a memorable Tribal Council before Randy was duped by Runaround Bob’s phony idol. I love me some Randy, but this entire Tribal was amazing.

“Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites” – Episode 10 Tribal Council: They billed it as the “Craziest Tribal Council ever” and it didn’t disappoint. Malcolm wanted “Fun sponge” Phillip out of the game, and he made it happen despite his alliance being down in the numbers seven amigos to three. Idols were played, an alliance had to immediately turn on itself, and bros were held up. It was awesome.  

Dalton Ross – Entertainment Weekly

Dalton Ross is an Editor at Large at Entertainment Weekly. He’s also the host of EW Morning Live on Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105). He may have written about this show once or twice over the past 14 years.

“Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs Favorites” – Episode 13 Tribal Council: “I wanna give individual immunity to Natalie.” And with those words, Erik Reichenbach entered “Survivor” immortality. Erik’s move was so shocking that producers did not even attempt to mask who was going home as a result — showing every single vote cast against him, and every single befuddled look from the jury along with it. “You’re crazy,” said Parvati while casting her vote. “You will officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever in the history of “Survivor”…ever!” She’s not wrong.

“Survivor: Borneo” – Final Tribal Council: Over 54 million people watched the season 1 finale in which Richard Hatch faced off against Kelly Wigglesworth with a million dollars on the line. And 54 million mouths dropped wide open when Sue Hawk delivered her infamous “rat and snake” speech. And they dropped even wider when the show’s villain — Hatch — walked away with the loot.

“Survivor: Cook Islands” – Episode 15 Final Four Tribal Council (“We Didn’t Start the Fire”): With the votes deadlocked going down from 4 players to 3, Becky and Sundra went to a fire-making tiebreaker to see who would move on to the final 3 with Yul and Ozzy. Just one problem: Neither could make fire. After an hour of futility — and most of the jury falling asleep — Jeff Probst finally announced “We’re gonna go to matches.” But wait, it gets even better…which is to say, worse. Because then they STILL couldn’t make fire! After another 30 minutes, Sundra ran out of matches and Becky finally won. Ineptitude has never been more comical.

Tom Santilli – Examiner.com

Tom Santilli is the “Survivor Examiner,” having covered “Survivor” for Examiner.com and TheTVKing.com since 2009 and having been a rabid fan since the very beginning.  He is also a film critic and appears weekly on the syndicated TV show “Movie Show Plus.”  (follow him on Twitter, @tomsantilli and at TomSantilli.com).  He claims to own his own “Medallion of Power” that gives him a slight advantage in writing “Survivor” recaps.

I’m assuming everyone is going to put the final Tribal Council from Season 1 (Sue Hawk’s “rat and snake” speech) as well as Parvati’s double-idol play (from “Heroes vs Villains”)…those two should be Hall of Fame moments. But to liven things up a bit, here are three of my favorite OTHER Tribal Councils

“Survivor: Marquesas” – Episode 13 Final Four Tribal Council: Who can forget the bum deal Paschal English got when he drew the purple rock that sent him home? The final four players first competed in an immunity challenge right at Tribal Council. Then future All-Star Kathy Vavrick-O’Brien pleads with immunity holder Vecepia to force a tie vote…which indeed happened, with two votes for Kathy and two for Neleh. After they couldn’t come up with a unanimous vote, they were told to pull rocks and Paschal pulled the unlucky purple rock despite not having one single vote cast against him the entire game. It’s still controversial to this day and definitely needs to be in the “Survivor” Hall of Fame.

“Survivor: Pearl Islands” – Episode 7 Tribal Council: “Per your wishes, Go home.” Those were the parting words of Jeff Probst to Osten Taylor, the first person to ever quit the game. It was a big moment because nobody had ever quit on “Survivor” prior to this, and I remember watching it, screaming at my TV, “You can’t QUIT ‘Survivor!’” Other than medical emergencies, it was the first time someone had their torch snuffed at Tribal where the famous “the tribe has spoken” line wasn’t uttered.

“Survivor: Samoa” – Episode 9 Tribal Council: “I ain’t finished playin’ just yet.” You can hate on him all you want these days, but there was nothing in “Survivor” history like watching Russell Hantz go from interesting underdog to “Survivor” Legend. In one of many amazing Tribals, his “Legend” status was solidified when he played his second immunity idol of the season during this episode, completely blindsiding the wide-eyed Galu tribe, and sending Kelly home instead. It also put an exclamation point on the “always split your votes” strategy, used meticulously to this very day by every majority alliance. It was at this precise moment that real “Survivor” history was made, and it deserves strong consideration for the “Survivor” Hall of Fame.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame: ‘Survivor’ Press Names Their Top Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Parvati Shallow’s Top Tribal Councils

December 7, 2014

2010 "Survivor" Hall of Fame Inductee Parvati Shallow (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is proud to have 2010 inductee Parvati Shallow as a part of the Executive Voting Committee. As a member of this exclusive committee, Parvati (along with Host Jeff Probst and other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate her three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

Note: All of the nominations were requested at the same time, so some Tribal Councils may be nominated more than once.

Parvati Shallow’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame Nominations…

“Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs Favorites” – Episode 13 Tribal Council: Erik gives Natalie the immunity necklace. This moment blew my mind. I was so glad I was sitting behind Erik, and he couldn’t see my face. I think if he saw how hard my jaw hit the floor he would have changed his mind and kept his necklace. Thanks to the team of superhero women I was working with in Micronesia, this became one of the most incredible Tribal Council blindsides of all time.

“Survivor: Borneo” – Final Tribal Council: Sue Hawk’s snake and rat speech.  I’m throwing this one in there so they’re not all about me. 🙂  The very first season of “Survivor” rocked my world even though I didn’t see it until a week before boarding my plane to the Cook Islands. When Sue Hawk tore into the final two, describing her desire to “watch the snake eat the rat,” she spoke to the raw emotion people feel upon being voted out or betrayed. That was my first glimpse into the heavy reality of competing in the “Survivor” arena.

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” – Episode 6’s 1st Tribal Council: Russell gives me his idol and saves me in “Heroes vs Villains” and Tyson votes himself out. I knew I was in trouble at this Tribal Council. I also did not know that Russell was prepared to generously sacrifice his own safety in the game for me. In the moment, it was all a blur. But, when the dust settled and I was eating hot dogs on the other side, I was ecstatic. This move was a huge risk for Russell, and it paid off HUGE by granting us both the opportunity to fight all the way to the end.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Parvati Shallow’s Top Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Kim Spradlin’s Top Tribal Councils

December 7, 2014

2013 'Survivor' Hall of Famer Kim Spradlin (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is proud to have 2013 inductee Kim Spradlin as a part of the Executive Voting Committee. As a member of this exclusive committee, Kim (along with Host Jeff Probst and other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate her three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

Note: All of the nominations were requested at the same time, so some Tribal Councils may be nominated more than once.

Kim Spradlin’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame Nominations…

“Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs Favorites” – Episode 13 Tribal Council: Erik R. giving his idol to Natalie on “Fans vs. Favorites”…um, oh my, I know everyone balks, but it seems like he could have easily won the rest of the immunity challenges and the game if he’d just sat tight with his idol. Hard lesson learned, I guess.

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” – Episode 10 Tribal Council: Parvati with her two idols in “Heroes vs. Villains”…this was so amazing to me. Not only that she played them both, but neither one for herself – this move changed the game.

“Survivor: Fiji” – Episode 14 Final Four Tribal Council: Dreamz going back on the truck-for-immunity deal he made with Yau-Man. A crazy moment where you find yourself being appalled at Dreamz, but really it is a game and everyone lies like crazy so I guess that was really Yau’s own fault.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Kim Spradlin’s Top Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Cirie Fields’ Top Three Tribal Councils

December 5, 2014

2011 "Survivor" Hall of Famer Cirie Fields (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is proud to have 2011 inductee Cirie Fields as a part of the Executive Voting Committee. As a member of this exclusive committee, Cirie (along with Host Jeff Probst and other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate her three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

Note: All of the nominations were requested at the same time, so some Tribal Councils may be nominated more than once.

Cirie Fields’ “Survivor” Hall of Fame Nominations…

“Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs Favorites” – Episode 13 Tribal Council: So my first pick… for obvious reasons would be Erik giving his immunity necklace to Natalie at Tribal. We’re coming up on our 30th season and prior to the gazillions of idols floating around how many people gave away immunity at TRIBAL COUNCIL and were voted OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS?

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” – Episode 10 Tribal Council: My second pick would be Parv’s amazing display of ultimate control when she did not panic and use either of her idols on herself, but used not one, but both of them for the advancement of her entire team. Bravo, Parv!

“Survivor: China” – Episode 7 Tribal Council: My third pick should at least get an honorable mention. It is Jaime Dugan playing the very first fake immunity idol. Hilarious and brilliant.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Cirie Fields’ Top Three Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame: Host Jeff Probst Names His Top Tribal Councils

December 5, 2014

'Survivor' Host and Executive Producer Jeff Probst (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

As members of the Executive Voting Committee, “Survivor” Host Jeff Probst (along with other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate his three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

Note: All of the nominations were requested at the same time, so some Tribal Councils may be nominated more than once.

Jeff Probst’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame Nominations…

“Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs Favorites” – Episode 13 Tribal Council: Erik gave up his immunity necklace to Natalie and moments later was voted out. You can’t have a Tribal Council Hall of Fame and not include this memorable moment because it speaks to a part of “Survivor” that often gets overlooked – “Life Lessons.” I don’t remember this as Erik making a dumb move, I put it in the same category as my first girlfriend, Rhonda Smith whom I gave all my Halloween candy to simply because she said she liked me. It’s a lesson every boy has to learn: “Don’t get blinded by the breasts!” Poor Erik had all these beautiful women working him over emotionally and he just fell victim to it all. The saddest part for Erik is he really did have a legitimate shot to win the game.

“Survivor: Blood vs. Water” – Episode 12 Tribal Council: Ciera goes for broke and forces everyone to draw rocks. The drawing-rock tie breaker is so severe that it rarely happens because the risk is so high and nobody wants to go home simply because they drew the wrong colored rock! Especially when they were safe to begin with! Ciera earned the right to call herself a “big time player” by making this move because this is the kind of move winners make. You must play big. Yes, it may fail. It probably will. But you have no shot to win without going big. This moment was so shocking I literally heard the yells of crew members who were watching on a monitor thousands of yards away. I kid you not. I heard the gasp. Fortunately none of the players did.

“Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” – Episode 10 Tribal Council: Parvati plays two idols for Sandra and Jerri. She didn’t even tell her closest ally, Russell about the plan. This is number one for me because it was a massive game changer and illustrated why Parvati has been so successful on the show. Advantages are very hard to come by on “Survivor” so when you have one, or two in this case, the key is how to maximize their value. Most players would have held onto those two idols and used them to save their own hide at two different Tribal Councils. That wouldn’t be a bad move, it guarantees you to get pretty deep in the game. But Parvati wasn’t going for deep – she was going for the win. By sacrificing her own safety she flipped the game and made it to the final where she lost to “Survivor’s” only two-time winner, Sandra Diaz-Twine.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in General, RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame: Host Jeff Probst Names His Top Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Castaway Alec: ‘I Don’t Not Like Baylor’

December 5, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

There are only about 44 minutes in an actual “Survivor” episode. Once you get through the challenges, Tribal, and Baylor hatred, there isn’t much time to show meat collecting.

But rest assured, meat collecting was happening.

I spoke to the show’s first ever meat collector the morning after his elimination and had a chance to ask him about his relationship with Baylor, his flirty ways, and the accusation that some of his actions were sexist.

Gordon Holmes: First and foremost; what’s a meat collector?
Alec Christy: (Laughs) That’s great. Me and my buddies are exactly that. Our fridge is filled with venison, tuna, mahi mahi…we kill stuff, we fillet it, we put it in our fridge. We collect it, we cook it. That’s what we do. We’re big on killing things that were once living and putting them in our fridge.

Holmes: You and Baylor…one second she’s sitting on your lap, the next you want her to smell your farts.
Christy: (Laughs) That’s great, man. Oh my gosh. It’s just tough to be out there with someone for that long. Every little tendency Baylor would have would start to frustrate me. I don’t know. But, at the same time, I like Baylor. Baylor’s a sweet girl. I’m still frustrated with her. Her running to her mom, and then she’s crying…there were a lot of factors about her that frustrated me. She’s still just a little 20-year-old girl. She’s still growing up and stuff. I don’t not like Baylor. When you’re out there and you can snap so easily because you’re hungry or tired or whatever, I think my frustration toward her just shined more.

Holmes: When Jon was away at Exile you were accused of flirting with Jaclyn. Was that part of a strategy, or was that just everyday Alec?
Christy: I think it’s a little of both. It could fall under everyday Alec. But, I needed Jaclyn and I needed Jon. I thought, “Let’s go see what you can do here.” I was being nice, trying to talk to her. It was nothing past playing the game for me.
Holmes:  Your brother didn’t last long into the game. It’s got to feel good to have those bragging rights.
Christy: I think Drew knew that I was going to beat him. Drew’s a little bit more high maintenance. Drew doesn’t rough it the way that I do. I’ll get my punches in because I beat him in “Survivor.” I’ll be able to hold onto that forever. I’m proud of Drew. We’re glad we did it together. But, I’ll be able to say, “You got voted out on day nine after you threw a challenge. How does that feel?”
Holmes: The big question is; who has the more impressive meat collection?
Christy: Oh, no way. Drew is not a meat collector. Everybody loves that quote, “Meat Collector.”
Holmes: I’m thinking it’d be an outstanding title for a horror flick.
Christy: (Laughs) “Meat Collector!” Like with a chainsaw or something.

Holmes: Drew said some misogynistic things, calling people a “b—h.” There was the situation where Jaclyn thought you, Keith, and Wes were being sexist. Were these things you were cognizant of at the time or has it just come to light now that it was viewed this way?
Christy: I said it like it was. If you want to call me rude because I tell you how I really feel about you when you do nothing all day and the reason you’re surviving is because of me and the other people that are making the fire, collecting wood, getting water? I’m busting my knuckles open to get clams off of these rocks while you sit and then you eat more than me? That’s not cool. If you want to vote me out or call me rude, whatever, do it. But, I can’t live that way. I wasn’t raised that way where I can watch people work while I sit on my ass. That was not OK.
Holmes: So the accusation that your behavior was sexist…
Christy: Oh, I am not sexist. I have nothing against any of those women except that I was carrying more weight than I needed to because you’re not carrying enough.

Holmes: We didn’t get to see much of you out there due to the edit. Is there anything you were doing that you want us to know about?
Christy: I had a pretty strong gameplan with Josh, Jon, and Jaclyn. And Jon and I had a big conversation they didn’t show with Josh about getting Jeremy out when Julie was still in the game. So, that was going to be a huge move. It was going to set up a lot of things for me. After that I was still working with Jon to get Missy out or Natalie or whoever. I really was trying to play with Jon and Jaclyn because I knew Missy and Baylor were all over the board and I didn’t want to play with them. But, Jon was too hesitant to make a big move.

Holmes: Alright, word association time. Let’s start with Jon.
Christy: A little bit naïve.
Holmes: Keith?
Christy: Man, country boy.
Holmes: Jaclyn?
Christy: Miss Michigan.
Holmes: Missy?
Christy: Conniving.
Holmes: Baylor?
Christy: Young.
Holmes: Natalie?
Christy: Natalie was a bad ass.
Holmes: Wes?
Christy: He was outgoing, he was funny, he had this awesome accent. And that kid loves “Survivor.”
Holmes: Let’s finish with Drew.
Christy: Drew was overconfident and maybe full of himself.

Holmes: If Julie hadn’t quit and you’d been able to bounce Jeremy, what would’ve been your goal for final three partners?
Christy: It would’ve been tough to go to the final three without Natalie or someone like that. But I would’ve tried to get there with Jaclyn and Baylor.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaway Alec: ‘I Don’t Not Like Baylor’

‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Rob Cesternino’s Top Three Tribal Councils

December 4, 2014

2012 'Survivor' Hall of Famer Rob Cesternino (CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

The “Survivor” Hall of Fame is proud to have 2012 inductee Rob Cesternino as a part of the Executive Voting Committee. As a member of this exclusive committee, Rob (along with Host Jeff Probst, Challenge Producer John Kirhoffer, and other “Survivor” luminaries) will nominate his three favorite Tribal Councils.

Then, from Monday, December 8, 2014 at 10 am ET through Friday December 12, 2014 at 5 pm ET, the top three Tribal Councils will be chosen by a fan vote.

Editor’s Note: If you are missing out on Rob Cesternino’s “Rob Has a Podcast,” you are missing out on the best non-wrestling podcast on the Internet.

Rob Cesternino’s “Survivor” Hall of Fame Nominations…

It’s once again an honor to be included in this year’s proceedings for the “Survivor” Hall of Fame.  While there have been a plethora of amazing Tribal Councils in the storied history of “Survivor” – I’m going to focus exclusively on moments from the first couple of seasons.  I suspect you’ll get plenty of coverage from the recent seasons but I want to make sure that classic “Survivor” is well represented in the Hall of Fame.

“Survivor: Borneo” – Final Tribal Council (Snakes & Rats)

“But if I would ever pass you along in life and you are laying there, dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water.  I would let the vultures take you and do whatever they want with you with no ill regrets”

Sue Hawk’s speech at the final Tribal Council is a transcendent moment not only in the history of “Survivor” but also in the history of television.  It’s a moment where tens of millions of people could tell you where they were at the exact moment that she said it.  It’s amazing, it’s insane and it’s everything that we love about “Survivor.”

When I was in college, we forgot to pay the cable bill and our TV service was shut off.  I had a VHS tape of the finale of the first “Survivor” and we watched it over and over.  At one point, I had Sue’s whole speech committed to memory.  I got to play with Sue Hawk on “Survivor: All-Stars” and asked her about it every chance I got.  In a related story, she voted me off the first chance she got, but I’d like to think she’d still give me a drink of water if I was lying on the road, dying of thirst with vultures circling.

“Survivor: The Australian Outback” – Episode 7 Tribal Council (Jeff Varner Gets Screwed)

Back in 2001, people wondered if “Survivor” could do it again when the show launched its second season “Survivor: The Australian Outback.”  This time around, the players had seen the game before and both the Kucha and Okagor tribes knew they had to come in to the merge with numbers.  After Mike Skupin got burned in the fire, Kucha and Okagor came in to the merge with five members each.  Following an all-day immunity challenge, the merged tribe went to Tribal Council completely divided.

Each original tribe voted in unison with Kucha putting all their votes on Colby and the former Okagor members voting for Jeff Varner.  At this time in “Survivor,” a tie was broken based on previous votes and Jeff had a vote cast against him at the first Tribal Council by Debb Eaton.  Smartly, Tina Wesson asked Kucha member, Kimmi Kappenberg, about who Debb voted for and Kimmi revealed it was Jeff.  Tina filed that piece of information in her pocket and targeted Varner for the first vote after the merge.

After the tribes got to a stalemate at five votes a piece, Jeff Probst asked Colby and Varner to reveal their previous votes.  Colby had none and Jeff had one (that he knew of).  It was enough and Jeff Varner became the first player voted out after the merge.  This one vote sealed the game for Okagor as they controlled the numbers and picked off the rest of the Kucha tribe over the course of the season.  Props to Tina, Colby, and the rest of the Okagors but it was a great loss to lose Jeff Varner, who I think is one of the great underrated players.

“Survivor: Marquesas” – Episode 13 Final Four Tribal Council (The Purple Rock)

All through “Survivor: The Australian Outback” and “Survivor: Africa,” the prospect of a tie vote loomed over the game.  After this one Tribal Council, “Survivor” players would never think of tie votes in the same way.  In “Survivor: Marquesas,” they were down to only four players by Day 37 with Neleh and Paschal joined as a tight two, Kathy as the third member of their alliance and Vecepia on the outside looking in.  After Vecepia won immunity at Final 4, Neleh and Paschal realized the vote should be for Kathy and Kathy did too.

Kathy asked the now immune Vecepia to vote with her.  With nothing to lose, Vecepia agreed to work with her.  For Kathy, the strategy makes all the sense in the world.  Since Vee has immunity, and Paschal and Neleh won’t vote for one another, Kathy will be voted out of the tribe.  Kathy is willing to join Vee and risk her 100% chance of being voted out of the game in exchange for a 66.66% percent chance of STAYING in the game by picking a yellow rock.

For Paschal and Neleh, either of them could have guaranteed their own safety in the game by offering to join Vee and Kathy in voting the other one out.  Obviously, Neleh or Paschal don’t want to do that because of their friendship so instead they will gamble on the 33% chance that Kathy pulls the purple rock out of the bag.  Furthermore, if their gamble is correct and Kathy pulls the yellow rock, they’ll control the votes heading in to a final 3 vs. Vecepia.

Jeff instructed the three rock-pullers to take a rock out of the bag one at a time without looking at it.  He would have them all open their palm simultaneously for the results.  Neleh went first, then Kathy and finally Paschal.  “That feels like Purple, Jeff”, Paschal joked as he took his rock out of the bag.  However, Paschal soon found out that the purple rock was not a joke.  After 37 days, Paschal was voted out by picking the wrong colored rock.

The purple rock was a transformative moment in the game that would change the way players play going forward.  Sure, we’ll still have ties at the final four in a few seasons but other than the 2-2 stalemate, no vote will go to rocks again for another 23 seasons!  Ultimately, the fear of getting Paschal’ed (with all due respect to Katie Collins) will usually get one of the players to flip and avoid the purple rock scenario entirely.  It’s because of this, I think this Tribal Council deserves a place in the “Survivor” Hall of Fame.

Follow the “Survivor” Hall of Fame on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute updates and Tribal Council nominations.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Hall of Famer Rob Cesternino’s Top Three Tribal Councils

‘Survivor’ Castaway Reed: ‘I Let a 20 Year Old Get My Goat’

December 4, 2014

'Survivor: San Juan del Sur' ((CBS)

NOTE: XFINITY TV is the place to go for “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” coverage with “all the fixin’s.” We’ll have Power Rankings with “Cagayan” fave Spencer Bledsoe, every Wednesday evening we’ll bring you a recap of the most recent episode, and every Thursday you’ll be able to watch the previous night’s episode and read an interview with the eliminated contestant. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for immediate updates.

[xfinity-record-button id=”6034085997813089112″ program_type=”series”]

Every “Survivor” fan dreams of going on the show, winning challenges, swinging votes, orchestrating a brilliant blindside, and walking away with a big, fat check.

Well, Reed will have to settle for four out of five.

I spoke to one half of the Broadway duo the morning after his elimination and asked about Keith’s blunder, Alec’s flirting, and Missy’s wrath…

Gordon Holmes: Why were you flirting with Jaclyn when her boyfriend was at Exile?
Reed Kelly: (Laughs)
Holmes: Wait, those are my questions for Alec.
Kelly: (Laughs)
Holmes:  I can salvage this…why was Alec flirting with Jaclyn?
Kelly: That’s just Alec. It’s who he is. How can you not love that face? He’s trying to work his game. I give him props.

Holmes: You’re a Broadway talent. On a scale from one-to-ten, how do you rate Jon’s Disney singing ability?
Kelly: I have to say, I was really impressed. His singing I’ll give him like a six, but his character work is definitely a nine or ten, Gordon.
Holmes: That’s been a popular opinion that his character stuff is scary good.
Kelly: Within the Broadway community we have a special appreciation for people like Jon. He’s passionate about his Disney movies.

Holmes: Are you going to be watching “Peter Pan Live!” tonight?
Kelly: Absolutely. All of my friends are on it. I’m so excited for them.

Holmes: It looked like you had Jon and his idol out of the game and then Keith…uh…he had his moment.
Kelly: Stick to the plan, Gordon!
Holmes: Have four words ever been more disastrous?
Kelly: What happened was, there were so many plates spinning to make it happen. And I told Wes and Keith, “We can make this happen, this is going to be epic. Just don’t get spooked. I’m going to have to come after you at Tribal and draw attention to the fact that you guys have an idol. Don’t let this throw you. The only reason I’m doing this is I have to make the majority alliance believe that I’m really with them. Don’t freak out.” But, apparently I’m too good of an actor because I really freaked them out.
Holmes: In their defense, you are a professional actor.
Kelly: (Laughs) It was one of those moments where he said, “We need to stick to the plan” and I wanted to step outside and light myself on fire.
Holmes: There are many convenient ways to do that at Tribal.
Kelly: I know, right? But it happened, and I adore Keith and Wes. It’s just interesting when you’re working with people who aren’t huge “Survivor” fans and they don’t behave in a predictable manner.
Holmes: When Josh wants to get your goat, does he say, “Stick to the plan?”
Kelly: (Laughs) There’s so many other ways that I can get back at him, that we kind of don’t do that. When you beat someone in a sumo challenge, that’s always good material.

Holmes: I like players who appreciate good moves, even if they’re against them. And it seemed like Jon had a positive attitude after you almost sent him home.
Kelly: I think Jon is just good-natured in general. Almost to a point where it gets frustrating because you get a lot of nice things with Jon and you say, “OK, you’re very sweet. But, I need you to stand up for something right now.”

Holmes:  Jon said he trusted you last night, then Natalie swung over and he was like, “You scoundrel, I can never trust you.” Did you have a chance to address that again after his fight with Jaclyn?
Kelly: No Gordon, that was it. I had to sneak off into the woods and circle around just to have that conversation with Jon and Jaclyn. Missy and Natalie were guarding Jon. They were watching him like a hawk. I feel like Jaclyn was down with the plan, but when you have two people who start fighting with each other for five-to-six hours, it doesn’t make for the best gameplay. I felt like Jon was open to the idea for a minute.
Holmes: Jon and Jaclyn always find themselves in the middle. Is this a larger strategy or do they just go where the wind takes them?
Kelly: Yes. (Laughs)
Holmes: (Laughs)
Kelly: They really were in the middle. It was because they were playing for opportunities which can be a strategy. But, it’s frustrating when you’re wondering where they’re going to be this time. I’m not sure if it was a strategy for them, or if it was just the circumstances they found themselves in.

Holmes: You and Missy had it out after you called Baylor a brat. I found this annoying because I’m thinking at this point you’re headed for the jury. Terrible jury management.
Kelly: Absolutely. And the moment if flew out of my mouth I thought, “Why did you do that?” You’re not only attacking Baylor, but you’re attacking her parenting style. I regretted it. But what you didn’t see is Baylor had been ragging on me all day. You’re starving, you’re exhausted. It is what it is. I knew there was no coming back from that. But, I tried to extend an olive branch after they returned from the reward. I kind of got this thing from Baylor where I’m apologizing and she said, “You know, Reed. You just really need to learn to tame your tongue.” And I was like “OK! I’m not going to go any further with this.” My mom raised me better. I’m a little frustrated that I let a 20 year old get my goat.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Jon.
Kelly: Wine.
Holmes: Rocker?
Kelly: Big.
Holmes: Jaclyn?
Kelly: Pageant.
Holmes: Missy?
Kelly: She-wolf.
Holmes: Natalie?
Kelly: Hysterical.
Holmes: Baylor?
Kelly: No comment.
Holmes: Alec?
Kelly: Bro!
Holmes: Wes?
Kelly: Road house.
Holmes: Keith?
Kelly: Spit.
Holmes: Let’s finish with Josh.
Kelly: Aww…love.
Holmes: Adorable.

Holmes: So, nobody has given a positive answer for Baylor yet.
Kelly: Really? That’s unfortunate. I don’t dislike her as a human being, but it was rough out there with Missy and Baylor.

Holmes: You are a super fan. You got out there and made some major moves. What is your takeaway from the experience?
Kelly: I get really mushy about it. It really is a dream come true. You’re out there and you’re miserable, but for me I was so loving and hating it. Jeff Probst is like “Reed is doing this!” and “Reed is doing that!” and I’m thinking, “Jeff Probst is saying my name right now!” It’s so epic and beyond words and such a blessing because there are so many super fans who want to do the show. I hope we gave the super fans some hope.

Holmes: You and Josh are abstaining from sex until marriage.
Kelly: Yes, it is a daily commitment.
Holmes: Are there any plans for a marriage?
Kelly: I think at this point we would say we’re seriously dating with intent on marriage. It’s something we talk about quite frequently. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was on the very near horizon.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter at @gordonholmes.

Tags:, ,
Posted in RealityTV, survivor, TV News | Comments Off on ‘Survivor’ Castaway Reed: ‘I Let a 20 Year Old Get My Goat’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »