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Hey all, I just wanted to let you know that I will no longer be posting my Survivor recaps on this website. As most of you probably know, I am now a writer for TVFishbowl.com. I will be posting all of my thoughts on that website! I thank each and every one of you for reading. I have about 7200 hits on my blog up until this point. Love you guys! -Tim-

Caramoan: "Honey Badger" Recap

19 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?. . . Upon returning from the first tribal council, Dawn tries to explain to Brandon the reason why Francesca was the first person voted from the game, again. Brandon wasn't having any part of it. In his mind, it was just down right dirty to do this to one of the "nicest women" to ever play the game. This heated discussion left Dawn weeping and Brandon feeling like a Russell incarnate. Brandon plots to avenge Francesca's departure. Honestly, I don't think this is the smartest move for Brandon's game. Due to this outburst, it would not surprise me to see him leave tonight if the favorites make the dreaded trek back to tribal council. Something tells me that tonight's episode isn't going to end like that, though... Apparently Brandon had an epiphany while he was laying on Bikal beach all night long. He decided to do some damage control as soon as everyone woke up. He understands the importance of not giving your tribemates a reason to vote you out. So, he decides to talk to Phillip and Cochran about his regrets. This leads to a discussion where Brandon comes to the conclusion that Phillip is trying to play a Boston Rob-esque game (which is true) by being the self-proclaimed "CEO" of the tribe. Brandon decides to relay this information back to some of the other members of his tribe. The best way to try to get people not to vote for you is to give them someone else to vote for. I like this new game that Brandon is playing. I would love to see it work out for him. The first thing that Probst asks the tribe of fans is their thoughts on Francesca's departure. Michael makes a comment that the favorites have absolutely no mercy. I truly hope the fans remember this once there is a tribe swap. The favorites tribe have absolutely no remorse and cannot be trusted, but something tells me that at least one fan will end up trusting a favorite at some point, which will be a grave mistake. The week's challenge was a combination of immunity and reward. The reward consisted of fishing gear. The challenge required three members of each tribe to climb aboard a raft where members of their team would have to pull them to a spot in the ocean where they would have to remove bamboo poles from a mesh box in order to release rings (which basically looked like miniature life preservers). The fans, Julia, Hope, and Sherri, apparently had no idea what they were doing because they were still working on releasing their rings while the favorites team (Erik, Brenda, and Andrea) were already halfway back to the beach. At this point, Malcolm and Phillip had to throw and wrap the rings around four poles. Michael and Reynold tried to make a comeback for the fans tribe, but to no avail. The Bikal tribe won the fishing gear, but more importantly, they won immunity. Favorites, don't forget to look for a clue to the hidden immunity in your fishing gear!! There is instant drama on the Gota beach once they return from the challenge. Reynold calls Shamar out for his piss poor attitude, lack of communication skills, and disregard for teamwork. Teamwork makes the dream work, Shamar. Get your shit together, son! The fight results in Reynold announcing that he will be voting for Shamar at the night's tribal council. Shamar goes on a rant about how Reynold's dramatic performance was Reynold's attempt to make Shamar look bad. Shamar, you make yourself look bad, you didn't need Reynold's help. I really hope Shamar gets his torch snuffed tonight. He is self-absorbed, lazy, disrespectful, and gives the United States military a bad name. I'm not completely clueless when it comes to why Sherri wants to keep Shamar around, even though, as Matt mentioned, even if you kick Shamar off tonight, you will still have a 5-4 advantage over the "Pretty People." Shamar is completely worthless in challenges and around camp. Despite the fact that Shamar is a virus, there are reasons why they should keep him around a little bit longer. First of all, there is no way in hell he has a chance at winning this game. If he is pissing people off this early in the game, there is no way he can make it to the end. Secondly, keep him around long enough to get rid of Allie and Hope (the two weaker people of the alliance), then give him the boot when his sixth vote is no longer needed. Reynold is the first person of the season to do exactly what I would have done prior to my first tribal council - - look for the hidden immunity idol. There is a reason why I had good feelings about Reynold in my pre-season cast assessment. Reynold was successful in his search. Laura noticed that there was a strange bulge in Reynold's pocket. Why are you looking at Reynold's bulge, Laura? That is Allie's man! Anyway, a bulge such as this normally only forms right before a tribal if someone has the hidden immunity idol. She fears that this will thwart her alliance's plan to get rid of Allie tonight. Reynold, the idol should have went into your sock or shoe, not in plain sight. Rookie. Tonight's tribal council was very heated. Shamar got thrown under the bus, as expected. Laura, on the other hand, ended up outing Reynold and his new secret. Reynold admits that he found the hidden immunity idol and said that he plans on using it tonight since he can't trust the other people on his tribe, despite the fact that he wanted to save it for the merge. Honestly, I thought this was a brilliant move on Laura's part. She made Reynold look like a liar because he failed to tell his alliance about the hidden immunity idol. In addition, it solidified that the other members of her tribe would not flip on her and get rid of Shamar. It would be a stupid move if they decide not to break up the "Pretty People" alliance considering that they now have the weapon of mass destruction, also known as the hidden immunity idol. The tribal council resulted in Allie getting the boot in a 6-4 vote. I understand the importance of breaking up the other alliance within the tribe, as well as dismantling the budding love interest of Reynold and Allie. However, it saddens me that she was the one who got the boot tonight. I feel like a broken record when it comes to talking about all of the things I dislike about Shamar, so I will spare you the details. Allie had so much potential (check out my pre-season cast assessment about how she basically stole my spot on the show - - she really didn't, but we are ridiculously similar), she just made a bad decision when she cuddled up to Reynold at night and when she inadvertently excluded the other members of her tribe. Shamar probably won't last much longer, so at least I have that to look forward to. Eliminated: Allie Pohevitz, the 25-year-old Bartender from Oceanside, New York Until next time. . . Feel free to follow me on Twitter. I often follow back!

Caramoan: Season Premiere

The night is finally upon us.  I have been waiting for this since December.  The Survivor: Caramoan premiere starts now!  The season opens up with a complete introduction of all of the season's castaways.  There is something about the show's theme song that gives me goose pimples every time I hear it.  It's indescribable.  I hope that the rumors are true that this season is even better than the last.  Let's sit back and find out together, shall we?

Probst introduces the two tribes as being divided into fans versus favorites.  More importantly, we get to see a reward challenge as soon as the castaways hit the beach.  Probst tells us that the challenge will be for fire and twenty pounds of beans.  I love the idea that they started with a physical challenge.  The show's executives wanted animosity to start early, huh?  You could tell that the favorites were out for blood.  I was really impressed with Andrea's performance in the challenge.  She was a beast!  There were a couple fans I had to root for, my Twitter buddies, Allie and Reynold, who both put on stellar performances, as well.  

The fans are definitely worker bees around camp.  They immediately decide to start working on the shelter.  Shamar decides to pick a fight with some of his other tribe mates about whether it is wise to conserve energy for the upcoming immunity challenge as opposed to working on the shelter.  Shamar, you have seen the show before, right?  Why on earth would you start fights immediately after arriving at camp?  I'd be surprised if you even knew Matt's name yet!  If I was fortunate to be on that tribe with them, I would have just sat back and let the two of them duke it out.  Hell, I probably would have talked about the situation to my other castaways just so I could get them thinking about getting rid of Shamar and/or Matt at the first tribal council.

Meanwhile, at the Bikal camp, Brenda immediately asks Phillip what he wanted to do about the shelter.  Phillip is automatically put into the leadership role.  I'm not sure if this was Brenda's intention at all, but I thought it was brilliant.  Speaking of Phillip, I love him more this time than I did the first time.  He still has animosity towards Francesca.  She was trying to talk to him about their past, and he just completely ignored her.  It was hysterical!

The favorites understand the importance of alliances.  Andrea, Dawn, and Francesca talk about bringing in Cochran, Phillip, and Brandon.  Say what?  Dawn, why would you want to work with Cochran again after he flipped on you last time?  It really doesn't make sense to me.  Phillip has his own strategy.  He wants to take the Boston Rob approach.  He wants to have a bunch of different alliances and control those who he is aligned with without it being completely obvious that he is the mastermind behind what is going on.  I mean, it has worked for people in the past.  Maybe Phillip has learned a few things since Redemption Island. 

Back at the Gota camp, Reynold immediately hits it off with Allie and Eddie.  Hope also makes an alliance with Eddie, so the two of them talk about working with Allie and Reynold.  Didn't I mention how Allie and Hope would probably be working together?  Anyway, Laura noticed that Reynold and Allie are doing a little more under the beautiful Caramoan skies than trying to stay warm.  Come on guys, you as fans of the show should know that you cannot get that close to each other at night!  I mean, you already talked about how you weren't going to talk to one another around other people.  I don't want to see you guys go, but I have a bad feeling.   

Poor Cochran reminds me of that little boy from the movie "The Little Giants."  You know, the nerdy kid who was always sick?  The one who had a huge snot bubble hanging from his nose?  Anyway, once again Cochran is basically allergic to all of his surroundings, more specifically, the sun.  The unlucky ginger ends up getting one of the worst sunburns anyone has ever seen on the show.  It's not life-threatening or anything, so the show must go on!

We arrive at the first immunity challenge of the season.  The competitors have to climb up three stories to retrieve large crates. They must throw and break each crate to release a sand bag.  After all sand bags are retrieved, one competitor gets to use them to play a game of cornhole.  Malcolm made it to the cornhole game (such a weird name, by the way) first, but Reynold ended up beating him, thus securing immunity and flint for the tribe of fans.

The favorites tribe is a hot damn mess; every possible alliance that could have been made has been made.  One minute, the vote is going to be split just in case someone has a hidden immunity idol, then the next thing we know everyone is talking about getting rid of Andrea (wise decision, by the way), and in between all of this confusing, mind-blowing, precarious decision-making, we keep seeing that damn marsupial jumping from tree to tree and eating grasshoppers.  Is this a camp pet?  Why do we keep seeing this cute little animal that looks like it has Graves' disease?  Anyway, I guess that really doesn't matter much.

The first tribal council of the season was great.  Everyone was scared shitless, and rightfully so.  No one should ever feel safe in this game unless individual/hidden immunity is being used.  In a 6-4 vote, Andrea just barely lived to see another three days on the island.  Francesca (or Francesqua as Phillip would call her) became the first person in Survivor history to be the first boot twice!

The season opener was a great start to the season.  The favorites are going to be nothing but paranoid the entire time.  This means that we will constantly watch them scramble, which makes for good television.  Furthermore, as Probst pointed out, the fans now know that they could potentially win this thing.  Frankly, I am looking forward to the fans losing immunity.  I can't wait for the "uncool" members of the fans tribe to banish Eddie from the island.  He is a huge tool, and I hate that he is aligned with three people who I predicted could potentially make it far in the game.

Eliminated:  Francesca Hogi, the 38-year-old Attorney from Brooklyn, New York.

Until next time. . . 

Feel free to follow me on Twitter.  I often follow back!

Caramoan: Pre-season Cast Assessment

If you have been following my blog since the beginning, then you know how my pre-season cast assessments work.  For those of you who do not, I will give you a quick rundown of what to expect.  Basically, I watched the minute and a half long cast interview of each contestant.  I only have that small amount of time to analyze each person and determine what kind of game play he or she will have, how far the castaway will go in the game, as well as who I believe has the potential to align with whom.  I am not always right, but back during the One World season, I did accurately predict that Kim and Chelsea would be in a final two alliance with one of them becoming the sole survivor.  I also would like to preface this with the fact that I do not scan spoiler websites beforehand in order to make myself look good when I am right.  I was going to make this article as aesthetically pleasing as possible by posting pictures of each castaway, but I decided against it.

Andrea, as well as the other "favorites" of the game, is on the purple tribe called Bikal.  She first appeared on Redemption Island. Originally, I really was not impressed with her strategic game.  She was deemed a threat early on because of her friendship with Matt, so she decided to stray away from the friendship in order to protect herself in the game.  She tried to play the game a little too late by trying to get an all-female alliance going when she realized that Boston Rob was going to win the game if she did not do something about it.  It was too little too late.  She eventually became the 13th person voted out and the eighth jury member.  

This time around Andrea is "ten times more excited" about playing the game.  She knows that she will be a physical asset to her tribe.  She will continue to be as hardworking as she originally was.  The only thing she plans on changing this time is that she will be more aggressive, not be afraid to make the big moves, remain calm, and play a million dollar winning game.  Honestly, she has the potential to win this game as long as she sticks to her plans.  She could have won it the first time around if she would have made big moves early on in the game.  I'm actually excited to watch her play this time.

Brandon is without a doubt one of the whiniest Survivor contestants we have ever seen.  During his time in the South Pacific we often found him questioning his relationship with God.  If there was one positive attribute that he had, however, it was his loyalty.  He stuck with his original alliance until the bitter end.  He was so loyal that he made the always ignorant move of giving up his immunity necklace and was ultimately blindsided from the game.  He claims that he played a nearly perfect game last time.  So clearly Brandon is still as delusional this time around.  I see him being a strong physical competitor for his tribe, but I really don't see him making it to the end.  Maybe another final six appearance?  Or an early post-merge boot?  I'm anxious to see if he is going to play the religious fanatic card like he did the last time.  If any of you have paid attention to his personal life, you know that he has no right to do so.

I don't think I've ever been more excited about a castaway returning than I am about Brenda Lowe. I definitely believe that she got the shaft during her time in Nicaraqua.  She was the early leader of her tribe of young people, made strong alliances, and even helped find a hidden immunity idol.  Her down fall was that she was too big of a threat and did not "scramble" to stay on the island.  This was the dumbest part of her game.  She did not make the necessary last minute moves in order to secure her place in the game.  

Unlike Brandon, Brenda actually knows what mistakes she made out there.  She understands the importance of making more than one alliance, having a dual personality, and having a strong mental game.  I know that Brenda will go far in the game.  She is a very smooth talker, so it would not surprise me to see her align with one of the younger men.  In addition, I see the likelihood of her working well with Andrea.  On the other hand, she did align herself with NaOnka (her season's villain) the first time.  We may see her do the same thing this time around by aligning with someone like Corinne or Phillip, although I don't expect it to happen.

Cochran was also featured on South Pacific.  He was someone who you couldn't help but root for, even though you really didn't want to.  At least I know I didn't want to.  I was strongly opposed to his decision to stab his original tribe in the back.  There really was not any logic behind it.  The reason he made this choice was because the two tribes would have tied and would have been forced to draw rocks.  Cochran did not like that he wouldn't have control of his own fate.  He ended up becoming the fifth jury member of his season.

During every episode of South Pacific, Cochran would always talk about how he needed to be more aggressive, less nerdy, less annoying, and more beneficial in challenges and around camp.  However, he never really changed anything.  He admits that he will try even harder this time around.  He reminded us that he really was not in an alliance the entire time he was on the island.  He plans on making more than one alliance within the first three days out there.  As we all know, it is crucial to make those bonds on your first day. I don't want to see Cochran make it to the end.  Fortunately for him, he does have the knowledge and eagerness to do so.  Due to his Charlie Brown-esque personality, he is and always will be viewed as an underdog.  I really hope I don't find myself rooting for him this season, but I'm not going to rule that out quite yet.

It has been a hot minute since Corinne has played the game of Survivor.  As a matter of fact, it has been five years since her season aired.  She had a strong alliance and was loyal.  Her ultimate downfall was her piss poor attitude.  She said that she doesn't think that she will change anything.  I cringed when I heard her say this.  Lady, you didn't win the first time.  Obviously something didn't work!  This statement goes to show that she won't last long in this game.  Furthermore, it may be hard for her to make alliances since it has been so long since she played.  Corinne's pre-game training is the only thing that could possibly get her far in the game (highly unlikely).

Dawn is the third member of the cast whose previous season was South Pacific.  I absolutely adored her.  She was the mother figure of her Savaii tribe.  In addition, she was a hell of a physical competitor.  Even though she did not take home the win like I wanted her to, she did get a lot further in the game than I originally predicted she would.  Dawn did everything she possibly could to catapult herself further into the game.  It was Cochran's poor decision making that ultimately got her (and the other members of her original tribe) booted from the game.  Dawn admits that she knows that she will have to play more cutthroat the second time.  She will not worry as much about hurting people's feelings.  She could have made it to the end the first time if she wasn't the victim of circumstance, so I know that she can make it to the end this time, as well.  Dawn looks better than she did on her original season.  I'm excited to see her make it to the end.

Erik is best known for making one of the stupidest moves in Survivor history.  In Micronesia, Amanda convinced him to give up his individual immunity so the Black Widow Brigade could blindside him.  It seemed to me that he really did not have much of a strategy going in.  He kind of just did what other people wanted him to do.  Much like last time, Erik has no chance in winning this time.  He did not clue us in on what kind of game he intends on playing this time around.  The one thing that stuck out to me the most is that he said that he isn't exactly sure if he could win or not.  The sheer lack of confidence in his game proves to me that he will be lucky to make it as far as he did last time.  The only thing Erik has going for him is his physicality.

I have no idea why Francesca is making a return to the game.  She was the first person voted out of her tribe on Redemption Island.  She was even on the same tribe as Andrea.  There is no way that she could possibly be viewed as a "favorite."  There are so many other first boots I would prefer to see play the game again.  This is basically a "what if" kind of situation.  We really don't know what kind of game Francesca would have played if she would have stayed longer.  There were two things that prevented Francesca from experiencing more than three days on the island.  The first is that she was disposable.  She really did not bring much to the table around camp or in challenges.  Secondly, she was not in the majority alliance.  She got close with one other person and that was all.  She will definitely need to play harder right out of the gate.  She will need to try to make a large alliance on the first day.  She will be an early boot if she didn't learn anything from the first time she played.

I absolutely adored Malcolm from the very first episode of Philippines.  He became a fan favorite due to the fact that he was an underdog.  His tribe was almost completely annihilated, but he and Denise were able to fight back and make it to the final four together.    He was a fan of the game which is why he was able to get so far in the game.  The only reason why he did not make it to the final three is because his tribe knew that he could have won it all.  Malcolm is a strong competitor mentally and physically, and he has charm for days.  Malcolm is one of very few people who is playing back-to-back seasons.  We saw that this could work wonders for some people, like it did for Amanda.  The reason why it worked so well for her is because she played such a threatening, low-key game the first time around and no one was able to see her season before she came back.  They didn't get a chance to see how huge of a threat she was capable of being.  The thing that will negatively effect Malcolm is that he played the game so upfront.  He wore his game on his sleeve.  I would love to see Malcolm play his attributes down a bit more.  He should be just as charming as before but needs to work harder on making stronger alliances early on.  I would love to see Malcolm make it to the end.  Hopefully, he will be able to get in with the other favorites in order to secure this.  

Phillip is one of the most maniacal players to ever play the game.  The kicker is that we never actually learned whether or not his over-the-top showmanship was actually part of his strategy or if this is actually who he is.  This lunatic actually  made it to the final three, but had no chance in hell at actually winning.  He could make it to the end if he plays exactly the same way - - unless we get a bunch of people who only want to take the noble and worthy to the end (like last season).  Phillip stated that he was the first runner-up on Redemption Island and plans on winning this time, but he did not say how he plans on accomplishing this.  As aforementioned, I expect Phillip to play a similar game, but my gut tells me that he won't make it as far as he did last time.

 Allie is aligned with other fresh meat on the orange, Gota tribe.  So, I'm pretty sure that Allie saw one of my audition tapes at some point.  She said so many different things that I have said on my two previous audition tapes, as well as some of the things I said in my live audition.  She's even a bartender!  If one of the favorites does not win the game then obviously I'm rooting for Allie, as biased as that may sound.  She is a bartender, so she knows how to relate to people.  She plans on being a villain behind the scenes by being an instigator, but does not want to be viewed as an immediate threat or annoying.  Allie has worked for everything she's had in her life, so I definitely see her as being a worker bee around camp.  The only thing that could possibly work against her is that she may be too beautiful.  The other women may be jealous of her and might try to get her booted early on.  Another thing that could bite Allie in the ass is that she neglected to talk about making an alliance.  I'm sure she understands the importance of this, though.

Eddie is one of the male hotties of the season.  He is a firefighter back home, so he will be the muscle of his tribe.  He wants to be the funny guy, but not the class clown, whatever that means.  I couldn't help but notice the cross that he was wearing around his neck.  It will be interesting to see if his morals get in the way of him making the tough decisions out there.  He admits that he is hard headed, which will also be a strike against him.  Eddie informs us that he really doesn't have a plan.  If we have learned anything about watching the show, you should know that you have to have multiple plans while not being afraid to stray from them when you need to.  He is on a fans versus favorites season, but he really hasn't shown me much in this regard.  I see Eddie as being one of the first post-merge boots.

Hope is a former Miss Missouri.  I instantly fell in love as soon as she said this.  Not only is she from my state, but she is also from my part of the state.  As soon as I saw her, she automatically reminded me of Parvati Shallow.  I read in her bio that she intends on playing a similar game, as well.  Hope, much like Allie, is one of the hottest females to ever play this beloved game.  Hope seems confident, outgoing, and physically tough enough to make it far in this game; you have to be tough if you grow up in the sticks of southeast Missouri.  I would not be surprised to see her align with Allie.  She really did not state what kind of game she plans on playing, but I definitely see her going far...at least I hope she does.

Julia is a Stanford student and a race car driver.  Say what?!  Those are two very different personality quirks.  Honestly, there really wasn't anything specific that stood out to me about Julia.  She seemed a bit awkward.  It would really surprise me if she makes it very far in the game.  She does not seem to have that sort of magnetism that propels people deep into the game.  I could be wrong about her, but I doubt that I am.

Laura actually took the words straight out of my mouth.  She is a self-proclaimed "total package," without the physical strength, of course.  This is the only negative thing that Laura has working against her.  As long as she is able to make it past the first couple tribal councils then I see her making it extremely far in this game.  Laura does not trust other people, which probably can be attributed to the fact that she works in Washington D.C.; politics is an every day way of life.  Much like Julia, however, Laura does not seem to have that magnetic personality that will make people want to work with her, but in spite of this, something tells me that she will be one of the strongest social gamers of the new cast.  It is likely that her calm demeanor will allow her to be seen as a sleeper when in reality she is making big moves behind the scenes.

Matt looks like a ginger Charles Manson.  Seriously, though, he will definitely be the outcast of the season.  He does own a BMX company, so maybe he and Julia will have something to talk about. The one thing that I noticed is that Matt is the type of person who always has good things happen to him.  I know people like this, so he may surprise us all.  A negative aspect is that he didn't seem to prepare too much beforehand.  He mentioned that his wife put him on a diet before he came to the island. Honestly, I think it takes more than three or four months to prepare for something as unique as Survivor.  I'd be surprised to see him make it past the first couple votes.

Michael is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) member of his tribe of fans.  He claims that he has a well-balanced strategy, but did not clue us in on what this strategy actually is.  He does work with people all day, so his social game may be top notch if he is able to make any alliance at the very beginning.  He mentioned that he is going to be chill until it is time to make a big move.  The major flaw with this is the fact that there are times in the early stages of the game that require big moves (such as making an alliance on the first day).  Regardless, I don't expect Michael to make it to the end.

Reynold and Eddie look so much alike.  I had to do a double take when I watched his interview.  I was immediately drawn to Reynold.  He has such an inviting, warm, lovable personality that could get him deep into the game.  He may have such an amazing personality that he probably won't make it to the end.  I would love to see him make it far, though.  The one thing that could hurt him is that he doesn't seem to have that character trait that will force him to stab someone in the back when the time comes.  Reynold will be the guy that everyone will be rooting for.  I truly hope that he isn't an early boot because I will want to watch him every week.  He is definitely the Malcolm of the season....errr, you know what I mean. 

Shamar is coming to us with a military background, so his physical game should be superb.  However, he claims that he is used to being alone and independent.  This may hinder his social game.  He may have a wall up that will not allow him to make the social ties that need to be made.  The thing that may help him is the fact that he does seem to have a jolly personality.  In addition, he may be able to align with some of the older people of his tribe like Matt, Michael, and Sherrie in order to stay longer in the game.

There were several statements that Sherrie made that makes me think she will be one of the first people kicked off.  All of these statements basically have the same underlying meaning.  As soon as I saw her, she just came off as being very distant and cold.  Then, she mentioned that she is not going out there to make friends or play nice.  There really is nothing about this woman that screams "long-term."  She doesn't seem to be a physical competitor.  She said that she is going to "try" to make it far in the game, which tells me that her mental game will not be impressive, either.  Maybe I am being a tad harsh and will be wrong about her.  I guess we only have two weeks to find out.

Survivor:  Caramoan is the second season to feature this fans versus favorites format.  The first one, Micronesia, is regarded as one of the best seasons of all time.  Needless to say, Caramoan has a lot to live up to.  We will be blessed with a two-hour season premiere on Wednesday, February 13, at 8/7 central only on CBS.  I will have a weekly episode recap right here immediately following each episode.  I hope to see you here.

Follow me on Twitter:  @the_timgilmore

Philippines: Episode 14 "And Then There Were Three"

This is the night that Survivor fans have been waiting for.  We are down to the last individual immunity challenge, the last two tribal councils, as well as the final four of Denise, Lisa, Malcolm, and Skupin.  Who has outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted all of the rest to take home the million dollar prize as well as the title of “Sole Survivor?” 

Upon returning to camp, the final four is discussing how huge of a parasite Abi was.  She literally sucked the life out of everyone she surrounded herself with.  It was evident how disliked she was by the fact that everyone did a dance of joy after returning without her.

In what is arguably the most important reward challenge we have ever seen, Probst announces to the remaining castaways that the winner of the challenge will receive an advantage in the final individual immunity challenge.  He explains that each must race through a series of obstacles collecting bags along the way.  Once you have all three bags, you will use the enclosed pieces to construct a puzzle.  The challenge was entitled “The Dragon Slayer,” which may be a homage to fan favorite, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, who has the same nickname.

The challenge resulted in all four members of Dangrayne making it to the puzzle at almost the same time.  Skupin and Lisa fell out of the final leg of the challenge relatively early, leaving Denise and Malcolm to battle it out.  Despite the fact that I voted for Lisa to win the “Player of the Season,” and yes I did vote ten times, I found myself rooting for Denise to win the advantage.  However, she ended up losing to Malcolm by about three pieces. 

Denise knows that it is going to be her or Malcolm in the final three with Lisa and Skupin.  She convinced Lisa that she would be the wiser choice to take to the finals with them, which I definitely agree.  I’m not sure that Penner or Abi would give Denise their votes, while Malcolm really has not done anything to make people mad.  He had very polarizing physical and social games.  Despite the fact that Lisa is on board, Skupin truly believes that it might be a wiser decision to take Malcolm to the end.  I suppose it will really depend on who wins individual immunity.  It would not surprise me if Malcolm ends up winning immunity, anyway, making the final vote an easy one.

The “Fallen Comrades” portion of the show is one that I am generally not anxious about.   It just seems to drag the final episode out.  The only reason why I am interested in watching it this time is to see Angie.  I truly wish that she could have stayed in the game longer.  I couldn’t help but notice how Denise was the one who talked the most during this section of the episode.  She had a unique opportunity to get to know so many different people considering she went to every single tribal council.

We are down to the final individual immunity challenge of Survivor:  Philippines.  This final challenge is almost always a test of endurance.  The object of tonight’s challenge is to balance a metal ball on a wooden plank.  After a certain amount of time, each person must add additional length to their planks, making it much more difficult to keep the ball in balance.  The advantage that Malcolm has is that he has two chances at this challenge.  If his ball drops at any point, he gets a second try.  This advantage came into play early because Malcolm was the first one to drop his ball, thus restarting the challenge.  Not much longer after he dropped the ball the first time, Malcolm ended up dropping his ball a second time, becoming the first person out of the challenge.  I am going to make a bold prediction tonight that Lisa and Skupin will decide to send Malcolm home tonight.  Seemingly out of nowhere, Denise ended up dropping her ball and became the second person out of the challenge.  Skupin ended up outlasting Lisa in the challenge and became the winner of the final immunity challenge.

At this point, Skupin is still unsure how he wants to vote.  In his opinion, he would much rather take Malcolm to the finals because it is the more honorable thing to do, and he would prefer to beat someone that way.  On the other hand, Denise would probably be an easier win, and he does not want to go out that way.  I find it extremely ironic that he is playing the same kind of game that Colby played.  This is ironic because they participated on the same season together, the Australian Outback.  Colby chose Tina over Keith because it was the more honorable thing to do, and it cost him a million dollars.  I really hope Skupin does not make the same mistake.

The final-four tribal council was not as heated this time around, mostly because Abi was not allowed to express herself, at least not vocally, as she sat with the other jury members.  However, I could feel Malcolm’s pain when Probst asked Lisa if there was any reason why she should take Malcolm to the end.  Her response was “there’s no reason that I should take him to the end.”  You could see the utter shock, heartbreak, and defeat on his face, and it made me feel like I got punched in the stomach.  I cannot even begin to imagine how Malcolm was feeling after hearing that. Ultimately, Skupin made the right decision to not pull a Colby.  In a 3-1 vote, Malcolm became the fifteenth person voted out and became the eighth and final member of the jury.

Eliminated:  Malcolm Freberg, the 24-year-old Bartender from Hermosa Beach, California

It has been a long time since a final tribal council has given me knots like this.  It seemed to me that Denise had the most compelling opening statement.  The way she articulated her reasoning for why she believes she should be the sole survivor was simple, yet effective.  Lisa seemed to be a bit more scatter-brained, and the jury did not seem to buy it.  Skupin mentioned how he felt like he was the biggest target there because of the fact that he was a returning player. 

Overall, that will go down as one of the most memorable final tribal councils of all-time, all because of Jonathan Penner.  Of course they reserved the best for last.  Penner made a possible million dollar decision by revealing Lisa Whelchel’s past.  I am in complete shock right now that Penner exposed Lisa’s previous acting experience as a character on The Facts of Life.  Initially, even I did not want her to be in the game because of her colorful past.  However, she did deserve a final three spot.  She played a good game.  Despite her past, I would not mind seeing her win this game.

We were only able to see how three people voted.  RC voted for Lisa.  Penner voted for Denise.  Carter voted for the father-like figure of Skupin.  Live at the reunion show in Los Angeles, Probst reveals the same three votes that we already saw, followed by three consecutive votes for Denise.  Since it only takes four votes to win, Denise became the winner of Survivor:  Philippines.  I am perfectly content with Denise being the season’s winner.  She had to fight the entire way.  She is undoubtedly one of the strongest female competitors the show has ever seen.

Survivor:  Philippines is easily the best season since Heroes vs. Villains.  Due to its memorable characters, the underdog stories, and unpredictability, it will go down as one of the most intriguing seasons in recent years, and possibly of all-time.

I hope that all of you have enjoyed my episode recaps this season.  I look forward to coming back next season, so I can talk about the game that I love so very much.   I hear rumors that Caramoan is going to be an even more captivating season than this one was!  I will post my pre-season cast assessment when CBS officially releases the names of the new castaways. 

Winner:  Denise Stapley, the 41-year-old Sex Therapist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 Twitter:  @the_timgilmore

Philippines: Episode 13 "Gouge My Eyes Out"

We are down to the final two episodes!  Abi, Denise, Lisa, Malcolm, and Skupin have found their ways to the final five.  There are several different conversations going on at camp after Carter is ousted.  Lisa has finally figured out that she would much rather be sitting in the final three with someone she can beat, as opposed to someone like Carter who is arguably more deserving and could have possibly won the game.  Malcolm assesses Lisa’s game-play and knows exactly what kind of game she has decided to play.  Let’s see if the final four alliance sticks or if Abi will be able to cause some damage.  I truly hope that either Malcolm or Denise wins immunity tonight so both will be guaranteed a final four spot. 

I made the argument last week that no one would believe that Abi truly has a hidden immunity idol simply because if she actually had one she would have not taken any chances last week; she would have played it.  Lisa thinks that taking Abi to the finals is an easy win.  We must remember that Artis and Pete would probably give Abi their votes, so it’s not wise to assume anything when a million dollars are at stake.

The reward challenge allows the winner to choose two other tribemates to tag along.  The three of them will be enjoying a boat ride, pizza, and soft drinks.   These kinds of challenges are tricky.  If you win and choose two of your closest friends, then people often harbor ill-feelings and resentment.  I don’t see myself ever trying too hard to win a challenge such as this.  If someone else won and decided to take me, then that would be great.  I would not want to have the responsibility of choosing two people to take with me because I would not want people to resent my decision.  I recall Kim winning this challenge last season in One World.  She chose Sabrina and Chelsea to go with her on the reward, and this ended up being the final three.  I wonder if the same commitment will be made tonight.

Amidst Skupin acting like the “king of the world,” getting drunk off soda, and swimming with the “largest fish in the world,” Malcolm proposes a final three deal with him and Lisa.  Everyone knows that Denise is unbeatable simply because of how honest she has been, how physically she has played the game, and considering how she has been to every single tribal council since the beginning of the season.  She has overcome the odds to get this far in the game.  Lisa and Skupin agree to the proposition, but it seems that Lisa may have a final three deal of her own.

On day 36, Denise wakes up with fang marks on her neck.  Apparently Abi paid Edward Cullen to use his shimmery ways to try to get Denise kicked out of the game.  Despite the fact that Denise is in pain, she decides that she will try to tough it out in order to finish out the remainder of the game.  I would hate to see someone get medevac’d out of the game when they are all so close to the final three.  I truly hope that Denise’s condition is not serious.

Probst was giving Malcolm a hard time throughout the individual immunity challenge.  Does Probst forget that Malcolm really does not need individual immunity?  Malcolm already has the hidden immunity idol, so maybe it would be more beneficial if Probst berated one of the other players.  Despite the fact that Malcolm almost fell out of the challenge, he came from behind and ended up winning individual immunity anyway.  I’m assuming this is why they showed Probst giving Malcolm a hard time - - for dramatic effect.   Considering the final three talk that Malcolm and Skupin had, I’m not sure he will give immunity or his idol to Denise, although it would be amazing to see Malcolm and Denise remain together until the bitter end.

Lisa and Skupin entertain a final three deal with Abi.  Malcolm, on the other hand, is being preposterously selfish, arrogant, and spoiled because he is not willing to give Denise his hidden immunity idol.  He feels so confident that Abi is going home tonight.  Why risk it?  If you truly wanted Denise to be there with you, you would not want the hidden immunity idol as a souvenir.  It was such illogical reasoning on Malcolm’s part. 

I am about 50% sure that I understand why Abi was saying the things she was saying during tribal council.  She insulted Skupin’s intelligence on multiple occasions.  She also mentioned that she would be easy to beat in the final three, and the only way that Lisa or Skupin had any chance at winning would be if they took her to the end with them.  Well, the final four of Denise, Lisa, Malcolm, and Skupin stood strong and voted out Abi in a 4-1 vote.  I completely agree with this decision.  I could almost guarantee that more people would have voted for Abi to win the game if she was sitting in the finals.  All she would have needed were two additional votes, anyway.  There is a more level playing field with the remaining players.  I cannot even begin to speculate who the jury members are going to vote for.

The two-hour season finale will air this Sunday night.  We are left with two original Tandang members and two Matsing members.  Who would have ever guessed that two of Swan’s tribe of misfits would have prevailed and would make it to the final four?  I am still rooting for Malcolm and Denise at this point.  Although, I don’t think I would be too upset to watch Lisa win the million dollar prize, either.  Until next time . . .

Eliminated:  Abi-Maria Gomes, the 32-year-old Business Student from Los Angeles, California

Philippines: Episode 12 "Shot to Smithereens"

     I would like to reiterate that if Skupin is ever going to have an opportunity to make a big move, it will be during this week’s episode.  Malcolm has a hidden immunity idol that he must use before the final four, which means there are only two more tribal councils that he will be able to use his idol.  At this point, Malcolm is feeling extremely comfortable because he seemingly has a final four alliance with Denise, Lisa, and Skupin.  Any fan of Survivor will tell you that the best blindsides occur when people feel comfortable.  I would love to see the remaining members of Dangrayne blindside Malcolm tonight.  He is sitting comfortably.  He could potentially win the entire game if he makes it to the final three.  Skupin will finally be able to make the big move he has always dreamed of.  Simply put, blindsides are brutal and beautiful.  Let’s see if the remaining castaways have what it takes to make this game-changing move.

     The episode opens up with Lisa having an epiphany.  She has an understanding that going to the final three with Malcolm is a death sentence.  He is likable, strategic, very physical, and has battled against adversity.  I’m excited that these players are realizing why it would be brilliant to get rid of Malcolm at this point in the game.

     Tonight’s reward challenge allows us to see into the castaways’ souls, as poetic as that may sound.  It is the tear-jerking, always-emotional family visit.  Skupin is welcomed by his son, Michael.   Carter’s mom, Bianca, follows.  Then we get the meet Denise’s husband, Brad.  Lisa’s reaction to her brother, Justice, being on the island was priceless.  I have watched every season of this show, and I have never seen anything like this.  It truly was heart-wrenching to see Lisa react to her own flesh and blood in a way I have never seen before.  Abi is greeted by her mom.  There was a very interesting dynamic between the two of them considering Abi’s mom knows very little English.  Last, but certainly not least, the universe gets a glimpse at Malcolm’s home life by seeing is eccentric younger brother, Miles.  

     In my exceedingly candid opinion, the most important aspect about this part of the game is not being able to see a loved one after being away from home for 31 days, but whether or not it is smart to even win the reward.  There are two options one can take.  First, don’t try in the challenge whatsoever.  It is as simple as that.  Whomever doesn’t win does not have the responsibility to make any decisions regarding what happens next, whether it is to bring someone else on the reward with you, be selfish and keep the reward for yourself, or to look like the hero and to give the reward away - - whichever the circumstance may be.  Secondly, if you do try to win, be strategic about what decision you do make.  Talk it over with your alliance members on who you would take, that way there is no resentment involved.  I think I would be the person who wouldn’t try in the challenge.  This is a million dollar game.  I wouldn’t want someone not rewarding me a million dollars at the end of the game just because they resented me for not allowing them to see their loved one.  I would tell my loved one that I would see him/her when I got home, and there is no doubt in my mind that they would understand.  At the very least, they got a free trip to an exotic island that they’ll probably never see again.  Right?!

     Malcolm and his brother, Miles, ended up pulling out a win.  Malcolm had the obligation of choosing two couples to join him on the reward.  He sided with Lisa, Skupin, and their loved ones.  Considering how much he and Denise have been through, I am very surprised that he didn’t choose her.  I am wondering if they planned this out.  Maybe this was Malcolm and Denise’s way of solidifying a final four deal with Skupin and Lisa.  I’m not sure we will ever find out the answer to this, but I’m banking on it.

The reward allowed the family members to join the castaways back at camp.  Almost upon immediate arrival, Justice and Lisa has a very insightful, intriguing, and potentially game-changing conversation.  Lisa explains why she has been playing the game the way she has.  She informs us that it is much easier for her to say that she would like to play the game dishonestly than it is to actually play the game like this.  Justice reminds Lisa why she signed up for this life-changing opportunity in the first place and seemingly lights a fire under her.  Lisa remembers why she does not want to go to the finals with Malcolm.  She continues the same conversation with Skupin and Skupin Jr, regarding blindsiding Malcolm. 

     Immunity challenge time!  I was surprised by Denise’s performance tonight.  She did not perform as well as she normally does.  Abi’s performance was lackluster to the point that CBS was playing background music that even made the Three Stooges seem intelligent.  The final seconds left me hoping that Carter was going to pull out yet another win.  How drastically different is this from past few weeks?  I am actually rooting for Carter?! Malcolm ends up winning his first individual immunity which automatically sends him into the final four.  I am expecting Carter to get his far overdue walk to Ponderosa.  Despite the fact that Abi is one of the most obnoxious people to ever play this game, I don’t think they are going to vote against her tonight.  If she actually had an idol, then she would single-handedly decide who would be going home.  Why risk that?  The smart thing to do is to get rid of Carter tonight.

     The past few tribal councils have been incredibly unpredictable, interesting, old-school-esque, and have caused me to scream at the TV thus resulting in my neighbors thinking I am a raving lunatic, evident by the looks they give me when I pass them in the hallway (that was a mouthful).  However, the past few tribals have made the castaways sound like broken records.  There is constant talk about remaining loyal and taking the best people to the end of the game with you.  Well, Abi did not play an idol, shocker, so in a vote of 5 to 1, Carter was booted from the Dangrayne tribe.  Carter was the thirteenth person voted out and became the sixth member of the jury.  Who in their right mind would have ever predicted that the Kalabaw tribe would have become extinct before the Matsing tribe?

     I received a text message from my dad after the episode aired.  He was upset that Carter was ejected from the game because my dad viewed Carter as “nice and loyal.”  Well, in Carter’s exit interview he stated that the others started playing with their heads instead of their hearts.  I agree with this one hundred percent.  Playing with your head and not with your heart is how you win this game.  I guess it is interesting to see how radically different my dad and I would play this game.  Until next time. . .  

Eliminated:  Carter Williams, the 24-year-old Track Coach from Shawnee, Kansas.

Twitter:  @the_timgilmore