South Pacific: Episode 3

The first Redemption Island duel took place on this episode between Christine and Semhar.  Christine is just a straight up bitch and Semhar is a whack job...so I don't want either one of them to come back.  Christine had the potential to be a good player, but she doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut.  In a challenge that required balancing, Christine was able to pull out the win.  I hope that she'll be gone after next week's challenge.

It was heartbreaking for me to watch Brandon treat Mikayla like a piece of shit in front of the entire tribe.  Maybe that's my emotional side talking.  If I was a different member of the tribe who is on the outs....such as Stacey or Edna, I would have taken this opportunity to console Mikayla while she was sitting on the beach crying.  An alliance easily could have been formed.  Unfortunately, no one capitalized on this perfect opportunity.  Idiots!

Okay, seriously, Brandon is definitely not - - nor will he ever be - - half the player that Russell was.  Maybe it has a lot to do with his age.  Why in the world would you tell the entire tribe who you are?!  That act definitely shows his immaturity, especially due to the fact that he has admittedly lied about things already.  If he would have been able to stay low-key and keep the secret between himself and Coach, then he could have gone far in this game.  I don't think it is wise for the Upolu tribe to get rid of him just yet because he is good in challenges, but he will absolutely be the downfall of the tribe at some point.  If Upolu goes to tribal council a few more times before the merge, then they should definitely get rid of the physically weakest players - - however, it will be a very idiotic and dangerous situation if Brandon makes it to the merge.  I am hoping that the tribe does not allow that.  Brandon definitely does cause a lot of drama - - which makes for good television, but as a future player of the game, I would not allow him to have an opportunity to mingle with the members of Savaii.  Especially if they do not know his dirty little secret.

As I mentioned before, Cochran, Papa Bear (Mark), and Dawn are going to be the ones getting kicked out of the Savaii tribe first.  No surprise there.  Papa Bear made a smart move by attempting to find the hidden immunity idol and being so upfront about it.  However, it was very ignorant of him to be so obvious about allegedly finding it.  Be subtle about the fact that you have the idol so you can blindside some bitches.  No one believed him, which is the reason why he got kicked off this week. 

I think the player of the week has to be Keith.  Ozzy made the mistake of telling him that he found the hidden immunity idol.  Keith decided to tell Whitney about this, as well.  Keith knows that by providing this valuable information to another player, it will get her to trust him; thus he has someone else on his side when he will need it.  The island eye-candy may be in it for a while.  Now, I just hope that he continues to not tell anyone about his heart defect.  Surprisingly, no one has noticed the pacemaker sticking out of his chest.  Amateurs. :)

Kicked off this week: Papa Bear (Mark)

Next week:  It looks like Cochran and Jim have a plan to blindside Ozzy.  It's way too early in the game for this kind of move.  I understand Cochran's reasoning for doing this because it will buy him more time in the game.  There is absolutely no reason why Jim should go along with this.  At this point in the game, Ozzy is way too valuable in the challenges.  I don't think Jim will end up trying to get rid of Ozzy this soon.  Maybe he will just try to make Cochran feel comfortable so they can finally get rid of him without him trying to scramble.  Also, I truly hope that Papa Bear takes out Christine on Redemption Island.  I'm still expecting either Cochran or Dawn to be the next to go from Savaii and Stacey or Mikayla (although I actually like her now) from Upolu .

Until next time - - tweet me! :)

Borneo (Season 1)

I recently decided that I would go through and watch all of the seasons of Survivor - - you know, for "research."  So, why not start with the very first season?  Survivor aired in 2000 and took place in Borneo.  One of the best players of all time was the winner of this season - Richard Hatch.  There were quite a few things that I learned when I re-watched this season, and I want to share them with you.


I have heard that in the interview process you have to state which Survivor you are most like and why.  I absolutely believe that I am like Richard Hatch - - it's just a coincidence that he's gay.
         1.  He wanted to prove to be a valuable member of the tribe, so he went fishing everyday for the tribe.
         2.  He was very respectful of people's ideas and their emotions, but he talked shit about them in his interviews.  He knew how to play the social aspect of the game.
         3.  He knew how to work as a team, but always knew that it was an individual game.
         4.  Other than Russell, he is probably the second most hated person to ever play the game.  He didn't care about how the media was going to depict him, he just did whatever was necessary in order to win.
         5.  He laughed at some of the other competitors stances on the "ethical/moral" dilemmas that they thought they would put themselves in joining an alliance.  He considers himself a moral person, but that's not what the game is about. 
         6.  When the tribes merged, Richard was the only person from the original Tagi tribe to greet the members of the Pagong members, thus establishing an early relationship with the other players.

Other tidbit of information that I learned.
         1.  Ramona mentioned that the first two days are crucial for building relationships (which she failed to do, which was why she was the second person booted from her tribe).
         2.  If you know the trbies are getting ready to merge, why hnot sacrifice a strong comptetitor?  That way you won't have to worry about him/her winning individual immunity challenges.
         3.  Also, the more people from your original tribe on the jury, the better.  Sometimes it would be good to blindside some "friends." 

The tribes of Survivor Borneo included:

        Tagi:  Richard, Sue, Sean, Kelly, Rudy, Sonja, Stacey, and Dirk

        Pagong:  Jenna, Gervase, Colleen, B.B., Ramona, Joel, Greg, and Gretchen

      The merged tribe was named Rattana and it consisted of:  Richard, Sue, Kelly, Rudy, Sean, Jenna, Gervase, Greg, Colleen, and Gretchen.

Kelly was the runnerup.  I do believe that she played an amazing game.  She won the last five individual immunity challenges.  She also established very personal relationships with members of both tribes.  The only thing that she failed out as the fact that she let her morals get in the way from making the big moves that needed to be made.

Obviously the winner of the show was Richard Hatch!

Contestant	Original Tribe	Merged Tribe	Finish	Total Votes
Sonja Christopher 63, Walnut Creek, CA	Tagi		1st Voted Out Day 3	4
B.B. Anderson 64, Mission Hills, KS	Pagong		2nd Voted Out Day 6	6
Stacey Stillman 27, San Francisco, CA	Tagi		3rd Voted Out Day 9	6
Ramona Gray 29, Edison, NJ	Pagong		4th Voted Out Day 12	6
Dirk Been 23, Spring Green, WI	Tagi		5th Voted Out Day 15	4
Joel Klug 27, Sherwood, AR	Pagong		6th Voted Out Day 18	4
Gretchen Cordy 38, Clarksville, TN	Pagong	Rattana	7th Voted Out Day 21	4
Greg Buis 24, Gold Hill, CO	Pagong		8th Voted Out 1st Jury Member Day 24	6
Jenna Lewis 22, Franklin, NH	Pagong		9th Voted Out 2nd Jury Member Day 27	11
Gervase Peterson 30, Willingboro, NJ	Pagong		10th Voted Out 3rd Jury Member Day 30	6
Colleen Haskell 23, Miami, FL	Pagong		11th Voted Out 4th Jury Member Day 33	7
Sean Kenniff 30, Brooklyn, NY	Tagi		12th Voted Out 5th Jury Member Day 36	9
Susan Hawk 38, Palmyra, WI	Tagi		13th Voted Out 6th Jury Member Day 37	7
Rudy Boesch 72, Richmond, VA	Tagi		14th Voted Out 7th Jury Member Day 38	8
Kelly Wiglesworth 22, Las Vegas, NV	Tagi		Runner-Up	0
Richard Hatch 39, Middletown, RI	Tagi		Sole Survivor	6

South Pacific: Episode 2

Unfortunately, I am really late getting this review posted, so I may be a little sketchy on some of the details of the episode - - but I will try my best to accurately recall what happened.

The one thing that I thought was interesting from the first episode was how Coach made a five-person alliance, but Edna was not included.  They touched on this some-what during the episode because Coach decided that he would have a sub-alliance with Edna, as well.  I saw this coming, and it is always a wise decision to have an additional vote on the side.  However, Coach did not make any promises to her, so it will be interesting to see how far in the game he decides to take her.

I think Brandon is a very dangerous player.  I definitely saw some of Russell in him.  He was going around telling people that Christine and Stacey were going to vote for Mikayla, simply because he did not want her in the game.  This kind of game play nearly got her ejected from the game.  I don't think he is as smart as Russell, nor has enough confidence to make these kinds of big moves work.  It will be interesting to see how he continues to play the game.  On another note, I think it would be AMAZING if Brandon told Coach about his little secret just so Coach will end up trusting him, thus allowing Brandon to blindside Coach.  Coach knows that Brandon isn't going to tell anyone else about his secret, so for whatever reason, believes that Brandon is a genuine person.  Huge mistake!

Keith definitely has the right idea with aligning with Ozzy.  Also, he was sitting back letting Jim think that he was the person in charge.  This would be a great opportunity for Keith to take a backseat for a while, and let some of the more outspoken players in the game take the heat for any sacrifices that may have to be made.  He won't look like the bad guy, thus allowing him to get further in the game.  Which I would love considering - - once again  - - he's the only eyecandy on the island.

I absolutely hate the fact that Christine did absolutely nothing with the clue that she found for the immunity idol.  If you are going to take the risk early on by looking for the idol...you might as well take the risk and do something with the clue once you found it.  I called it last week that her time would be coming to an end.

I can't believe how much of a lack of communication is going on in this tribe.  Even people in the main alliance voted differently from eachother.  If you want to get rid of people - - TELL EACHOTHER WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR.  I seriously had a flashback to Borneo when people were just doing their own thing.  This tribe seriously needs to get on the same page!

Voted off this week:  Christine

Next week we should see the first Redemption Island duel between Christine and Semhar.  I'm not sure who will win this one.  It could absolutely be either one of them.

Also, I look forward to seeing either Dawn or Cochran kicked off next week if Savaii goes to tribal council.  If Upolu goes, then it will probably be Stacey, Edna, or Mikayla.

Until next time!

South Pacific: Season Premiere

*WARNING:  CONTAINS SPOILERS*

The first episode of Survivor 23 was not as good as I was hoping.  It almost seems like I've seen this once before...oh wait, we did last season.  I think they should have waited a few seasons before they went back to "Redemption Island."  Oh well.

There were so many things going on in this episode.  Some of which I already called, some things that I was surprised about, there were things that I was wrong about, I misjudged some people, and I nailed it with others.  I also had an idea in my initial strategy that someone actually did which could come back to bite them in the ass...I'll talk more about this later.  So, let's get to it.

The two tribes this season are Upolu (the blue tribe) and Savaii (the red tribe).

Upolu consists of:  Coach, Albert, Brandon, Christine, Edna, Mikayla, Rick, Sophie, and Stacey.
Savaii consists of:  Ozzy, Dawn, Elyse, Jim, John (Cochran), Keith, Mark, Semhar, and Whitney.

In my opinion, the Upolu tribe is more stacked.  I can definitely see them going into the merge with numbers, as long as they don't destroy the tribe from within.

 

Christine:   Okay, so is it really a good idea to jump out there at the very beginning and say that the veterans won't be sticking around for long?  Even if that is your plan, you can't open your mouth right away.  First of all, you can't give people a REASON to get rid of you.  She should have welcomed them with open arms.  She should have said something positive about Coach and Ozzy's arrival - - maybe something to the extent of how much the two players could teach the newbies?  This isn't real life - - you have to lie in order to get anywhere in this game.  Big rookie mistake!  Also, it was completely obvious that she was looking for the immunity idol on the first day.  This was MY initial plan. Maybe she shouldn't have been as obvious as she was.  She gave the tribe two reasons to get rid of her.  She will be one of the first people to go on the Upolu tribe.  Good riddance, no surprise there!

Edna:  I was really impressed with her. As aforementioned, as long as she doesn't try to be bossy and take on the leadership role, I said that I think she'll go far.  She didn't do either of those things.  Also, while every one else on the tribe was giving Coach the cold shoulder upon his arrival....she was the one to welcome him with open arms.  Such a smart move!  I think I would have done the same thing.  I would have known that people aren't going to get rid of Coach right away because of his physical prowess and his experience.  Her decision to make that early connection with him will undoubtedly get her far in this game!  However, she's not part of the five-person alliance that Coach is in, so it should be interesting to what happens.

Cochran:  I'm already sick of him.  It was your first day in the game and you want people to call you by your last name because that's what Jeff does to some of the all-time greats?  Are you serious?  He is completely worthless in the challenges.  He talked about how he is one of the biggest Survivor nerds ever.  Blah blah blah...like someone said, there is a point where you have to stop being a fan of the game and start playing the game.  I truly believe that he showed his hand way too early.  He may know a lot about the game, strategy wise, but do you really want to tell everybody that?  Absolutely not!  He gave the tribe two reasons to get rid of him.  He or Dawn will be one of the next to go home from the Savaii tribe.

Dawn:  In her video, she claimed that she was "tough."  She did not display this whatsoever.  She broke down on the second day of being there.  Have these people never been camping before?  Have they not done anything hard in their lives?  I truly don't get it.  The fact that you are too big of a wuss to be there for two days without crying makes me want you to go home.  You took this opportunity away from someone who would have enjoyed it and would have been able to endure it.  I hope you go home next.

Semhar:  It looked like Ozzy was going to save her for a minute.  He did not want her to go because he knew that he would be able to drag her along.  I wasn't sad to see her go.  She opened her mouth way too soon.  Not only did she basically give up in the challenge - - (that she volunteered to do!!)  but she caused drama back at camp.  Once again, you can't give people a reason to get rid of you.  Rookie mistake!  Good riddance.  You won't be on Redemption Island for very long.

First Day Alliance:  I was really surprised at the four other people that Coach decided to make a five-person alliance with on the first day.  You have Brandon, Sophie, Rick, and Albert.  Coach even admitted that he was never the best strategist.  I don't see this alliance lasting - - especially considering how Sophie can't trust Brandon.  She knows that he is hiding something.  It is only a matter of time before Brandon lets the cat out of the back (next episode).  I was very surprised with Rick's performance.  I do have to apologize for my inaccuracies.  He did amazing in the challenge.  Based on this alliance and his physical capabilities, he will be around for longer than I originally anticipated.  It will definitely be interesting to see how this alliance is going to fall apart.  I see it happening sooner than later.

Keith:  There isn't really much to say about him.  He did really well in the first challenge.  I hope that he can continue to keep his heart condition a secret because he is the only eye-candy on the island!  :)

Jim:  I think that he talks too much.  He said that he wanted to fly under the radar, but he's not doing that.  He needs to take a step back and remember his initial strategy.

Stacey:  She didn't get much air-time.  I hope this changes very soon.  I want to see what she's all about.  I just hope that she doesn't cause any drama because she has the potential to be a really good player.

As I already mentioned, due to the drama that Semhar caused and the fact that she gave up in the challenge, she was the first to be sent to Redemption Island.  I'm definitely looking forward to next week's episode.  I'm anxious to see how the alliance starts to crumble, what new alliances will form, and if Cochran can redeem himself.

Until next time.....

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/the_timgilmore

South Pacific: Season Preview

In order to show CBS, Jeff Probst, and Mark Burnett how perfect I am for the game of Survivor, I’ve decided that I am going to post a weekly blog about the show. I’m going to give my opinion on what moves should have been made, as well as state whether or not the moves that were made were the right ones.

I figured the perfect way to start this thing out right is by giving my utmost, honest opinions about the preview of the new cast. Obviously, it is too early to be exactly right, but at least I can try, right?

First of all, let’s talk about the veterans: Coach Wade and Ozzy. The whole redemption angle was played out perfectly last time by Boston Rob. I believe it was his fourth time playing the game, and he was finally able to win. It should be very interesting to see how things work out this time. If any of the new cast members watched last season, they should know that you don’t want to make a big move too early in the game which could cost your tribe precious numbers at the merge (I.E. Zapatera getting rid of Russell), but at some point you will HAVE to make that big move and get rid of the veterans. I do not see Coach winning this, but Ozzy has come very close on his previous two seasons, so he could definitely pull this one out. I do not want another veteran to win this season, so I’m hoping that he will be one of the first people to go AFTER the merge. Keep him around when you need him, then blindside him. With that said, let’s get to the newbies.

Dawn: English teacher, married, six children. She says that she is very tough. As long as she does relatively well in the early challenges, I can see her floating for a while - - or flying under the radar. She plans on relating to the younger people, which means she could possibly end up being a “Holly” (Survivor Nicaraqua).   I don’t see her winning, but I think she could definitely go far if she does alright in the challenges and knows how to relate well with the other castaways.

Edna: I actually liked Edna a lot until she mentioned how she can come off pretty bossy and put herself in a leadership role. If she acts on these two things, she will definitely bump heads with people early on and could be one of the first people kicked off. If she learns how to not demonstrate these two self-proclaimed attributes, then I can definitely see her going far in the game.

Christine: She is also a teacher, but helps students with special needs, which tells me she may have a lot of patience. She probably will be able to bite her tongue, despite the fact that she is a self-proclaimed tough New Yorker. She really didn’t give any examples on why she thinks she can win, other than the fact that she’s from New York. I can see her NOT getting along with some of the younger “lazy” women on the tribe.

Elyse: The people who annoy me the most in the game of Survivor are the females who just lie around on the beach, don’t really offer anything, and float through the game. Elyse may be one of these kinds of girls. She claims to be outspoken, which could be her downfall - - but she is looking forward to digging deep and getting to know people on a personal basis, which could be one the things that could help her get far in the game.

Brandon: Brandon will have a huge target on his back from the very beginning if he allows it to slip that he is the nephew of one of the greatest Survivor villains ever - - Russell Hantz! He claims that he will do what he needs to do in order to win the GAME of Survivor, but he wants to do it as honorable as possible. I can see him going far in this game if he does what he says he’s going to do: stays low-key, builds relationships and not losing his temper, which he claims he often does.

Rick: This is Rick’s 14th audition for Survivor. I honestly think that 14 times may end up being my lucky number, as well. Haha, just kidding, hopefully I’ll get it on the second audition. :) He plans to work hard around camp. He doesn’t want to take on the leadership role because he knows that the leader is normally the first person to go. I honestly don’t see him going very far in the game. I don’t see him being very competitive in the challenges.

Albert: He will do very well in challenges. He used to be a dating coach which means that he could do very well socially because he will be able to read the other castaways. His strategy is to be likeable. I can see him going far as long as he doesn’t appear to be too huge of a threat early on. He claims he will do what is necessary to win - - which is exactly what it takes!

Mikayla: She’s a Jersey girl. She claims that she may be underestimated because of her appearance. She knows that you can’t be too outspoken early on, but still plans on being herself to an extent. She claims to be pretty competitive, wants to make the right alliances, and is socially adaptable. The thing that may get her far in the game is the fact that she claims that she is always planning ahead, always knows what decision to make under any circumstance.

John: He is definitely a super-fan. Physically, I don’t think he will have much to offer. He does not seem to have a lot of confidence. He just wants to get past the first day. You can’t be insecure when you’re playing this game…because insecurities can be the reason why you make a stupid decision. Should be interesting to see how lucky he gets and if he can stick around for a while. I don’t see it happening, though.

Keith: I honestly believe that Keith’s downfall will be when the tribe finds out about his heart condition. He does not plan on keeping it a secret. Physically, he looks like he might do some damage, except for the fact that the pacemaker does not allow him to be involved in much rough-and-tumble combat. In addition, he may just be too nice for this game.

Jim: He is a poker player, so his ability to bluff people may get him far in this game. Assuming that he is a GOOD poker player, of course. He plans on flying under the radar, being nice, and not being too much of a physical threat. He is definitely my favorite out of the men. I can see him winning this game.

Whitney: She looks like one of the girls who will just lie around on the beach all day. She will probably float through the game because of this - - which I absolutely hate. I think she’s just doing this to further her country music career. She is willing to mislead others in order to get further in the game. She immediately rubbed me the wrong way, so hopefully she doesn’t go far.

Mark: He is a retired police detective, so I think that he will be able to see through people’s bullshit. Physically, he knows that he’s not going to be able to do it as well as some of the younger people. I think he may be a bit too outspoken. He claims that he normally speaks his mind from the very beginning.

Sophie:  She has a background in theatre which could be an advantage for her.  A drastic amount of game-play relies on the ability to blindside, outwit, and completely deceive others.  This may be right up her alley.  She thinks that she will be the smartest person on the island.  She seems to be too confident and self-assure.  She is aware of the fact that men tend to be threatened by strong women.  I believe that she has the potential to go far, as long as she doesn't get too cocky.

Semhar:  She is a beauty pageant winner.  She claims that she knows how to get what she wants.  I believe that she will be someone who rides coattails.  I can see her going far merely based on the idea that she is beautiful, a self-proclaimed people reader, and knows how to interact well with others.  She is not someone who I will want to see go far in this game...but will probably do so, unfortunately.

Stacey:  I think her downfall will be her impatience and possibly her mouth.  If she proves to be a good competitor, a hard worker around camp, and doesn't cause any drama, I can definitely see her winning this game.  I believe that her strategy is the best of the season, and I can relate to her the most.  She will definitely be the one to watch.  In an ideal Survivor situation, America will view her as the villain, but her tribe will love her.

There are a few people on the cast that I really like already, and there are a few that I don't even want to watch.  The two castaways I liked the best are Jim and Stacey.  Hopefully they don't prove me wrong!

I will be updating this thing after each weekly episode.  Feel free to leave a comment and follow me on twitter.

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/the_timgilmore