Survivor: One-World, which will premiere on CBS on February 15th, will have two twists this season. The first, which has been used previously, is that the two tribes will be divided up between men and women. Secondly, this is the first time in the show's history that both tribes will be living on the same island. The tribemates will have to decide how much information and resources they are willing to share with the other tribe.
First of all, the men vs. women aspect has been done before, and if I remember correctly, it probably won't last very long before producers want to mix things up a bit. I believe the main reason why they are separating everyone this way is because it will be much easier for the audience to distinguish who is on what tribe. However, I absolutely love the new twist. I honestly wish that the season that I will be on would be the first season to initiate this new angle. The new aspect of the game will allow members of one tribe to build relationships and alliances with the other tribe from the very beginning. This will ultimately mean that once the merge takes place, people will more than likely turn on their original tribes. More conniving and backstabbing should occur. It will cause more drama! I cannot stress enough how much I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I am truly praying that these newbies use the new twist to their advantage.
The two tribe names are Salani and Manono. I'm not sure which one is the men's tribe and which one is the women's tribe, or what the tribes colors are, but we can find that out on the premiere.
Nina Costa
Retired LAPD Officer
Clovis, Calif. ; Age: 51
The thing about police officers on the show is that they generally know how to read people and can read through people's bullshit. She has children who are the same age as some of the other competitors, so she will be able to relate to them and play the mother card. I think there might be an early alliance with Nina and Monica just due to the age-similarity. I'm not sure what it was about Nina, but I actually liked her alot. I found comfort just by watching her video, so she may be able to use this to her advantage. She has prepared herself physically all of her life, so the challenges shouldn't be a problem for her. The only disadvantage that I see is that she is the oldest woman on the show, which may put an immediate target on her back.
Jay Byars
ModelGaffney, S.C.; Age: 25
Jay is definitely some eye-candy of the season. He is very easy on the eyes. He is a physical specimen. I think he's going to be good in the physical challenges. However, I think he's going to be boring to watch. He has gone on mission trips in the past, which tells me that he's not going to be willing to make big, back-stabbing moves in order to get far in the game. I think he'll be a push-over. He will probably be too likeable, so people probably won't want to take him very far in the game. At the very most, the better players of the game will use him as an extra vote. I don't see him being more than that. Snooze-fest!
Christina Cha
Career ConsultantWest Hollywood, Calif.; Age: 29
Christina has worked in the marketing industry and has held prestigious sales positions. This tells me that she knows how to read people in order to get them to buy whatever it is she is selling. She says that she has always been an athletic person, which will help the women's team out in the early challenges - - thus preventing them from getting rid of her. On the other end of the spectrum, she is a good listener and is always asking questions in order to get people to talk more so she can spin things in her favor. The thing I like most about her is that she seems to have the total package. She is an attractive woman, so she will be able to charm some of the guys, but she will more than likely be able to relate well with some of the other women due to her genuine personality. I see her going very far in this game, and I'm hoping that she uses all of her assets to her full advantage, because if she does, she could easily win this game.
Monica Culpepper
Ex-NFL Player’s WifeTampa, Fla.; Age: 41
Even though Monica is 41, she still looks like she is physically capable of holding her own in the challenges. At the very beginning, she stated that she is a homemaker, so I instantly knew that she would need to play the mother card with the younger castaways; then she stated that this was the exact role that she wants to play. I can see her being the Dawn of this season. She also knows that young people don't like being told what to do. Her downfall may be that she said that she's not afraid to call people out when she sees them being lazy. Isn't this a complete contradiction of her original statement that young people don't like being told what to do? We shall see which road she decides to take. If she does play the first card, she could definitely go far in the game.
Colton Cumbie
College StudentMonroeville, Ala.; Age: 21
Colton is a flamboyant gay Republican from Alabama. He kind of reminded me alot of myself (except for the fact that I'm not as flamboyant as he is). His strategy is that he will be able to relate to just about anyone because he is knowledgeable on a variety of topics. He knows that the most important part of the game is having a strategic mind-set. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to keep his mouth shut. As long as he's not too much of a diva, I think he will be able to make it far due to his passion for the game and self-proclaimed social skills. I can definitely see him being in a strong female alliance, which could get him far in the game. Possibly a villain of the season? Let's hope not, because we can't have two gay, Republican villains two seasons apart from one another. :) I don't think that he will have anything in common with the men on his tribe - - so he will be a target from the very beginning. His best option will be to perform well in the challenges, try to form an alliance with the older men of the tribe, and build relationships with the women as soon as possible.
Kat Edorsson
Timeshare RepOrlando, Fla.; Age: 22
When I read what her job position was, I knew that she would have a bubbly personality. I think her social game may be the best thing going for her. She is definitely not the most attractive girl on the cast, so I'm not sure that she will be able to charm the men like she thinks she'll be able to. She says that she never went to a PE class in high school and has never had to push herself physically. I think she'll be one of the first women out simply because she will not be able to perform as well as some of the other women; in addition, she probably won't be as hard of a worker around camp.
Michael Jefferson
BankerSeattle, Wash.; Age: 30
Michael seems really boring. Michael wants to make alliances with the women - - which would help when the tribes come together, but won't do much for him before the merge. I could honestly see Michael having alot in common with Jay just because both of them want to play the game as honorably as possible. I don't want to see Michael make it far in the game because I'm going to be bored out of my mind - - however, I definitely see him flying under the radar for a while because he's going to be too afraid of making any big moves and will probably be easily manipulated by the alpha males of the men's tribe.
Leif Manson
PhlebotomistSan Diego, Calif.; Age: 27
Leif has one huge disadvantage. He is the first "little person" to ever appear on the show. Clearly, he's not going to be able to perform as well in the challenges. Secondly, people aren't going to want to take him far in the game due to the fact that he will have the sympathy factor going for him. I don't see him making it to the merge.
Chelsea Meissner
Medical SalesCharleston, S.C.; Age: 26
Chelsea is also in the sales industry. Prior to this, she grew up on a farm and learned to work for everything she had. She is normally the first person up in the morning, the first person at a job, and the last person to leave. She is absolutely gorgeous, which could mean that some of the women are intimidated by her - - but she could easily swoon some of the boys. She also says that she is a good spear-fisherman, which should be a good enough reason for the women to keep her around. I honestly think that she should share this information with her tribe as soon as possible so they see her as a valuable member of the tribe. The only negative aspect she has going for her is that she may be too much of a go-getter. I am hoping that she is not pegged as the leader of the tribe from the very beginning, because this could be her downfall. Otherwise, Chelsea definitely seems to be hardworking and competitive enough to go far in the game.
Kourtney Moon
Motorcycle RepairAustin, Texas; Age: 29
Kourtney has alot of things that will work against her. She admits that she isn't "chiseled," so she probably won't perform as well in challenges as some of the other girls. She can be a social person and likes to be around specific friends, but she has periods where she becomes a hermit - - which tells me that she may be seen as a loner. In addition, she wants to play the game with as much integrity as possible, eventually be considered a "hero," and not flip-flop. The only thing that will save Kourtney in this game is if she maintains a sense of loyalty, is used as a swing-vote, and just simply flies under the radar. If the latter three things outweigh her plethora of weaknesses, she could go far. I don't see it happening, though. I could see Kourtney and Kat getting along very well, let's see how they relate to one another.
Jonas Otsuji
Sushi ChefLehi, Utah; Age: 37
Jonas is a sushi chef which tells me that people may keep him around so he can be the personal cook of the season, especially with the abundance of seafood around. Jonas wants to use this to his advantage. Jonas grew up surfing in Hawaii, so he knows that he will perform well in the challenges. He said that he would like to be "seen" as strategic and doesn't have a problem doing whatever is necessary in order to win the game - - although being seen as the villain is something that he does not want to be portrayed as. Jonas also understands the fact that people are going to be backstabbing each other and saying whatever necessary in order to get others to do what they want, so hopefully he will take what others say with a grain of salt. I'm not sure he has a clear strategy that he wants to play out, which could be his ultimate downfall in this game.
Bill Posley
Stand-Up ComedianVenice, Calif.; Age: 28
The two things I like about Bill are that he is a stand-up comedian, which means he will provide some kind of entertainment to the men's tribe. Secondly, he was previously in the military. This will undoubtedly work in his advantage because he will have the mental capability to push through whats to come. He will also be a physical threat in challenges. However, I don't think that Bill is strategically-wise enough to make it to the end. He admitted that he only started watching the show in Heroes vs. Villains, which was three seasons before his (and his season was filmed before season 23 was aired), so he does not have a lot of reference points. His lack of experience with how the show actually works will be his downfall.
Matt Quinlan
AttorneySan Francisco, Calif.; Age: 33
As soon as I heard that Matt was a lawyer, I knew that I would like him. In general, attorneys know how to play the game of Survivor. It is their job to manipulate data and facts in order to get what they want. Matt claims that he will be a fierce competitor socially and athletically. His strategy is to try to get people to do what he wants without them knowing that he is in control. Most importantly, he knows that it is vital not to let anyone know that he is a lawyer outside of the show. He is very intelligent. This is exactly the way that I want to play the game, and I believe that he if can execute it the way that it needs to be executed, that he will go very far in this game. He is also nice to look at. He is the guy to watch this season.
Alicia Rosa
Special Ed TeacherChicago, Ill.; Age: 25
Alicia is a special-education teacher which tells me that she has a lot of patience. She claims that she will be able to manipulate the men, due to past relationships. She says that she will backstab the other women after she is confided in and gains their trust. The only downfall she has is that she probably won't be as strong in the challenges. However, she will probably be the woman who America hates this season. People may want to take her far in the game simply due to the fact that she's a bitch. We shall see if anyone notices this side of her, otherwise, she probably won't stick around very long.
Troy Robertson
Swimsuit PhotographerMiami, Fla.; Age: 50
Troy has alot of outdoor experience, but doesn't want people to think that he's a know-it-all. I think that Troy and Greg have alot in common. Both of which go by the nickname Tarzan. Do these two people know each other outside of the show or something? They're both weird as hell. Hahaha. Either the two of them are going to get along great, or they are going to butt heads. It will definitely be one extreme or the other. I don't really see him sticking around very long either. What is up with weird old men on this season? Neither Troy nor Greg will be able to relate to the other castaways -- will have immediate targets on their backs. Hopefully Colton will see that these two people are outcasts, so he can use this information in order to get himself further in the game. Let's see if it plays out this way. :)
Greg Smith
Plastic SurgeonHouston, Texas; Age: 64
The fact that Greg is a plastic surgeon might mean that he should be able to comfort his tribemates and be a shoulder to cry on. However, he seems really weird. He may be a Phillip of the new cast. He really didn't make much sense in his video. It will be interesting to see what happens with him.
Kim Spradlin
Bridal Shop OwnerSan Antonio, Texas; Age: 29
I can see Kim and Chelsea building a relationship and forming an early alliance due to the fact that they are both young and southern belles. She claims that she is easy-going, adaptable, honest, and blunt. She is also a white-water rafting guide, but doesn't want to reveal this information to the rest of the cast. I don't understand why. I think she would appear to be a valuable member of the tribe if she chose to tell others about her previous experience. She said that she doesn't really have a strategy, that she wants to just try to figure it out as she goes along. The thing I don't like about this, is sometimes you don't have enough time to figure things out on the spot. You need to be thinking two or three steps ahead. Strategically, she doesn't seem like a sole-Survivor to me.
Sabrina Thompson
High School TeacherBrooklyn, N.Y.; Age: 33
Sabrina says that she doesn't want to be seen as the "angry black woman" because that's not the role she wants to take on. She is extremely loud and loves to talk. She is fully aware of the fact that sometimes she talks too much and has learned that there are times when she needs to tone it down. She is also a self-proclaimed "germaphobe," and there have been times when she has called people out for not washing their hands. I don't see Sabrina lasting very long. I believe that she is going to annoy some of the other girls, rub them the wrong way, or may even be too bossy. She says that she wants to be the provider of entertainment, but I don't think people will be entertained for very long.
