Survivor Philippines is the 25th season of Survivor. Of course it wouldn't be Survivor without some sort of twist. This season's twist is that CBS will be bringing back three people who were ejected from the game, unexpectedly, due to injury. There will be three tribes led by each of these men.
First, we have Michael Skupin. Mike was on the very second season of the show - - Australia. His season was the first season I had ever watched, and I have been hooked ever since. Alot has changed in this game since he played the first time. On his original season, he was the leader. He helped his tribe get food and win challenges, and I truly believe that if he had not fallen into the fire that he would have made it to the end and won the million dollar prize. One of the things that have changed the most about the game is that the leader is often one of the first people to go. However, in the past, there have only been two times in which returning players did not end up winning the game. I definitely can see Michael winning this game. I seriously doubt any of the newbies will be smart enough to get rid of him at the right time, but we shall see! Mr. Skupin will be in charge of the Tandang tribe, and their color is yellow. My assessment of the rest of the crew is followed.
Abi-Maria Gomes:
Abi is a 32-year-old business student from Los Angeles, California. I honestly think the thing that will hurt Abi the most is her ethnicity. My guess is that there will be a language barrier between her and the rest of the Tandang tribe. I honestly don't think she will bring much to the tribe. I see her being the weakest female on the tribe. The only way that she doesn't go first or second is if she somehow charms her way through the game. I don't see this happening, though. My guess is that she will be the first or second person to go on her tribe.
Artis Sylvester:
Artis is a 53-year-old Computer Engineer from Terry Town, Louisiana. Artis already has a survivor's tale. He is a cancer survivor. If Artis is wise, he would not share this information with anyone else in this game. People look for reasons to get rid of others, and no one would want to give him an opportunity to receive the sympathy vote at the end of the game. In addition, Artis is a loner in life. In general, his job prohibits him from socializing with others. I don't see him being able to mesh well with the other members of his tribe. I see him going second, after Abi in his tribe.
Lisa Whelchel:
Lisa is a 49-year-old former child star who currently resides in Dallas, Texas. When I first heard that Blair from "The Facts of Life," was going to be on this season, I literally rolled my eyes. I am not a fan of celebrities being on this show. You had your fifteen minutes of fame, so make some guest appearances somewhere else. However, after watching her video, I think I'm actually going to like her. Lisa seems to be a super fan of the show, claiming to have never missed an episode in 24 seasons. Even though she currently does "the Lord's work," I have a feeling that she may have a devilish side to her. If she makes a good alliance at the beginning of the game and isn't afraid to lie or manipulate, then I can definitely see her going far in this game. I'm very interested to see how well she does. Even though I do not want her to win the game, I would like to see her at least make it to the merge.
Pete Yurkowski:
Pete is a 24-year-old model and Engineering Graduate from Holmdel, New Jersey. Pete is definitely the eye candy of the season. I would love to watch him (literally) go far in the game, but I don't see it happening. Even though he has a degree in engineering, he just does not seem to have a whole lot going on upstairs. I believe that Pete will basically do things that other people tell him until the other tribemates don't need him anymore. I would be very surprised if Pete made it to the merge, but I have been wrong before. Let's hope that my eye-candy stays longer than I predict.
RC Saint-Amour:
RC is a 27-year-old Investment Banker from New York City. I get a good vibe from RC. A vibe like she could make it to the end of this game? Possibly! As the song goes, "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." I strongly believe that RC will be a physical asset to the team. I also think that working in her current profession, that she has the mental capabilities to deal with the social aspect of this game. Something tells me that she will instantly gravitate toward Mike Skupin. My prediction is that he will appreciate everything that she has to offer, thus extending her life in the game. I would not be surprised to see her in the finals. She also mentioned Ozzy in her interview, which tells me that she is a fan of the show. That will definitely not hurt her, either. :)
The second returning player we have is Jonathan Penner. We first saw him on Cook Islands, then he made his return when he was on the "Favorites" tribe in Micronesia. Penner has always been a loud mouth. Due to this, he was almost selected as a Villain during season 20 of the show. It has been about five years since he has played the game last. It will be interesting to see how far he makes it in the game. I don't think that he is destined to win. However, if he plays his cards right, he can definitely make it far in the game. I would not be surprised to see him in the finals. The tribe that he will be representing is known as Kalabaw, and their tribe color is red. The main difference about Penner's tribe is that most of the people on the tribe have very reserved personalities. If Penner plays his cards right, he will have a great opportunity to have a solid alliance with several of the members of this tribe - - because they look like a bunch of followers. None of them look like they are ready to play the social aspect of this game. Below is the rest of his tribemates, and my assessment of each.
Sarah Dawson:
Dawson is a 28-year-old Insurance Salesperson from Silver Spring, Maryland. The only word that I can find to describe Dawson is "weird." The only way I see her going far in this game is if she just takes it down a notch, doesn't let her full personality show, and rides someone's coattail. In addition, she IS a saleswoman, so she may be able to schmooze other people. The personality is has been displaying may just be a facade. Otherwise, I believe that people will find her extremely annoying, thus getting rid of her early on. I see her being one of the first people gone from the Kalabaw tribe.
Katie Hanson:
Katie is a 22-year-old aspiring State Trooper from Newark, Delaware. I'm not completely sure how to read Katie. Physically, I think she will do alright...but I think her age will be her biggest downfall. In all honesty, I don't think she has a lot of life experience to get far in the game of Survivor. If she sticks with the males of the tribe, she has the potential to at least make it to the merge. Out of everyone this entire season, I am most unsure about her. She just seems fairly boring to me. I can see her being a sleeper.
Jeff Kent:
Jeff is a 44-year-old former Major League Baseball player from Austin, Texas. Much like Jimmy Johnson, I am not looking forward to seeing Jeff play this game. Clearly he doesn't need the money, so move on. If you are looking for an adventure then go sky-diving, mountain-climbing, or go deep sea diving with sharks. Don't take this opportunity away from someone else. Anyway, if Jeff's past is any indication, I see him being a hot-head. However, if he actually knows how this game goes, he will have to watch his temper in order to survive. He will probably be looked at as one of the leaders of this tribe. If he is able to get along with Penner, then I see the two of them making it far in the game. Jeff may try to get rid of Penner early on, thus being his ultimate downfall.
Dana Lambert:
Dana is the 32-year-old Cosmetologist from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Much like Artis, Dana actually has a unique story to tell. She came out as a lesbian at a young age, and is a recovering drug addict. She is also similar to Artis in the sense that she seems to be a little more reserved. The only way that I see her going far in this game is if she just sits back and observes everyone else. If she is able to use everyone else's mistakes to her advantage, she can go far. However, I honestly believe that she may be too "different" to fair well in this game.
Carter Williams:
Carter is a 24-year-old Track Coach from Shawnee, Kansas. Carter is also very quiet. I don't see him being able to play the social game needed in order to get far in this game. Physically, he should be able to fair well in the challenges, but that is only 1/3rd of what this game is about. I can see Carter make it to the merge, but being one of the first out. I honestly do not believe that he will open himself up in time to connect with the other people around him.
I am really surprised that Russell Swan is being awarded the opportunity to play this game again. In my opinion, he was one of the most boring people from his season. However, if he would have stayed in Samoa, things might have been drastically different than Russell Hantz and the Foa Foa 4 taking over the game. It is definitely one of those "what if" situations, much like Michael Skupin. I don't believe that his strategy will be much different than it was before. I seriously doubt he will make the merge. If he does, he will get extremely lucky. Eussell is the team leader of the blue, Matsing, tribe. My pre-season thoughts of the remaining contestants are below.
Zane Knight:
Zane is a 28-year-old Tire Repairman from Danville, Virginia. When I initially saw a picture of Zane, I imagined him being the villain of the season. Boy, was I completely wrong. Zane just seems to be a good ol' country boy. Much like Dana, I think he may be too "different" in order to make it far in this game...especially considering what his tribemates are like. I do not believe that Zane has the killer instinct to make it past the first or second tribal council that he goes to.
Angie Layton:
Angie is a 20-year-old Model/Student from Provo, Utah. Honestly, I believe that Angie will be one of the first people to go, and I hope I am right about this one. I truly get the vibe that she has never watched an episode of the game that I love. The thing that annoys me the most is when people like Angie get picked for this show - - not because they love it like I do, but because she is beautiful. I know that she is going to exploit the show in order to further her career. I see her as being one of the weakest of the Matsing tribe. I expect her to go first or second from her tribe. Adios!
Roxy Morris:
Roxy is a 28-year-old Semiary Student from Brooklyn, New York. I think Roxy may be the person who surprises us the most. If you take her at face value, she does not really seem to have that X-factor. However, she does have military experience and a strong faith, so mentally, she may end up being one of the strongest female competitors of the season. On the other hand, in a previous interview, she said that she can relate most to Brandon Hantz. If this is the case, she does not have that killer instinct it takes to make it to the end of this game. I don't see her being one of the first to go from her tribe, but I don't see her making it to the end.
Denise Stapley:
Denise is the 41-years-old Sex Therapist from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There is something about Denise that I really like. Denise is really good at reading people...because it is her job. Physically, I believe that she will be far better than any other woman this season. The fact that she compared herself to Stephenie LaGrossa is another reason why I like her. Stephenie is one of my all time favorite players. I know that I will love Denise if she is anything like Stephenie. I think Denise has the ability to make it very close to the finals as long as she uses her psycho-babble techniques on the rest of the cast. In addition, she is the oldest woman on her tribe. I am hoping this does not put her on the outs. Her best bet will be to side with Russell until it is time for her to start mingling with the people of the other tribes. I'm excited to watch Denise this season!
Malcolm Freberg:
Malcolm is a 25-year-old bartender from Hermosa Beach, California. Malcolm comes off very arrogant. My first impression of him is that I'm not going to like him. However, I get the gut feeling that I will be secretly rooting for him this season - - because I can tell that he has a devious side to him. Will he be one of the strongest strategiists this sesason? I'm thinking so! I definitely see him going far. I believe that he will be a physical asset from the very beginning. As a fellow bartender, I am expecting him to have the ability to read other people without a second thought. Malcolm compares himself to Russell Hantz. Will he have the capability to rule the show and piss everyone off at the same time? He thinks he is going to rule from day one. With that smile - - I see him being more like a male version of Parvati. I guess we only have until the 19th to find out what he is capable of. Something tells me that this season will not be the last time we see Mr. Freberg. :)Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what to think about this season. I have heard rumors that Jeff Probst strongly believes that the fans will love it. There are a few characters who I am interesting in seeing. However, I have no interest in watching several of them. Even though last season was a snooze fest due to Kim's total domination - - I do believe that many of the cast had very strong personalities. Anyway, I hope the rumors are correct because I have not seen a good season since Heroes vs. Villains. I am ready for something to change!
On a side note, I just wanted to let everyone know that I recently went to a live audition for the show. I had the opportunity to talk to Chelsea and Kim (from One World) on multiple occasions. Kim was an absolute sweetheart, and I definitely see how she won the game. I feel very strongly that my audition went well. I acted like the audition process started as soon as I got out of my truck. I was undoubtedly the most outgoing person there. I know that this is going to happen for me. Hopefully sooner than later! Wish me luck guys! #TeamTim
Feel free to follow me on Twitter @the_timgilmore
I'll see you at the season premiere on September 19th!
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