Big Brother Canada Coverage

Completing the trifecta of reality shows Survivor Scrutiny will be covering this spring is Big Brother Canada. Canada premiered its first season north of the border last spring, and now continues, with the premiere episode coming on March 5th. 

I'm very excited to be covering BBCAN2; last season had a great cast (although Gary should have won...come on Topaz...), even though some of the twists like the "Instant Eviction" weren't so great. Either way, it should be a great season.

I should warn you; I'm not a live feeds sort of person, although I will be keeping up to date with all of the episodes (which you can find on YouTube pretty much right after the fact, or at least you could last year).

I'm thinking there'll be a sort of weekly summary post a day or so after the Live Eviction episodes on Thursday nights...not spending too much time on Big Brother, because Ethan and I will be focusing on Survivor (and a little on the Amazing Race), but it will certainly be covered.

You may not be able to view the above video without flash, but our Canadian hostess Arisa Cox tells us that Gary "Glitter" will be joining her as co-host. Very exciting, of course! I'm not sure how that's going to work, but we'll find out that and the location of the new house in the premiere episode of BBCAN2! Stay tuned for our coverage!

Finally, I believe I've finally worked out any issues there may have been with the audio so you should be able to listen to it just about anywhere, and it's all together. This weekend, Ethan and I are going to record our Amazing Race analysis, and Ethan has some knowledge of the three teams I don't know, so check back soon.

Cagayan Cast Scrutiny, Part 3

Success! This was my first time uploading audio files, so I apologize if you have any issues with the quality of the sound or the ability to play it in your browser. This should work on iOS devices, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and possibly Firefox. Obviously, as Ethan and I do this with more regularity, we'll be able to give you both higher quality and more reliable audio recordings.

But for now, this is the preview for the remaining 9 contestants on Cagayan. It's split into three clips, I know; hopefully next time I can get it into just one. Enjoy! And be sure to give some feedback on how the audio sounds.

UPDATE: Ok, now the audio's all in one file; it should be like that from now on!

UPDATE: Ok, after going through these and uploading videos/pictures, I have no idea what happened to our Garrett recording. I still have it, but somehow it didn't make it into these three audio recordings...so I'll try to get that to you soon.

Amazing Race 24 All Star Cast Release

Again, apologies on the delay of the Survivor cast scrutiny...I promise I'll get to it soon! Today, CBS announced the cast for Amazing Race 24, which is all stars. There's nothing new really; if you wanted to know the cast, you could have googled it for the past month or two.

Of note, though, is that CBS said that their twist is that "one team will not make it to the start line." However, this is most likely going to be where the Mark/Mallory team is formed, which I mentioned in my earlier analysis.

A twitter user named Miss Cleo, who initially posted a spoiled cast list last year, had this to say today about the so-called twist.

“It’s all just a stunt. You can expect to LOL at the spectacle they’re going to make during the premiere about the SHOCKING news: OMG BOPPER’S SICK & HAD TO PULL OUT! OH NOEZ! WHAT DO WE DO? … I predicted a while ago that CBS would tease this heavily in the promos leading up to the premiere, and it’s looking like I’m right based on the press release today (‘one team doesn’t even make it to the starting line!’). Please.”

So no big deal there. However, you can now watch the cast videos and read the racers' bios on the CBS website, which is always fun. Also, I expect our resident Amazing Race expert Ethan will want to discuss this in more detail later this week. Maybe he can provide some insight on the teams that I don't know.

Recap of the Survivor Roast of Rob Cesternino

To those of you expecting the rest of the cast analysis, I apologize; Ethan and I did something a little different and made an audio recording of the two of us talking about the final 9 castaways, but uploading it has been a little difficult. Hopefully I'll have that for you sometime tomorrow, and it may well be worth the wait.

You will soon learn that I am a huge Rob Has a Podcast fan, and if you don't know what that is, you should absolutely check it out right now. Rob had a roast tonight in L.A., and I just finished watching the live streaming of it. If you missed it and you want to catch it, there may or may not be a video later, but Rob is going to put up the audio on his website probably tomorrow.

Survivors in attendance were Rob, Parvati (the roastmaster), Sophie, Tyson, Mikey B., John Fincher, Aras, and Abi-Maria. Things started off pretty intensely when Primetime Alex Stein #99 (sorry if you don't get the joke) crashed the stage, claiming he should be on Survivor and then insisting on eating a lit cigarette to prove...what?

Parvati seemed to love it and it was pretty funny and totally spontaneous, although I feel like they should have gotten him off the stage sooner. Anyway, then they started up the roast, which was very good; for all the critics out there, they're not trained comedians! Although I agree they didn't seem very prepared.

Here are the highlight jokes (if you're planning on listening to the roast, don't read this and spoil it for yourself!):

Parvati:
"Sophie Clarke...she was the first woman to make it 33 days with Brandon Hantz...and not get pregnant."
"You all remember how Aras blew all his money on tundra hats...just like how Laura M. blew...oh, never mind."
"If John Fincher is really a rocket scientist, then the world's chance of building a rocket is really f*****!"
[To Rob] "You've been in charge of more s***** releases than John Cochran's pants in kindergarten."

Sophie: "Guess who's a huge fan [of your podcast]? Christy Smith........I hope she doesn't hear about this."

John: [Talking about Tyson] "Nothing says challenge competitor like getting your shoulder dislocated by someone dumb enough to f*** Kat Edorsson!"

Mikey B: "Aras, I though he was a smart guy, but he started selling winter hats in Santa Monica...that's like selling condoms to Parvati."

Abi: "This is the best Survivor roast ever since Mike Skupin on the Australian Outback!"

Aras: [To Parvati] "You're beautiful, you're intelligent...if you were a chick, I'd totally bang you!"

Tyson: "Mikey, I googled you. Nothing came up."

Rob:
"I'm concerned about Sophie's love life...Dawn's teeth get taken out more!"
"Mikey B. was actually an alternate for Survivor Blood vs Water...finale tickets."
[To Tyson] "You won immunity this season and let Jeff Probst knight you...this was the best performance by a Survivor on their knees since the Jenna Lewis sex tape...and she got a necklace at the end of that too!"

Overall, it was a great show. Other highlights included Aras's rendition of Tighty Whities, everyone blaming bad jokes on Cochran, and drunken Abi's entire performance; she was winging it and throwing jokes into the crowd, and her comments during other people's turns were also great.

If you haven't seen/listened to it, I highly suggest you check it out; as I said, the audio at least will be available tomorrow. Also hopefully tomorrow, our audio from the cast preview will be up. Talk to you again soon!

Cagayan Cast Scrutiny, Part 2

Here's our second analysis of more castaways; another dialogue between myself and Ethan.

Ethan: Yoyoyo this is Ethan buzzing in.

Marcus: Welcome back, Ethan. I know you're busy tonight, so let's get to as many castaways as we can. Ready to continue our scrutiny?

Ethan: Yes I am. How about we start today's analysis on Morgan? What do you think of her, Marcus?

Morgan McLeod, 21, Ex-NFL Cheerleader

Beauty

Marcus: Ok, so Morgan. She's obviously very attractive, used to getting what she wants, etc. These are qualities that can be dangerous in Survivor, but I think she recognizes this and actually seems pretty smart.

Ethan: True, but people who are used to getting what they want tend to get other people to get it. Does that make her a potential leader?

Marcus: You know, I don't think so. She said she wants to be friends with the guys and also wants to "get in with the girls quickly," so I hope she'll be everyone's friend and not a leader. She was talking about how she's going to make big moves and she seems capable so I'm looking forward to seeing her.

Ethan: As a more general question, what is the likelihood of showmances with a beauty tribe?

Marcus: Not too bad of a chance. I think Jefra, Alexis, LJ, and Jeremiah, all people we haven't talked about, are the most likely candidates, though. 

Ethan: Well, back to Morgan. She seems to be friendly. But in Survivor, with too many friends you can pose a threat.

Marcus: I guess...but if she's counted as a loyal alliance member, people will want to keep her around. I gave her 70/100 on my scale.

Ethan: I rate her 55 for her plan to make friends. This isn't a really original plan, but it can be effective if implemented by the right people.

Marcus: That's fair enough. Who's next? Sarah? Thoughts?

Sarah Lacina, 29, Police Officer

Brawn

Ethan: Maybe a little annoying. She didn't seem all that interesting.

Marcus: Yeah, I agree. She's pretty serious, although she says she's "overwhelmingly competitive." 

Ethan: Also, I am not sure about her social game, because she is overly competitive and will probably blame losses on her team mates.

Marcus: That's something that will probably count against her, although I have a feeling the Brawns tribe won't be losing too many challenges. 

Ethan: I am not so sure; there are a lot of puzzles.

Marcus: With a big enough lead, you can finish any puzzle. Something to note is that she seems to have a good grip on how to play; she says she's going to get into a tight alliance with one person and then recruit two others. Basic strategy, but I bet a lot of people lack that. 

Ethan: Yeah, she used the idea of concentric circles of alliances to protect her. I have a feeling though, that she is going to be hit by a bullet like she days as she says before she can throw people in the way.

Marcus: That's possible...I really don't know with Sarah. I didn't get much from her; I gave her 50 because she could go either way.

Ethan: I agree and gave her 50 also. It depends if she can get her rings of alliances.

Marcus: Agreed. Next? How about Lindsey? 

Lindsey Ogle, 29, Hairstylist

Brawn

Ethan: She was interesting, if annoying.

Marcus: I liked Lindsey, actually. She was funny and from the way she describes what she's planning on doing, it sounds like she might be an alpha female sort of player, which we don't see too often. 

Ethan: Well, she just sort of reminds me of Ashley, the wrestler from China who failed and who I though would do well. That just worries me about her.

Marcus: How come?

Ethan: They both seemed alpha-like and strong. They both have tattoos and colors in their hair and were raring to play.

Marcus: That's fair. I also described Lindsey as dominating, and she says she doesn't want to be too intimidating but just the fact that she's saying that means she might be. And all these traits could certainly help her but will most likely put a huge target on her back. 

Ethan: That is definitely true. I would put her as the Brawn version of Spencer in that she is trying to hide her talents.

Marcus: I guess so. I don't think she's going to be very successful, unfortunately; I gave her 40. 

Ethan: I give her 45, because now that I think of it, Ashley got sick and that was a reason she got kicked. So maybe Lindsey can pretend to be weak and take over the pack.

Marcus: If she can do that, I'll be pleasantly surprised. Alright, Ethan, thanks for chatting once again. It's getting late so we should probably end here for tonight. We'll hopefully finish up our analysis tomorrow!

Ethan: Roger that, Marcus. Have a good night. 

Cagayan Cast Scrutiny, Part 1

As promised, here is the dialog from my conversation with Ethan. We jumped around and just talked about cast members in no particular order, and will continue our scrutiny tomorrow. We also may try an audio analysis next; I'm not sure. So here it is: hopefully you enjoy it!



Marcus: So, let's get into it here, Ethan. What did you think of the cast as a whole?

Ethan: Um... Well they all seem arrogant, but that could be just because they are told to act like that. I think they are pretty cool though.

Marcus: I guess so...I think they're pretty likable.

Ethan:  Most seem willing to backstab,which will be interesting.

Marcus: Right, although I bet you a lot of people say that in the pre-season interviews.

Ethan: Maybe; I haven't seen many pre-season videos before.

Marcus: There's definitely a lot of diversity here, wouldn't you say?

Ethan: Yes, there are cops and chess masters and cheerleaders and lawyers playing which will each have there own specialties. Some seem smart and others stupid..some seem strong and others non-threatening.

Marcus: Yeah, plus four African Americans and one Asian American. We haven't had that kind of ethnic diversity since Fiji and Cook Islands, which were specifically cast by race. 

Ethan: The ethnic diversity is cool. Enough with the general though, let's talk about individuals.

Marcus: Ok, sounds good. Who should we start out with?

Ethan: Tasha seems like a good starter.

Latasha “Tasha” Fox, 37, Accountant

Brains

Marcus: Alright. Latasha "Tasha" Fox, on the Brains tribe.

Ethan: She appears smart and pretty, though I have a feeling that this isn't the "adventure" she thinks it will be.

Marcus: That's certainly true. She says she's a longtime fan, and wants to be a leader towards the end of the game, but not in the beginning. What do you make of that?

Ethan: I think that will be next to impossible to accomplish. It is a great strategy if it works, but first impressions are big and if you don't start out as a leader, then it will be hard to get people to follow you without drawing unwanted attention.

Marcus: That's certainly true. I actually thought of one example where this did work: Denise Stapley, who won three seasons ago in the Philippines. It might be a bit of a stretch, but she started off as a sort of underdog and then really picked up her game at the merge and led her alliance...and then won. Could you see Tasha doing anything like that?

Ethan: I can, but the likelihood of it is low and the dangers involved are high. She has a shot, a better chance than anyone else I've seen except Kass of pulling an underdog victory. 

Marcus: Seems pretty fair. So what I did for each person is I ranked them percentage-wize about how I felt about them. Anything above 50% of going far is good. I gave Tasha a 70%. Do you think that's fair? How far do you think she'll get?

Ethan: Well... I am not sure if she earns a 70%, but she will probably make the merge at least. Although with her strategy she could easily be seen as useless and she must face those risks.

Marcus: Alright, so shall we move on, or do you have any last thoughts on Tasha? Middle of the road, decent player?

Ethan: Yes.

Marcus: Ok, so who's next?

Ethan: Woo.

Yung “Woo” Hwang, 29, Martial Arts Instructor

Brawn

Marcus: Woooooo.

Ethan: Woo Hoo.

Marcus: Haha ok so Woo. I wanted to like Woo, but he seems super arrogant to me. 

Ethan: Oh, I like him. Though I think his analogy of Tae Kwon Do is off and that physically it will help, but if he focuses too much on it, it will set him apart and therefore make him a target.

Marcus: Well, we've seen a lot of examples of different martial arts and yoga all the time on Survivor, like with Coach, but you could be right. He just seems really cocky. I described him as "an Asian Ozzy." 

Ethan:  Like Dragon Chi of Coach and meditation of Aras.

Marcus: Ooh that's good. He also doesn't seem so great socially; he talked a lot about how important challenges were and how he was physical, but that was about it, at least I thought. You?

Ethan: You're right about that.

Marcus: I can see him lasting in the pre-merge but then being a big target at the merge and not having the social game to save himself. 

Ethan: Yeah, but I see him being eliminated pre-merge if his group loses the challenges. Knock knock.

Marcus: Who's there?

Ethan: Woo.

Marcus: Woo Hoo? Oh. 

Ethan: Woooohoooo.

Marcus: Hahaha. I gave him 40%. The arrow is pointing down for Woo, at least for me. 

Ethan: 20-60 for me. It all depends on if his Tae Kwon Do do can save him.

Marcus: Haha, I don't think it will. So early merge? Possibly late pre-merge?

Ethan: Yep, that seems about right.

Marcus: Ok, who's next?

Ethan: Trish. Would you mind a quick recap? She isn't very memorable.

Trish Hegarty, 48, Pilates Instructor

Brawn

Marcus: I agree. Trish is a pilates instructor from Masschusetts...I didn't get very much from her. She's one of the two older women, and is on the Brawn tribe.

Ethan: I think she will make it moderately far as a unnoticeable player. Depends on whether or not she can pull her weight.

Marcus: Probably, although I hope not. What I said for her is that she seemed impatient, strict, and that she might crack easily under pressure. Well, she's probably very good physically, at least. 

Ethan: Well, let's hope she gets out early or has a meltdown to make this more interesting.

Marcus: That'd be fun. I didn't get much else from her. I guess she could go far totally under the radar, but she doesn't seem very likable and I don't think she would win.

Ethan: That is a reasonable assumption. Let's hope she proves us wrong about being boring.

Marcus: We'll keep our fingers crossed. As you can tell, I wasn't very impressed by Trish. I gave her 35/100. 

Ethan: 15 for me.

Marcus: Wow, really? There's something to be said for under the radar playing, you know. Although she could have some outbursts.

Ethan: She seems boring and not the type of person to win. The only way she could make it far is by being carried.

Marcus: Agreed. Next?



Ethan: Tony looked pretty cool. He is strong, but I feel like he won't be able to keep his attention on the game 24/7.

Tony Vlachos, 39, Police Officer

Brawn

Marcus: I really liked Tony. I think he came off really well in his interview. He said he was going to bring everything BUT "loyalty, honesty, integrity, and honor." I like that. 

Ethan: He seems like a fire, and will either catch everyone else on fire or burn himself out. He has some really great aspects of his personality though.

Marcus: I agree. He's funny and likable, but he also seems like he could be stubborn and be a big target. However, he seems empathetic and his skills as a cop could help him a lot.

Ethan: He has a big personality which is good for the audience but can be a target if he doesn't get along with people.

Marcus: That's exactly what I'm thinking. I hope he does well but I don't know if he will. I said 45 for him. 

Ethan: Probably a lenient 75 from me; he has a lot of potential with a few dangerous qualities.

Marcus: Now that we're talking about it, I'm getting a better feeling about Tony, so maybe. He might play too hard, too fast, however. 

Ethan: Yeah, that is why he is like a fire, hopefully he'll have enough fuel to keep burning.

Marcus: I like the analogies. Next?

Ethan: Spencer. The arrogant kid.

Spencer Bledsoe, 21, Student

Brains

Marcus: We're going to be sharply divided on Spencer. I like him. I called him the "likable Cochran." But you and everyone else seem to hate him. 

Ethan: He doesn't realize that chess smart isn't people smart.

Marcus: That's a fair point...hmm. I'm going to have to watch his interview again. Although he seems empathetic as well. I also compared him to Stephen Fishbach. He also said he wants to play down his intelligence.

Ethan: That is a smart move, but it is impossible to hide your true self from people you're with 39 days straight. Maybe he can hide it long enought that it will be too late for the others, but I have a feeling he will get angry at someone for being stupid.

Marcus: Yeah I guess so. I still have a good feeling from him though, and I think he could be a great villain, although he might also play too hard too fast. 

Ethan: He seems like a good player if he can hide his intelligence and extreme arrogance and hubris. He also mentioned patience is a problem for him, which is a huge part of Survivor. I feel like he is going to make it far, but backstab one too many people.

Marcus: I guess that could be tough. I think he can do it though. Initially I said 80/100. After talking to you, though, I might change it. I think he could be final 7...or very early pre-merge.

Ethan: If he can backstab people before they realize it, then he will do well, but I have a feeling he will do will, but I think he might blow his cover at some point. I'll give him an 85.

Marcus: 85? Really? I thought you didn't like him.

Ethan: I don't. Doesn't mean he isn't good.

Marcus: Ok, next?

Ethan: Kass.

Kassandra “Kass” McQuillen, 41, Attorney

Brains

Marcus: Yay, Kassandra. So, Kass was the one I had to go back and watch twice, because I'm really not sure what to make of her. Her strategy is so interesting and unique--she wants to appear the worst, and make everyone else think she's better than her.

Ethan: It works as long as she does work around camp. Camp work is important or you are "bad." 

Marcus: Right. Here's what I think. If this strategy works and she's totally underestimated until she strikes, people will think she's a genius. If she appears too weak and is voted out right away, which I hope doesn't happen, then everyone will says she's an idiot. I'm definitely rooting for Kass. 

Ethan: I agree with you, except that you have to take in the fact that she she is on the Brain tribe, which will have a different dynamic than the others. She is with a host of other smart people which may cause her strategy to fail.

Marcus: I actually think Kass is smart enough to pull this off. She understands the "mom stereotype" and is going to use it to her advantage. I think she'll either go soon or go far. I gave her 60 just cause she's such a wild card.

Ethan: I'll giver a 20 and 90. The twenty for if she fails at pulling it off and the 90 if she succeeds.

Marcus: Sounds good to me. Well, Ethan, thanks so much for talking with me tonight. 

Ethan: Thanks to you too, Marcus.

Marcus: Talk to you later. 


So there you have it, everybody. I at least thought it was an enlightening conversation. Agree/disagree with our analysis? Comment below! And check back tomorrow for the next part of Survivor Cast Scrutiny!

Survivor: Cagayan Cast Released!

At last, you can meet the cast of Survivor: Cagayan!

You can watch their videos here and read their bios here. There's a lot of interesting stuff; huge props to Survivor for casting such an interesting and diverse group. This is just a short post to update you on the cast; check back later tonight for a full analysis with myself and Ethan.

P.S. Could these be the tribal immunity idols? I hope so, because they're awesome!

Introducing my Co-Host

What a busy day; this is my third blog post, in preparation for tomorrow. As you know, the cast comes out tomorrow, and I'm going to be analyzing it (scrutinizing it, I should say). But I won't be alone. My co-host/co-blogger friend, Ethan, will occasionally be blogging (mainly once Survivor gets underway), and will be helping me scrutinize the new cast tomorrow, so I wanted to introduce him tonight. Ethan just started watching Survivor last year, and has just watched a couple of seasons, but he's really into it. He also has a wealth of knowledge on The Amazing Race, which we will also be covering. So, here's a message from Ethan.

Hello everyone, I am Ethan and I will be helping Marcus with this blog. Marcus and I will be writing about Survivor, something I have only gotten into in the last year. In my opinion, it is a pretty cool show with great strategy. I will also be covering The Amazing Race, which is an amazing show. The Amazing Race has some cooler tasks and goes to better places than Survivor, but it has almost no strategy, so I think they are both great in different ways. My favorite reality TV show, which we won't be covering for now, is Whodunnit. So, I hope you like how this blog is doing so far. I look forward to writing about these great shows. --Ethan

Ok...cast reveal tomorrow! Talk to you soon!

Greatest Player Rankings, Part 4

The continuation of my very own greatest Survivors ever rankings. Check out part 1, 2, and 3 if you haven't seen them first.

#10: Stephen Fishbach

Stephen is one of the greatest players to never win Survivor, and his gameplay on Tocantins was far superior to J.T.'s. While J.T. had nothing to do around camp--everyone loved him--Stephen worked hard to ensure that he was with J.T. to the end, and also ingratiated himself with Debbie, Coach, and Erinn. Sure, J.T. did some strategizing and helped the "Warriors Alliance" but look how long it took for that to crumble. Three tribals after the merge.

Stephen was the brains of the operation, and without him, J.T. would have never gotten to the end. And although Stephen never turned on J.T., which he needed to do to win, J.T. went on an immunity run and was safe for the last 3 tribal councils of the game; Stephen couldn't touch him. Since Tocantins, however, Stephen has admitted that he planned to go after J.T. if he could. You'll have to take Stephen's word for it, but I certainly do.

It's a shame that Stephen has never been brought back for another season; I hope we see him soon on Heroes vs. Villains 2 or whatever they do for Season 30. His sneakiness and intelligence would most likely make him a target, but he's loyal, and I think Stephen could go far again.

#9: Russell Hantz

Ok, before you yell at me, let me explain. I spent a long time moving Russell and the other non-winners in the top 10 around on my list, and this is where he ended up. Originally I had Russell as high as 6, but I realized that having such a poor social game lowers him to just barely above Stephen (because Russell did it twice, Stephen only did it once!).

I do, however, believe that his strategic acumen and his challenge prowess (which is something no one ever thinks about, but he is very good physically) makes up for his weak social gameplay, on this list at least. Even a Russell hater would have to agree with me that some of the moves he's made have been incredible, like voting out Tyson. There are also some more subtle (if that word can be applied to Russell) moves he made, like breaking up Parvati and Danielle. Yes, it made Danielle mad, and yes, he should have handled it better, but quite correctly he recognized a tight pair and got rid of one of them before it was too late for him, something that players like Cirie have failed to do in time.

I'm not the biggest Russell fan, but I do consider him to be a great player, although it's clear there's no way he'll ever win. He treats people horribly and so they hate him, and then he wonders why they don't vote for him. It's a shame, because if this list was "Top Strategic Players," he would probably be in the top 5. 

#8: Tyson Apostol

Ok, here's someone a little less controversial, and a little more recently. Tyson played a superb game last season, and I'm sure everyone will agree he absolutely deserved the win. I'll point out the obvious first: he's very athletic, having won 4 immunity challenges in 3 seasons (although don't count HvV). He's strategic, something that might not have been attributed to Tyson before Blood vs. Water. He definitely is, though; getting out Aras was a very smart move, as were some of his other plays. And most importantly, Tyson is a very good social player. Convincing Ciera that she was going to the final 3 so well that she didn't even flip at final 7 was a great example of impeccable social gameplay. So was getting Monica to stay so loyal.

If  you look back at the season, Tyson was a very dominant winner. So much so that I have a feeling that we need a little time to go by before we can truly rank him. I have him at 8 right now, but Blood vs. Water was only last year. A year or two from now, we might look back and say, "Wow, Tyson really was good!" I think he may end up being as good as Boston Rob or Kim. And I wouldn't say that about most people.

Here's why: Tyson had to contend with not only wily veterans like Tina, Aras, and Laura, but also faced off against some pretty smart, capable players. Vytas wasn't going to lie down and get sent home meekly. And he's just the tip of the iceberg; Ciera and Hayden (oh sure, Katie too) fought and scrambled as hard as they could to stay, and to take Tyson and his alliance out. Now compare that against Matt Elrod, Natalie White, and Phillip Sheppard 1.0. How does Ciera match up against Kat, or Hayden against Tarzan? Tyson fought good players, and he still won. That's why I think Tyson could be one of the best...ever.

I don't know when part 5 of my rankings will be, because we have some big news tomorrow. Check back soon!

Cast Reveal Coming Tomorrow!

Lori DelliColli ‏@LD425 1m
#Survivor Fans get ready! We'll announce the castaways competing in #Survivor:Cagayan #BrawnBrainsBeauty 2morrow Wed. Jan.22. Premieres 2/26

Lori DelliColli is a Survivor publicist, so you can definitely trust this information! We will have the Survivor: Cagayan cast reveal tomorrow! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited. There's still 4 unknown castaways (3 if Tedesco is on, but it sounds like he isn't), and we'll of course learn more about the ones we already know as well.

You can DEFINITELY expect a post about the cast reveal; check back tomorrow, and read more about the spoiled castaways here, here, or here.

Analyzing the Amazing Race 24 Contestants, Part 2

Mark Jackson and Mallory Ervin

Previous Seasons: 20 and 17/18

Initial Reaction: Wait...Mark...no Bopper? Oh well, ok.

I mentioned this before, but just to be clear, I have never watched Mallory on the Amazing Race. Obviously she's entertaining enough to become one of the first three-time racers. I do know Mark and Bopper, and they were the one bright spot in the final five on Season 20, which consisted of 3 annoying couples (including one that wouldn't let anyone else win) and two brothers (?) who were at least sometimes bearable. 

They did make the final five, and they won a leg once or twice, but I don't believe that Mark and Bopper were a very strong team. They were saved twice by a non-elimination leg and their lack of world experience has tripped them up several times in the past.

That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Mark again, even though I don't know how he will do with Mallory. I'm sure they have something in common if they're racing together, but they may not hold together so well once out on the race.

Prediction: They'll do alright and be very entertaining for the first few legs, but then suffer a communications breakdown and be eliminated somewhere in the middle (although Eric and Danielle, the last mixed team to be on the race, won All Stars so who knows).

Dave and Connor O'Leary

Previous Season: 22

Initial Reaction: Yes!!! They need another shot!

Dave and Connor are unique of course, in that they are the only team to ever be eliminated from the Race for medical reasons. That seems shocking, when you consider all of the teams that have been on the Race and all of the dangerous things they have had to perform.

So, if you don't remember, let's take a little stroll down Season 22 memory lane. Dave and Connor finished third in Leg 1, and were part of a four-person deal with Jessica and John, Max and Katie, and someone else (I forget who). The agreement was that if one of those teams won the Express Passes, that team would give the other Pass to the next highest placing team out of those 4. When Jessica and John won the Passes, they were hesitant to give one to Dave and Connor, because they were such a strong team.

However, Dave tore his Achilles tendon in the second leg (although they still managed to finish 2nd), and Jessica and John decided to give them the Pass because they appeared weak and would most likely be eliminated soon. What nobody expected, however, was for Dave and Connor to go on an incredible winning spree. 

They used the Express Pass in the next leg, allowing them to finish in 1st, and then finished 1st again one leg later. All this was with Dave on crutches, a boot, and a wheelchair in airports. In the next leg, due to recommendation from a doctor, Dave and Connor sadly had to withdraw from the race (because Dave needed surgery), and allowed themselves to be eliminated in Hanoi, Vietnam. Either way, Connor had done 4/5 of the roadblocks thus far, so eventually Dave would have had to start doing some.

So if a team can be this dominant with a debilitating injury, who knows what they can do uninjured?! They are without a doubt an incredibly strong team, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them this season.

Prediction: They'll be a very strong team and easily make it to the Final 3, and could win. Or, our expectations could be too high; if they don't get to the end, they'll be tragically eliminated early on due to a penalty or a bad taxi.

Caroline Cutbirth and Jennifer Kuhle

Previous Season: 22

Initial Reaction: Yay, finally some likable people. 

Up there with Nadiya/Natalie and Mona/Beth, they're one of the strongest female/female teams we've seen over the last few years. At times they could be a little too focused on Anthony and Bates and not focused enough on the race, but I think the Hockey Brothers wouldn't have won without help from these two.

Hopefully this time around, the Country Singers can perform well on their own. Unlike their blonde counterparts Allie and Ashley from this past season, Caroline and Jennifer are not only strong, but also likable and easy to root for.

And although I said I hope they'll do well by themselves, I can defintely see them flirting with some of the other racers; if it helps them in the race, then good for them. I just think that in Season 22, they helped Team Hockey more than Team Hockey helped them.

It's been a long time since a female/female team has won the Race, but it's certainly possible that this could be the season.

Prediction: They'll go far. I think top 5 at least. 

Natalie and Nadiya Anderson

Previous Season: 21

Initial Reaction: Hahahahaha...Twinnies! 

In Season 21 (which needs more representation; where are Jaymes and James?), they were fun to root against, and were some of the best villains and strongest female racers we've ever seen. This time around, I think I'll probably be cheering for them instead of against them; even though I was happy when Josh and Brent beat them in that exciting finish to get to the Finale, these two definitely deserve another chance.

Plus, they're hilarious and entertaining, which cannot be said for a lot of teams. This season is full of some very strong racers, but I think the Twinnies are two to watch out for. They only placed lower than 4th one time, and they won 2 legs. 

I also believe they were the ones who "stole" James's and Abba's money in Indonesia, so they're definitely willing to do anything to win this race, which I think they have a good chance to do.

Prediction: They could make a mistake and go out early, but I think they'll make it to the Final 5, and could certainly go to the Finale and win.

Alright, so that's it for my Amazing Race analysis, at least for now. I don't know the other racers, so there's no real point in me talking about them. It should be a great season!

Stay tuned for my top 10 Survivors list, and more news about Survivor: Cagayan as soon as things are revealed. Cast release in 8 days or less? I think so.

Analyzing the Amazing Race 24 Contestants, Part 1

I only started watching the Amazing Race around season 20, so I've watched those 3 seasons plus TAR Canada, plus the first season and Amazing Race All Stars. So I don't have much to say about Jet and Cord, Flight Time and Big Easy, Margie and Luke, or Mallory. Be warned. (All picture credit goes to examiner.com)

Also, I do happen to (sadly) know a few elimination-related spoilers. I think I may have accidentally stumbled onto the first elimination on Survivor Sucks (that's what you get), and I know a few other things that I've picked up along the way, but I'm trying to forget about these things, and I can promise they won't factor into my analysis one bit, so it's all spoiler-free. Don't spoil stuff for me!!!

Rachel Reilly and Brendon Villegas 

Previous Season: 20

Initial Reaction: ULLLLLBLGGGGHHAHGGK!!!!! 

That's the feeling I get in my throat when I see Brenchel. Sadly, they lasted the whole time in Season 20, and of course, I couldn't stand them at all. I remember one part where Rachel says something along the lines of "Brendonnnn wahhhh this is too haaard! This was supposed to be fuuuun wahhhh it's not like Big Brother wahhhh (ok maybe she doesn't say that last part)." And they both contemplate quitting (which they have also done on BB). At this point I was fervently praying for them to give up, but sadly, no. Brenchel remained to plague us the entire season.

And don't get me started on Big Brother! I haven't watched BB12, but I'm currently watching Big Brother 13 (I know that Rachel wins though), and they're honestly revolting. I cannot bear their constant whining, crying, cheesy romantic lines, narcissism, power trips, sulking, pity parties...oh, wait, that's all of them. Yeah, if you hadn't figured it out by this point, I hate Brenchel. I have no idea how that woman won a season, and I plan to stop watching when Daniele gets evicted, because she's the only one who stands up to her. 

The one (debatable) good thing about them is that they'll bring some drama and conflict to the show, which is always good on the Amazing Race. However, I'm certainly rooting against them and I hope they'll be gone as soon as possible. I don't think I could live with a Brenchel victory.

Prediction: Bad. They'll have a decent start and then flame out spectacularly (read: Rachel will have a meltdown) in the first few episodes. Bye bye Brenchel. At least I hope so.

Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran

 

Previous Season: 23

Initial Reaction: Meh. Cool.

There was an original list with only some correct names floating around that I liked much better than the actual list, and that list had my new favorite team, Tim and Marie, on it. Instead, I found out I lost Team Pinky and got the Afghanimals. For most of Season 23, I was not fond of these two, but in the last few episodes, their edit started turning around.

Perhaps they got used to the cameras, or just toned down the acting and ululating a bit, but either way, they instantly became more likable, or at least tolerable. Hopefully this time around they'll be used to the cameras already and can keep it entertaining but manageable from the start.

From a racing standpoint, it's clear they're a strong team. They only won 2 (?) legs last time around, and they didn't have a very high average placement, but I think that they had a lot of bad luck and just didn't have a chance to shine. I'm looking forward to a more fun, stronger team this time around.

Prediction: The Afghanimals could make a deep run. I don't see them winning, but Final 5 or maybe even in the final leg.

Joey Graceffa and Meghan Camarena

Previous Season: 22

Initial Reaction: *Nods head* Hmm...ok, sure. I'll root for them.

I liked Joey and Meghan a fair amount during their season. Not as much as some. But thinking about them playing again...ehhhh. They were definitely likable, but they were pretty pathetic racers, and I've heard that Joey is kind of a jerk in real life. 

I do think that their unique relationship is a plus: it's rare that you see a male/female pairing that's not married, exes, engaged, or at least dating. So that's interesting. Plus they're funny. Honestly, I was rooting for stronger teams like Max and Katie and Pam and Winnie (who were on the first list but not the real list!!!), but I would have rather had them win than Anthony and Bates, who were boring.

I said they were weak racing-wise, but they did manage 5th place. A lot of that is luck, but they're also calm and fairly intelligence. They're bad with directions though, so things could go either way for Team YouTube.

Prediction: I think they'll do alright early on, maybe hang on at the back of the pack, and then be eliminated in the middle of the season.

Jessica Hoel and John Erck

Previous Season: 22

Initial Reaction: What? What?! No...come on, really?

The only thing they'll ever be remembered for is the team that was eliminated holding an Express Pass. That will plague them till the end of their days (interestingly, on the very first season of the Amazing Race Canada this past summer, this also occurred). 

But yeah...besides that, there's nothing else very memorable or important about John and Jessica. I suspect their entire storyline will be based on this one event. The one thing that would make it worth having these two back will be if they win the first leg and get two more sets of Express Passes...now that would be funny! And I could see it happening. Also, John looks creepy. Just look. At his face. And his eyes. Scary, no? Kind of reptilian. No? Ok, nevermind.

I do recall that Jessica was a voice of reason, and once she had solid evidence to suggest they were in last place, she argued for using the Pass, which could have saved them. The blame for their elimination should be placed entirely on John's shoulders. AND he couldn't even admit to Phil that he'd made a mistake!

Express Pass aside, they're a strong team (albeit not very fun), and if they hadn't had this little slip up, they could have gone far.

Prediction: They'll win the first leg again, and somehow manage to get eliminated with another Express Pass. If that doesn't happen, I think they'll either be A) unbeatable and coast into the finale or B) be a very competitive team that gets eliminated late in the race due to a blunder or bad taxi.

Alright, that's all for now. Stay tuned to hear about Twinnies,  Mark and Mallory (?!?!), Team Achilles Heel, and the Country Singers.

No Survivor news; I think we won't hear anything until the cast reveal which is probably no more than 10 days away.

Cagayan Premiere Date Announced!

It's official, everybody; Survivor: Cagayan will be premiering on Wednesday, February 26th with a 2 hour premiere episode! You can read CBS's announcement in it's entirety here.

So what does this mean? Well, sadly, it's likely that we won't get to see the full cast reveal until about a month beforehand, so we still have 2 weeks to go. I'm hoping they'll release it sooner, but I doubt it.

A lot of people on Survivor Sucks today were speculating that the 2 hour premiere will be simply episodes 1 and 2 of Cagayan back to back, like CBS did with Gabon. While it would certainly be exciting to see a bunch of challenges and tribal councils all at once, I think I'd prefer getting 2 hours to see more interaction and character development, but it's unlikely. Who knows, though. Heroes vs Villains was 2 hours and just one tribal.

Also of note, the Amazing Race premiere date (Feb. 23) was announced at the same time. I also plan to cover TAR 24 on this blog, but to a lesser extent than Survivor. If you're interested, I'll probably do an analysis of the list of all star teams competing this season, which can be found in a multitude of places, including Reality Blurred.

Actually, that could be fun to do. If I get a chance later tonight, I'll talk about TAR 24 or start getting into the Top 10 of my all time Survivor players list. Either way, stay tuned!

Cagayan Buffs

According to Planetbuff, the official tribe names are:

• Luzon, the green Brains tribe, named after the largest island in the Philippines, where Cagayan province lies.
• Solana, the purple Beauty tribe, named after a town in the Cagayan province.
• Aparri (not Afarri), the orange Brawn tribe, named after a town in the Cagayan province.

I really like Luzon, Aparri is just ok, and Solana is good but it sounds very similar to Salani from One  World. 

There have been no new names mentioned in the last few days, and something tells me we won't get any more until the official cast release...which hopefully will be any day now. Some people thought it would be yesterday. Other dates that have been floating around are:

• Wednesday, Jan 15, possibly a month before the premiere date and the second of three buff release dates announced by Planetbuff.
• Monday, Jan 20, the third of three release dates announced by Planetbuff.
• Sunday, Jan 26, possibly a month before the premiere date

The issue is, no one knows when the premiere of S28 will be, and the cast release usually comes 30 days beforehand. But with the Olympics this year, things are more complicated. I'll get back to you when I have more info, but my bet is we'll get a cast release and an official premiere date within a week. Keep your fingers crossed!