Big Brother 16 Cast Scrutiny

First off, I apologize for my lengthy absence and lack of posts over the last three weeks. Big Brother is almost upon us, though (it premieres tonight, actually), and it's time to get back into the swing of things. So without further ado, here is my analysis of each contestant on the upcoming season, in no particular order (Image credit CBS).

To prepare for this, I watched each Houseguest's interview with Jeff Schroeder, and also watched some interviews with Rachel Reilly. I'll predict how well each Houseguest will be at Big Brother, from fantastic to decent to poor to terrible.

NOTE: I was a little late on posting this, so it'll go up after the first night of Big Brother, but it's all been written before seeing the episode.

Amber Borzotra
Amber lists her profession as esthetician, but she also reveals that she's a model, which is most likely the real reason that she was recruited. Yes, Amber says she applied, but I don't believe her. However, she is very calm, cool, and collected, and she seems like a genuine and honest person, which could serve her well in the House (although being too honest is also a problem). Amber isn't necessarily a player in the House this year, but she at least has a head on her shoulders, and acknowledges that a showmance would most likely ruin her game.
Gameplay Prediction: Poor. She'll be a nice girl that people like and will stick around for a while, but will eventually be evicted before the jury as a pawn.

Donny Thompson
Not the typical casting choice for Big Brother, is he? I'll admit that when I first saw him, I thought he'd be one of your typical Duck Dynasty-type guys and wouldn't get along well with maybe some more liberal-minded people in the House. But in his interviews, Donny is instantly likable and funny--I don't detect any malice or deceit from him at all (which could also be a bad thing on this type of show). I'm actually feeling pretty good at Donny's chances; he's also one of few true, longtime fans of Big Brother on the show. I don't expect him to be exceptionally cunning or strategic, but I really do think everyone in the House will love him and he could make it very far.
Gameplay Prediction: Fantastic. He's going to be that one guy in the House that everyone likes and no one wants to get rid of--a friend to every clique and alliance.

Zach Rance
Wow...obviously cast to be the Dan/Ian/Matt gamer of the season, as others have already mentioned. Although I see a lot of similarities to Mike Boogie, which is unsettling. As a relatively recent Big Brother fan, I've only seen Boogie play on season 14, and he was someone that I hated but also often loved to hate. So maybe Zach will be the same way. It's completely possible that I'll end up rooting for him, and that he'll tone down the meanness and arrogance when he actually gets onto the show (like Spencer in Cagayan). I would certainly like to see some strategic gameplay this summer, so that's a plus, I suppose. I just think that Zach is overestimating himself and is going to exit the House quickly, much to his own surprise.
Gameplay Prediction: Poor. He'll be trying too hard and will act similar to Garrett on this past season of Survivor. Sooner or later, people will see that he's playing hard and being arrogant, and they just will not want to keep him around.

Victoria Rafaeli
I'm not getting much from Victoria from her interviews. She seems a little vain and full of herself. Victoria says people will underestimate her because she looks naive, but I think they will accurately gauge her naivete. She plans on getting with a guy's alliance and doesn't get along well with the girls, and would rather lose the game and be loved than win and be hated (which was a great question to ask, by the way). I can see her being easily manipulated by a showmance partner and dragged along for the ride.
Gameplay Prediction: Terrible. Victoria doesn't have any idea what she's getting into and will only ever have control of the game if she's lucky enough to win a comp or two. Quite simply, she's an idiot (although of course, I could be eating my words soon).

Cody Calafiore

Cody is obviously an "ubercompetitive," attractive guy, and a professional athlete, which could be either a positive or a huge negative for him. If he can hold his ego in check, Cody will make a great player and will be loved by America (like Jeff), but I have a feeling he'll end up more along the lines of Tom and Andrew from BBCAN or Jeremy from last season. Interestingly (and positively), he says he doesn't plan on using his looks or a showmance to help himself progress through the game, so maybe he does have some brains. If he's well-liked and popular in the House, he has all the tools to go far.
Gameplay Prediction: Decent. I have a feeling that I won't like him, but he'll probably be popular enough inside the House and will use his athletic ability to get himself to the jury.

Derrick Levasseur
The Rhode Island version of Tony?! Ok, look. Look. I had to talk llama 'cause...
Yeah, if you don't watch Survivor and are just a BB fan, that one will be lost on you. Anyway, Derrick does have some similarities to Tony, in that he doesn't plan on telling people that he's a cop, but I have a feeling that won't last any longer that Tony's secret did. Derrick believes that having worked undercover will help him in the game, which I agree with. Overall, he seems like a nice guy who wants to play an honest game, which is not really suitable for Big Brother. Derrick also doesn't seem like someone who's going to make a lot of waves or big moves inside the House.
Gameplay Prediction: Decent. He may end up being a dud from the casting perspective--I have no idea--but I think he can stay under the radar pretty well and make it relatively far.

Brittany Martinez
Brittany obviously won't be as good as Britney, but I like her well enough. Even though she's relatively young, she was obviously cast to be the mom of the season (and has 3 kids). She reminds me a bit of Sarah from BBCAN2. I like Brittany, and she seems pretty smart, but there are a number of things not working in her favor. First of all, she's a recruit who was found in a bar two weeks before the show even started, so it might take her a while to get accustomed to the game. And apparently she cried for 48 hours straight (is that possible?) when she had to leave her kids, so that could be an issue. The jury is out on Brittany.
Gameplay Prediction: Poor. She'll be a little worse than Sarah, and a little more emotional. Who knows how strong she could be once she's inside, but the separation from her kids could make her crack just a week or two in. That seems harsh, doesn't it? Well, don't blame me--it's a guess!


Nicole Franzel
Here's someone I think I'm going to really like. She's a recent nursing graduation and a huge Big Brother super-fan and live feeder. Yay!!! From listening to her talk and interact with people in her interviews, she seemed very personable and charismatic, but a couple of the things she said made me worry. Nicole is scared of sleeping alone and ghosts, will probably "cry a lot," doesn't get along well with other girls, and is going to try to win the first HOH. But I think she can recover from these issues and I think a strong social game from Nicole will serve her well.
Gameplay Prediction: Fantastic. This is a hard cast to predict, but I think Nicole is going to be one of the standout players of this season.


Frankie Grande
I'm sure we'll be taking about Frankie a lot this season, and I think all of the public voting will give him a huge edge, just like it did for Elissa last season. Frankie seems pretty smart, at least, and he says he plans on keeping money and his sister out of the equation. He says he's a super-fan, but that remains to be seen. Frankie seems very personable and I think he could get along well with most people in the House, although he may be a little bit naive as well; he doesn't think it's possible for him to win and be hated.
Gameplay Prediction: Decent. He'll get along well with others and forge strong alliances to make it at least to jury.

Devin Shepherd
I liked Devin immediately, but I worry he's going to be a huge target in the House...and I mean that literally, because he's massive and very muscular, and people will want to get him out immediately because of that. Like Howard last season, though, we know that being large and strong doesn't necessarily make you a challenge beast. Devin also has a daughter, so he may be able to connect well with the other parents in the House. I think that if he can survive those first critical weeks, Devin will be able to get into a strong enough position to make a deep run in the game.
Gameplay Prediction: Fantastic. Devin's going to need to be making deals and alliances right away, and I think he's up to the challenge.


Joey Van Pelt
Joey seems like a very interesting person, although unfortunately there was not much of a cast video for her with Jeff. I probably should have watched the other one. She says she gets along well with women, and I believe her. She seems like a personable type, and that could serve her well in the House. Doesn't appear to be much of a threat either, so if she's actually here to play the game, Joey could do well.
Gameplay Prediction: Decent. She'll ingratiate herself with the women to survive.

Paola Shea
Now here's another pre-game favorite of mine. Paola is a DJ from New York City, and seems pretty awesome. She's a fan, hilarious (at least in her interview), and has a huge personality. Of course, this could easily lead to getting the boot pretty early on, and I have no idea how well she's going to do game-wise, but I'm rooting for her and I like her personality. Paola's plan is to form an all-girl alliance...that's something we've heard before. She also says she has the memory of a goldfish, so hopefully she can forget that plan before she gets into the House; as much as I'm on board with the idea, it's never really worked on Big Brother.
Gameplay Prediction: Decent. She'll appeal to some people in the House and be really funny, but her huge personality could turn others off.

Hayden Voss
Did you say Hayden Moss? Hayden is back against all newbies? No, Hayden Voss. This has got to be a joke. Come on, CBS. But actually, I really liked Hayden. Immediately I thought of Fabio from Survivor, but hey--Fabio won. Hayden seems a lot more down to earth than Fabio, though, and plans on playing a friendly game. Honestly, this may sound crazy, but I think he could do really well and get along nicely with people. He also seems like a threat in terms of competitions, but isn't as obvious as someone like Devin or Cody.
Gameplay Prediction: Fantastic. I'll probably be totally wrong, but Hayden is going to be my pre-season winner's pick!



Caleb Reynolds
A recruit cowboy from Kentucky, Caleb is "single and ready to mingle." He's super religious, and says he's "too athletic." If you haven't been following the BB news, some offensive comments that Caleb said on Instagram have already been dug up...I'm already not a fan of this guy. He could be another of the Andrew/Tom-type guys that pisses everyone off and goes from the top to the bottom in one week.
Gameplay Prediction: Terrible. He's going to make everyone mad at him and push his way along through an HOH win or two before people finally come together to vote him out.

Jocasta Odom
Typically, very religious people--like ministers--have not done well on reality shows. But Jocasta says she can "conform to different situations," and seems pretty competitive. So I'm cautiously optimistic on Jocasta. She's married, so that could give her a connection with Brittany and Devin. I'm not sure how well she'll do.
Gameplay Predictions: Decent. I think that she can get along relatively well with the other Houseguests but will probably get taken out somewhere in the middle.


Christine Brecht
Last but not least, we have Christine, who is the pre-game winner pick for many pundits. I really like Christine, and she's a Big Brother super-fan/nerd of the game. She has a plan to make alliances on both sides of the House, and is even a boardgame geek, which is awesome! I'm a big fan, but Christine also came across as a little socially awkward--at least to me--in her interviews, and I'm worried about her ability to fit in with the other Houseguests early on. You could say that Ian was the same way, but he would have been evicted if he hadn't had like 5 weeks of safety from Veto and HOH wins.
Gameplay Predictions: Fantastic. If she can make it through the first two weeks, Christine will become an undercover ninja and play her way to the end of the game.

So there you have it. Hayden Voss is my pre-game prediction to win. I would spend some time talking about the House and the twists, but you probably know more than I do at this point since it's Wednesday night. I'm going to go watch the premiere and then rescind every single thing I said about every Houseguest. Check back Thursday night for my recap of the two-day premiere, and stay tuned!

Survivor Cagayan: Brains Play Dumb, Beauties Make Ugly Decisions, and Brawn Wimps Out

A super-sized hour-long audio scrutiny!

It was a season full of twists and turns, unexpected blindsides, and come-from-behind victories that ultimately resulted in the win of the most devious player, Tony Vlachos.

Join Ethan and me as we sit down and talk about everything that happened in this crazy finale episode and the season as a whole in a super-sized hour-long audio scrutiny.

We'll discuss the events leading up to Tony's win, including the loved ones' visit and the Final Tribal Council, and then talk about the reunion show. Then we look at Cagayan overall; where does it and Tony's win rank among the other seasons? Who's likely to come back, and what do we think about Survivor: San Juan Del Sur?

Find out in our podcast below, and as always, leave your feedback! Don't go away; there's still some more fun coming your way as we transition into our summer coverage; I'll talk more about that soon.

Cagayan E12 Recap: "Straw That Broke the Camel's Back"

Sorry that this podcast is getting to you so late; the busy few weeks continue. It's here now, though, so tune in to listen to myself and Ethan recap the twelfth episode of Cagayan and give our predictions for the finale, which is just a few days away! Tomorrow or Tuesday we'll also have an audio recap of the Amazing Race finale, so stay tuned!

Cagayan E11 "Havoc to Wreak" Recap

Who can win this game?

Better late than never; here's my talk with Ethan about the eleventh episode of Survivor: Cagayan. Join as as we discuss rewards, the strategy of voting out Tasha, final 2 vs. final 3, who can win this game, and much much more. I mentioned on the podcast that I'd have some BBCAN finale recaps up on Saturday...it's going to be more like Sunday, but I expect to have at least two posts about that in the upcoming days. But for now, listen to our podcast and check back Sunday for Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race!

Cagayan E10 Recap "Chaos is My Friend"

Woo thinks this podcast is as delicious as barbecued ribs.

Here's our full audio scrutiny and recap of the 10th episode of Survivor: Cagayan; it's both pertinent and timely (for once). Listen in on my conversation with Ethan as we analyze the episode, talk about hidden immunity idols, the auction, go over jury votes, and much much more.

Tomorrow there'll be a Big Brother Canada recap, and I'm planning on going over a history of Survivor auctions on Saturday. And on Sunday there'll be another Amazing Race recap, so stay tuned!

Cagayan E9 Recap: "Sitting in My Spy Shack"

Listen in as Ethan and I discuss every facet of the superb ninth episode of Survivor: Cagayan. We talk about Spy Shacks, overpowered idols, what Jefra's letter said, as well as how Jeremiah, Spencer, and Tasha should have scrambled a little bit more. We also went over the endgame and probable winners; tune in to hear our critique of Trish's game and Kass's likability (hint: it's nonexistent). It's a jam-packed Survivor podcast you don't want to miss, and stay tuned for a Survivor feature article and an Amazing Race recap!

Cagayan Episode 8 Recap "Bag of Tricks"

I think you'll be pleased with this week's scrutiny. We had a lot more time to talk, so Ethan and I went in-depth on the episode, Tony's big move, updating the auction, talking about who could win, returning players, and more. We also talked a bit about Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race at the end, so enjoy! There'll be a Big Brother Canada recap coming tonight, so stay tuned, and comment if you listened to the audio and have something to say; we'd love to hear from you.

Cagayan E6 and E7 Audio Recap

The long-awaited audio scrutiny!

At last, the long-awaited audio scrutiny of Survivor: Cagayan episode 7. It's late in coming, but finally here! We touch briefly at Kass's flip and the idol shenanigans of episode 6, spend the bulk of the time talking about the most recent episode, and even give Ethan a chance to vent about the How I Met Your Mother Finale at the end (starts at 19:00). Enjoy the podcast...you shouldn't have to wait so long for the next one!

This is going to push back my mid-week BBCAN recap...I'll watch Sunday's episode and decide if it's dramatic enough to merit a post of its own; if not, I'll cover everything BBCAN on Friday's recap. We have Survivor power rankings coming to you tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Mid-Season Look at The Amazing Race All Stars

It's been six episodes so far of The Amazing Race, and tonight, Ethan and I are recapping it all. We'll spend most of our time on the 6th episode, but we also discuss our power rankings, the lack of a U-Turn, and episodes 2-5. Click below to listen to our conversation! Tomorrow/today I have a BBCAN recap coming for you, so stay tuned!

"We Found Our Zombies" Cagayan Recap

Join myself and Ethan as we talk about the episode right before the Survivor: Cagayan merge. We'll discuss Lindsey's quit, Tony's ups and downs, as well as who we think could be in a good position come the merge. There's also Big Brother Canada post coming later today, so stay tuned! (Image credit CBS)

"Odd One Out" Cagayan Recap

Listen in as we discuss the crazy tribe swap.

Here's my conversation with Ethan on the fourth episode of Survivor, which is both timely (for once) and informative. Listen in as we discuss the impacts of Trish's/Tony's flip and Cliff's blindside, the crazy tribe swap, and what we think will happen in the last episode before the merge.

There's another Big Brother recap coming your way tomorrow, and then one or two Survivor feature articles this weekend, along with a recap for TAR episode 5, so stay tuned!

"Our Time to Shine" Cagayan Recap

Again, it's been longer than anticipated bringing you this audio scrutiny. I think we're going to have some scheduling changes coming in the next week or so, which I'll probably talk about on Monday, that will still allow us to get content out just about every day and still have episode recaps and all that good stuff for you in a timely fashion. I'm also trying to get these recaps to work on mobile devices, and I'll hopefully have some good news about that for you soon as well.

But for now, listen to myself and Ethan as we recap Cagayan Episode 3, "Our Time to Shine," (apparently Ethan was actually right about it being E3 not E4) and discuss whether Kass and Tasha voted out the right person, whether Sarah was right in trying to throw the challenge, and what came first, the chicken or the egg. Later today there will be a Big Brother Canada recap and tomorrow a Survivor feature article, so stay tuned!

"Cops-R-Us" Cagayan Recap

Again, sorry that this audio scrutinies are taking so long; hopefully in the next week or two, we can get you them the day after the episode. But my conversation with Ethan is here now, so tune in to hear our thoughts on the Brains' impressive victory, Brice's unexpected oust, and whether the Brawn tribe should throw the challenge next week. Stay tuned!

"Hot Girl with a Grudge" Cagayan Recap

The Luzon tribe on premiere night.

Join myself and Ethan as we recap everything that happened on premiere night for Survivor: Cagayan, including what went wrong with the Brains Tribe, how good of a chance leaders Sarah and LJ have, and what exactly the Spy Shack is. We're getting to it a little later than I would have hoped, but it's here nonetheless, so enjoy!

The Amazing Race Premiere Scrutiny

Who won the leg, and who got eliminated?

We're back with a post-premiere scrutiny of the first episode of The Amazing Race 24! It was actually a pretty good premiere. Tune in below to hear our thoughts on who got eliminated, who won the leg, and all the other drama and challenges. We'll be back Thursday to recap the first Survivor episode, and there'll be some Amazing Race articles coming your way as well. Stay tuned!

Survivor Pageant Finalists Scrutiny

As promised, here's my discussion with Ethan about the top 3 finalists for Miss and Mister Survivor! A little later than promised, but we got it to you in the end. Look out today for news about whether Brenda has been contacted; it's looking like Candice will be the third finalist. See what Ethan and I have to say about that and more in our audio scrutiny below! We'll talk to you again soon.

P.S. This is the link to the Hold Up Bro song discussed in our scrutiny.

                               

Amazing Race 24 Cast Scrutiny

As promised, here's the audio file of Ethan and I discussing the all star cast of The Amazing Race 24. We have some more stuff (both audio and written) heading your way soon.

There's less than a month left before premieres of both The Amazing Race and Survivor, so we're going to start gearing up for that. Pretty soon, I'll release the schedule of articles/audio during the season, so you know what to expect on what day.

Check back soon for more updates! Here's our scrutiny of TAR 24.

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.

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!