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!