Survivor 20: Heroes vs Villains
 

Official Cast list released, show starts Feb 11

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Amanda Kimmel (24)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Kalispell, Mont.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Becoming Miss Montana USA/Miss Earth USA.”
Inspiration in Life:“God.”
Previous Finishes:China: 2nd Runner Up; Micronesia: Runner Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Finding the hidden immunity on Exile on Fans vs Favs! It was like Christmas!”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: James Clement (China, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Why Did She Come Back?: “Because I am really competitive and wanted to prove I could win!”


Candice Woodcock (27)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.
Current Residence: Washington, D.C.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being the former Executive Director of Students for Students International.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents.”
Previous Finishes: Cook Islands: 13th out, 5th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Winning the sand wrestling challenge in Cook Islands.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Corrine Kaplan (Gabon)
Why Did She Come Back? : “I'm always up for a challenge, and I love the game. I want a chance to play against the best!”


Cirie Fields (39)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Jersey City, N.J.
Current Residence: Norwalk, Conn.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Passion for providing extraordinary safe, quality patient care.”
Inspiration in Life: “My three sons John, Jamil and Jared.”
Previous Finishes: Panama: 12th Out, 6th Jury Member; Micronesia: 15th Out, 7th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Having my husband at camp.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Aras Baskauskas (Panama)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “No comment.”
Why Did She Come Back? : “Because I didn’t win the last 2 times.”


Benjamin “Coach” Wade (38)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Susanville, Calif.
Current Residence: Susanville, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: Holding the World’s Record for “Longest solo kayak trip 6,132 miles.”
Inspiration in Life: “Composing classical music for the Susanville Symphony.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: 11th out, 5th jury member
Favorite Past Moment: “My monastic approach to exile.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back?: “Redemption!”


Colby Donaldson (35)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Christoval, Texas
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “I make a pretty mean potato salad.”
Inspiration in Life: “God, family & close friends.”
Previous Finishes: Australia: Runner-Up; All-Stars: 5th Out
Favorite Past Moment: “The very beginning of it all for me – stepping off the plane and into the Outback.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Tom Westman (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Those who have thrown in the towel and left the game early.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “For me, it’s all about the extreme challenge and the epic adventure. A million bucks is a pretty good motivator as well.”

Courtney Yates (28)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Punctuality.”
Inspiration in Life: “The laughter of children.”
Previous Finishes: China: Runner-up
Favorite Past Moment: “Seeing my Dad bust out from behind the bushes at the family reward.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Yau-Man Chan (Fiji, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “All the strong people, because they are so smug.”
Why Did She Come Back?: “Couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Danielle DiLorenzo (26)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Playing on an international soccer team representing the U.S in a European league playing in the Gothia Cup in Germany.”
Inspiration in Life: “My grandfather.”
Previous Finishes: Panama: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Beating Cirie in the fire building challenges.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Parvati Shallow (Cook Islands, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Russell Hantz (Samoa)
Why Did She Come Back?: “I had such an amazing experience the first time I played the game and the competitive edge in me also screamed "I have a good chance because I came so close last time."


James Clement (32)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Lafayette, La.
Current Residence: Malibu, Calif. and Lafayette, La.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Continuing the family business.”
Inspiration in Life: “My dad.”
Previous Finishes: China: 10th out, 4th Jury Member; Micronesia: Injured, 4th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “All the challenges.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Amanda Kimmel (China, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “No comment.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “To prove to myself I can get further in the game.”


Jerri Manthey (38)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Turning my acting dreams into reality.”
Inspiration in Life: “My mom.”
Previous Finishes: Australia: 8th out, 2nd jury member; All-Stars: 7th out
Favorite Past Moment: “Fishing with Mitchell and Amber.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Ethan Zohn (Africa, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Shi-Ann Huang (Thailand, All-Stars)
Why Did She Come Back? : “The money of course!”


James “JT” Thomas Jr. (25)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Samson, Ala.
Current Residence: Mobile, Ala.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being the first in my family to go to college and earn a degree.”
Inspiration in Life: “My family.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: “Winning the final immunity challenge.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “Myself- I am my own hero, because of what I accomplished and how it brought my family together.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back? : “It’s the ultimate challenge, I couldn’t pass it up.”


Parvati Shallow (27)
omg
Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Current Residence: Public Storage, Los Angeles
Personal Claim To Fame: "Racking up thousands of friends on my fake facebook accounts."
Inspiration in Life: Chuck Bass and Jeff Probst
Previous Finishes: Cook Islands: 15th Out, 7th Jury Member; Micronesia: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: "Eating chocolate cake in the tub while everyone watched."
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: "Sweet Lil' Cirie Fields (Panama, Micronesia) And Crazy Town Shane Powers (Panama)"
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: "Ozzy (for being a crybaby) (Cook Islands, Micronesia)"
Why Did She Come Back? : “For the love of the game, baby!”


Randy Bailey (50)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Current Residence: Austin, Texas
Personal Claim To Fame: “Never having been CONVICTED of a felony.”
Inspiration in Life: “Nothing inspires me!”
Previous Finishes: Gabon: 11th out, 3rd Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “Awaking on Day 10 to a new team!”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Take your pick of the idiots from Gabon, mostly Bob.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “To right the wrong!”


Rob Mariano (33)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Boston, Mass
Current Residence: Pensacola, Fla.
Personal Claim To Fame: “My marriage and birth of my child.”
Inspiration in Life: “My family.”
Previous Finishes: Marquesas: 7th out; All-Stars: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Proposing to Amber at the live finale.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Amber Brkich (Australia, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Nobody.”
Why Did He Come Back? :”To win!”


Rupert Boneham (45)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Current Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Starting my charity.”
Inspiration in Life: “Life is Good. Be You. Give Back.”
Previous Finishes: Pearl Islands: 8th out, 2nd Jury Member; All-Stars: 15th Out, 6th Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “When Jeff Probst was writing a million dollar check on my back on my daughter’s 5th birthday and having millions of fans help me win that.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Rudy Boesch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearl Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did He Come Back? : “I LOVE THE GAME!”



Russell Hantz (37)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Dayton, Texas
Current Residence: Dayton, Texas
Personal Claim To Fame: “Starting my oil tankering service.”
Inspiration in Life: “My grandfather.”
Previous Finishes: Samoa: Runner-up
Favorite Past Moment: “Blindsiding Kelly.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “I don’t respect any of them.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “I don’t respect any of them.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “Because I have to put these kids in their place. I’m not done playing just yet!”


Sandra Diaz (34)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Stamford, Conn.
Current Residence: Fayetteville, N.C.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Graduating from community college where I received an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.”
Inspiration in Life: “My mother.”
Previous Finishes: Pearl Islands: Winner
Favorite Past Moment: “When I dumped the fish after Rupert got voted out.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: “I have no comment.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Johnny Fairplay (Pearls Islands, Micronesia)
Why Did She Come Back? : “Hands down, the money!”


Stephenie LaGrossa (29)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Briarcliff, Glenolden, Pa.
Current Residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being a three-time NEC (North East Conference) All-Conference selection, NEC Scholar/Athlete Award recipient and Female Athlete of the Year Nominee in lacrosse at Monmouth University.”
Inspiration in Life: “My Mother has always been an inspiration in life. She is my best friend and I tell her everything! I wouldn’t be where I am today without my mother’s unconditional love and support.”
Previous Finishes: Palau; 10th out, 3rd Jury Member; Guatemala: Runner-Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Outlasting my entire tribe and being the sole Ulong member left standing.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Jenn Lyon (Palau)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: “Any female who plays the game for the wrong reasons.”
Why Did She Come Back? : “I came back for the love of the game and because I'm such a serious


Jessica “Sugar” Kiper (29)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Current Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Personal Claim To Fame: “Becoming a retro pin-up model.”
Inspiration in Life: “My dad.”
Previous Finishes: Gabon: 2nd Runner Up
Favorite Past Moment: “Blindsiding Randy.”
Previous Survivor She Respects Most: Bruce Kanegai (Panama)
Previous Survivor She Respects Least: Corinne Kaplan (Gabon)
Why Did She Come Back? : “For the Survivor lovin’ viewers.”


Tom Westman (45)

Tribe: Heroes
Hometown: Sayville, NY
Current Residence: New York, NY
Personal Claim To Fame: “Being a proud member of the FDNY as a Lieutenant of Ladder Co.108 in Brooklyn.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents.”
Previous Finishes: Palau: Winneromg
Favorite Past Moment: “Palau Sunsets.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: Jenn Lyon (Palau)
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “I’d rather not comment. I don’t know these guys well enough to say who I respect the least.”
Why Did He Come Back? : “It was so much fun the first time arounomgd. I couldn’t resist having another


Tyson Apostol (30)

Tribe: Villains
Hometown: Lindon, Utah
Current Residence: Heber City, Utah
Personal Claim To Fame: “College drop out, ex-pro cyclist, never had a real job... I guess I'm good at quitting.”
Inspiration in Life: “My parents, without them I could be dead. I'd at least be homeless and starving.”
Previous Finishes: Tocantins: 8th out, 2nd Jury Member
Favorite Past Moment: “My hilarious confessionals.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Most: “Myself.”
Previous Survivor He Respects Least: “Narrowed down to just one? That's impossible!”
Why Did He Come Back? : “Free tropical island getaway, an excuse to not brush my teeth and the potential of a fat pay check... as long as we get paid in diamonds and gold instead of US dollars.”

Wow I honestly wouldn't mind seeing half the cast win. Russell is my forerunner though.

Looks like a decent cast.

I'm confused, though.

Some of them talk as though they're talking only about the current cast when listing their least respected, but a lot of them mention Johnny "Fairplay", who's not a cast member.

Survivor 20? This show's been on since I was 6 years old?

2 Seasons per year bro!!!!!

watch Danielle's bio video.....she pronounces "psyche" as "psych".....not the brightest bulb on the porch

good start. lame move for first one voted off, but this will be fun.

I could look at Amanda all day

Wait, this is on again already and I didn't know about it?? WHAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

edit: Whatchu talkin bout Derwood? I was right, this starts in April!

It started yesterday here. It may be the best season I've seen actually.

Well shit, you're right. Screw you, person who set up the EZTV.it countdown wrong! :no:

Great start too. The only two people who I don't really remember from previous seasons is Candice on the Heroes and Danielle from Villains.

Was a shame to see Sugar go, I was hoping it would be Cirie...

Go Russell & Amanda!

Wow, that was probably the best season premiere in Survivor history. I was laughing the whole time. Seeing how all these people interact with each other is great.

I'm glad Sugar was out first. She was getting really annoying really fast.

Stephenie dislocated her shoulder and got it popped back in and ready to play. HOT!!!!!

I'm rooting for Russell but I honestly wouldn't mind a lot of these people winning. I hope Tyson gets more camera time; he was hilarious on Tocancins.

---------- Post added at 09:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 AM ----------

Same

JEFF PROBST BLOG - WEEK ONE

We’re baaaaaack… and it feels so good!

Might as well start at the beginning.

Last night’s two-hour premiere was one of our best ever. In fact, it was so good I think CBS should air it again. In the words of our fearless leader Mark Burnett, ”It was epic!”

It started with the kickass marooning where the Survivors landed on the beach courtesy of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and their Huey helicopters.

INSIGHT: We had to get special permission from the New Zealand government to get the use of the Huey’s and the Air Force personnel to fly them. We came to an agreement that allowed the RNZAF to use our rehearsals (without the real Survivors on board) as an opportunity to also practice various mission maneuvers for which they needed a location and situation to conduct them. It was a win-win.

If you watch it again you can see that when we did it for real with the Survivors on board and the Huey’s approaching the beach, it even resembles a mission. Two come in and land, sand flying around. They depart and the other two come in. It’s also worth mentioning that it went off without a hitch. Everybody hit their marks, it was magical.

As a thank you we had the RNZAF personnel rehearse one of our big challenges against our dream team. It was a great day in which I swapped one of my Survivor baseball caps for one of their RNZAF caps.

THE MAROONING

Moments in, we knew that we had made the right choice to go with the theme of Heroes vs. Villains. You could feel the rivalry even as the two tribes were departing the helicopters. The heroes were puffing their chests with pride, the villains were puffing their chests looking for a fight. The opening Q/A was fascinating. The fact that every villain believes they are a hero speaks to how important perspective is in this game. ”Outwit, outplay, outlast.” It’s an important factor to keep in mind as you watch this game.

There are very few rules in Survivor, the contestants are responsible for determining which qualities to reward and that is where the perspective of having played once before will have a big impact. For instance, if Russell plays the same game he did in Samoa during this season, he has a much better chance of winning because this group of players has a different set of criteria for what it takes to win the game. That is only one of the reasons I believe this season is going to deliver.

We knew we wanted a big, badass challenge right off the bat to let them know this season was going to be physical and demanding. We expected a battle but we didn’t expect it to rise to the physical level it did. Injury count: Dislocated shoulder (Stephenie), broken toe (Rupert – man you should have heard him screaming as the doctors tried to set it), and a topless finish and double ”flip-off.” (Thanks, Sugar.) On top of those injuries, there were lots of bruised up bodies that had been worked over during those digs in the sand.

The Coach/Colby matchup was one of the more anticipated. Colby waltzed through his first Survivor experience in Australia virtually unchallenged. Coach, his opponent, believes he can do anything and beat anybody… and whadaya know, he did. Coach worked Colby. He even had me fooled — I thought Colby was dragging Coach along, turns out Coach was riding Colby to the finish line.

In typical hero fashion, Colby merely nodded at the loss and moved on. It’s early in the game and he didn’t seem too concerned. And if you had any question about why Tyson was invited back, he answered that question with this quip: ”I can only imagine what Colby is thinking… I may as well become a woman because there is no point on trying to maintain my masculinity now.” Ah, it’s one of the nice things about having returning Survivors – they’re great interviews.

I have to tell you, writing this blog is a pleasure because this episode was absolutely fantastic. I challenge you to show the first 20 minutes of this episode to anybody – Survivor fan or not – and have them not want to watch the rest of the premiere and the season.

FIRST MOMENTS ON THEIR BEACHES

It was interesting to watch the two very different ways the first moments on their respective beaches played out. The Heroes got to work quickly. Everybody pitching in, their experience really showing. The Hero music was appropriately uplifting and heroic. The Villains ignored shelter and turned immediately to strategy. Russell was back to his bag of tricks, making alliances with everybody. The Villain music was also appropriate: heavy, suspicious and dramatic.

Russell made an interesting comment: ”I’m the best to ever play this game and now I get to prove it.” How do you feel about the idea behind his cocky declaration? Do you believe that the winner of this season will go down as the ”best to ever play?” Or will the winner of this season simply be ”the winner of Heroes vs Villains.” There are so many factors that go into someone winning this game that I often wonder if you can ever truly declare someone the best. I will say that to win this season you will have to play one helluva game. Nobody is going to win by coattailing it. No chance that kind of behavior will be rewarded. Playing an ”under the radar game” is different than riding somebody’s coattails. Please don’t ask me to explain the difference because I’m not sure I can; it’s just a gut feeling that I believe I can spot.

Another fascinating aspect of the first few days is watching the various egos inflate and deflate. We have a lot of true leaders this season and when you’re a leader it’s tough to accept the role of being a follower.

Coach is a perfect example. It is painful for Coach when he tries to be a follower. He’s a good solider but he feels he’s a better General. Boston Rob was playing him for a fool during their ”coconut tree challenge” when he tried to entice him to climb the tree. But I actually think that Boston Rob and Coach could be a good team if they could both get past their egos. Coach still wants it badly and Rob needs some of that in his alliances because after becoming a husband and a father, I’m not sure Rob wants it badly enough. Rob can last a long time based on sheer street smarts but he will need to get his ”Survivor instincts” back quickly if he is to last.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

The first immunity challenge was probably more revealing about the tribes than the first reward challenge. The differences in the strength of both tribes was clearly illuminated in this challenge. The Heroes are stronger but their egos get in the way. The Villains work together better. That was the difference in this challenge. Boston Rob and Sandra led the villains to victory by leading them through the puzzle. Period. They’re both scrappy players and scrappy will be the key to winning this season. That doesn’t mean a Hero can’t win, it merely means that in my opinion, by the time this season is over, the idea of what makes up a Hero or Villain will fluctuate quite a bit. ”Outwit, outplay… outlast.”

Okay, without thinking it through – just off the top of my head — here are some overall thoughts about some of the returning Survivors:

Sandra Diaz – I am so glad she is back. I love her lippy way of telling it like it is. Courtney is also surprising me early on. I like how hard she fought in the initial challenge. Cirie is a legit, 100% full-on threat to win this game. Parvati, if given any kind of an opening will worm her way back into a solid alliance. Russell is a no-brainer. Take him out early or risk seeing him in the final again. Tom Westman, so glad he came back for another go. He needs a strong alliance and if he gets it, he will go deep. He’s a very good ”people person.” Rupert, Rupert, Rupert. It’s hard for me to distinguish the Survivor Rupert from the real Rupert. Maybe there isn’t a difference anymore, but I know this… kids still love them some Rupert!

TRIBAL COUNCIL

One of the greatest tribal council sets we’ve ever had. Forty feet in the air, a massive build, it is stunning. Our two production designers, Jesse Jensen and Dan Munday, are incredible talents. The fact that we have not lost them to the movie world is a testament to how strong our team is and how much we all enjoy working on this show.

The idea of ”past relationships” came up during Tribal Council and it is going to be a theme this season. If you’re in a Survivor pool, make sure you factor this into your decision of who you think will win. It could go either way – being tied to others from your season could work for you or against you, just as being the only one out there from your season could work for you or against you – but it will be discussed a lot and will factor into how people vote.

James illuminated the biggest challenge on the hero tribe: The Heroes must start listening to each other and let the ego go. Otherwise tribal council will become their second home.

THE FIRST TO GO

Sugar didn’t really seem like she was ready to do this again. I think she fell victim to the ”what did I get myself into” realization that often happens to a returning Survivor. They forget how miserable it was and so they say ”Yes!” to returning for another go. Then they get out there and by the end of day one they are quickly reminded… ”Oh yeah, I forgot. This sucks.”

I don’t think her tribe will miss her, and in fairness, I don’t think she’ll miss the tribe. I think Sugar would be the first to admit that the Survivor experience was more about being on television than it was anything else. I’m glad she came back, she was worth taking a shot on, but Colby said it best, given the amazing amount of personality this season, she won’t be missed.

Talk next week.

OMG, she has the most perfect boobs. I fricken love looking at her. The hair, the eyes. Thank God for DVR and slow-mo. Yeah, I'm sick. So what.:thumbsup:

20 years from now, there is going to be some release of all the uncensored survivor moments. That's going to be hoot to watch.

I'm so glad they didn't let Johnnie Fairplay come back. He wasted a spot the last time he played. He should be blackballed forever because of that stunt. I was thinking there were going to be villians on there that annoyed me so bad that I would have a hard time watching, but these are all pretty good. Randy is the only one with the potential to make me not watch. He's got some serious negative mojo.

Randy is great. They wanted Richard Hatch back, but he's under house arrest (ha).

Johnny Fairplay will never be back. He burned them last time and he's on Probst's all time shit list

Very fun season premier.
It was a disappointment when the heroes blew the puzzle challenge so bad, but cheering them on really gets the adrenalin pumping. (not to mention cussing them when they blew it)

I find that I still want to punch Boston Rob in the nuts, after all these years.
Btw, what did Fairplay do to p.o. the Survivor producers?

He quit on Fans vs Favorites. 1st episode he got his tribe to vote himself out.

Tyson is either (a) a misogynist prick or (b) someone who pretends to be to get 'reactions' out of people. Either way, I hope he falls on a sharp stick. Awesome to see a lot of the old faces back, and I'm rooting for Russell like last season and I'm glad that that JT and James are in it too, they were definite favorites. And god damn, James is built like a brick shithouse... I would never go up against that man in a challenge if I were playing.

Coach is comedic arrogance, and I literally ROFL'd when Jeff said "And Coach is using all of his life experience in a kayak" during the challenge.

ok...I'm gonna say it...Sugar finishing topless and then flipping them off was epic!!

JEFF PROBST BLOG:- EPISODE 2



BOSTON ROB ALMOST GOES HOME

Boston Rob is a stud. The dude can make fire without flint, he can single-handedly win a challenge for his tribe, he is always good for a memorable quip (“Again I’m on the buffoon tribe”) and… he married Amber. Not bad. But even Boston Rob cannot stomach the Samoa flu.

Turns out that’s all that was wrong with Rob, a bout of the local Samoan flu. But hear me when I say this was no ordinary flu. During the season it took out a lot of our crew members and a lot of the locals on the island. It hits the body very hard and according to our doctors, one of the worst parts was the accompanying headache which felt like a nail being repeatedly pounded into the back of your head.

INSIGHT: When the doctors and I first got to Rob at camp, he was flat out on his side. Flat out. He was shaking uncontrollably and he was slobbering from the mouth. I knew it was bad because Rob is not the kind of guy who ever complains about physical pain. He’ll complain about damn near everything else, but he’s pretty self-contained when it comes to pain. He was out of it. Before the docs diagnosed it as merely the flu, I thought he was going to have to be evacuated. I doubt Rob has any idea how bad it really was, I don’t think he remembers much of what happened.

After the doctors had run their tests and determined that he was okay to continue, he and I sat and talked for quite a while. He just needed time to get strong enough so that he could stand up and walk back over to the rest of the tribe. It was a pretty funny, and at times emotional, exchange. He kept repeating that he didn’t want to “let anybody down” because he loved the game so much. But as his mind cleared up a bit, those noble feelings were replaced by a more familiar Boston Rob refrain: “Screw it. I’m gonna win this damn game.”

I half expected him to stand up, staggering to maintain balance and yell to no one in particular: “Adrienne! Adrienne!
A DREAM ALLIANCE

Russell is obviously annoyed with Rob being the one in charge, but if Rob and Russell could get rid of their egos and team up they could run this game to the end. Russell offers Rob the energy to play a very aggressive game and Rob offers Russell the wisdom of when to simmer down. If it happens, watch out.

BETTER KEEP AN EYE ON CIRIE

Cirie is amazing. I am so impressed by how good a player she has become, so subtle with her maneuvering of people. Like her or not, I’d put Cirie in the top twenty players of all time. She will definitely have her hands full this season because she is playing against a lot of very good players but she is quite clever and if they let her last for long she will be in an alliance that will be too tight to break.

NOW TO THE BIG NEWS…

The heroes are clearly starting to fall apart. I still do not understand the rationale of players who come into this game, some of them for the third time, and continue to make selfish decisions, based solely on alliances, in only the SECOND WEEK OF THE GAME!

Voting out Stephenie? Really? Even on Ambien that makes no sense. The Sugar vote made sense. This vote… no sense. Obviously, I’m not out there playing, so it’s easy for me to sit back and judge. But Stephenie? This vote really surprised me and it was all based on alliances. Week-two alliances.

FUTURE PLAYERS, HEAR ME WHEN I SAY THIS: Voting out great players in the second week is idiotic. It almost always works against you. Look at the history of Survivor. When the game starts it is a “team” game. The more you win as a team the longer you are guaranteed to stay in the game. The more you lose, the more you go to tribal council and the more likely you are to be voted out.

This very simple strategic idea has been lost over the years. It used to be a no-brainer to keep your tribe strong, but the game has changed. It makes no difference to me how people play, but if the heroes continue to lose keep that idea in mind.

Maybe next year we’ll get a group of people who play a little more “old-school” Survivor and then we can see if my comments hold any water.

There are certainly many examples of winners who formed alliances on day two that took them to the end. Of course there are, because most everybody is forming those kinds of alliances so obviously it will work out for one player. But for everybody else, it will fail. It is not the smartest way to play this game. You need to be able to balance your alliance while keeping the tribe strong.

And while we’re on the topic, “strong” doesn’t just mean in challenges. Strong means work ethic, attitude, ability to provide food or build shelter, as well as leadership abilities and a whole host of other qualities.

WHICH LEADS ME TO…

I’m going to say something that will probably be very unpopular but if I were on the Heroes tribe I would have to seriously consider getting rid of James. I know he’s the strongest guy to ever play this game, but his attitude is just not there and that is more damaging long term than his biceps are helpful short term.

He ran around camp telling everybody that Stephenie was a loser and she should be voted out. He caused as much disharmony with his running around as Stephenie did by talking during the challenge. But it was his outburst at tribal council that was most unnerving.

But here’s the issue…

Players get so locked into their vote that they rarely change their mind at tribal council.

NOTE # 2 TO ALL FUTURE PLAYERS: If you are at tribal and something is going south – have the guts to change your mind and call an audible. Make a stand. To get a shot at the million dollars you have to make it to the end and to get to the end you have to avoid tribal council and to avoid tribal council you have to win.

STEPHENIE AND BEYOND

The hero tribe will need some time to recover from tonight’s vote and not simply because they lost a very strong player in Stephenie. The real damage came at the hands of James. His comments must have left a bad taste in the mouth of every other member on the Hero tribe.

The hero tribe now needs to heal and come back together as a tribe. It’s only day six. The problem is, healing takes time and Survivor waits for nothing and no one.

Some of the best one-liners of the season are in next week’s episode. Enjoy.

What in the world happened to James? Is this his real personality? I hope he's gone next now.

Rupert is also getting on my nerves this season. I wonder if both of them were just edited to be good guys in their seasons (one guy from Rupert's first season said that the editing gives a false impression of how Rupert really is).

At this point I'm rooting for the Villains all the way.

Here's an awesome quote I read:-

"I haven't seen Heroes go so downhill so fast since NBC decided to teleport Masi Oka back to 17th century feudal Japan."

Nooo, they be stealin' the good lookin' wimmens!!

Seriously, as said, wtf is wrong with James and Rupert?

I'm with Las, the Villains are looking more like they're the ones to root for.

Hopefully, as Jeff suggested, Russell and Rob start working together and we see some awesome maneuvering in upcoming episodes.

As for Cirie, she can go, as far as I'm concerned. Never liked her.

Stephenie had some of the worst waxed eyebrows I've ever seen.

While I kind of agreed with James (as far as the challenge goes), he was being a real dick at Tribal. His "shut your mouth" comment at the end was completely uncalled for. At that moment, I turned to my wife and said "James is going to talk his way out of this game soon"

Agreed!

too bad about Randy.....didn't get nearly as many good sound bites out of him as I'd hoped.

James vs Randy on the platform was freaking hilarious, it got rewinded and replayed a few times as we laughed. Randy was a huge dick. James is turning out to be one too, unfortunately, but it was still funny to see him just send him flying with one hit..

Jeff Probst Blog - Episode 3

When last I left you…James appeared to be in the beginning stages of losing his mind. Last week’s tribal council ended with the very ugly and unnecessary comment from James to Stephenie: “Shut your mouth.”

Ah, so lovely.

Look, I’ve been a big fan of James from day one. I voted for him to be on Fans vs. Favorites and I voted for him to be on Heroes vs. Villains and up until this season I would have referred to him with affectionate phrases like “James the Gentle Giant.” Yeah… those days are gone.

I don’t know if James was going through something personal like trying to quit smoking or if he had a bad rash nobody knew about but something has definitely changed.

James is just not a nice guy these days. More on that later.

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

Boston Rob’s strategy tip was absolutely brilliant: “I’m gonna give you the key. Watch who is sleeping with whom at night.”

Talk about insight. It’s amazing what we reveal about ourselves without realizing it. As David Mamet would say, “We all have a ‘tell’.” A tell is something we’re not aware of that gives us away. That’s why poker players wear dark glasses, to hide their tells.

I wonder if Tiger Woods had a tell?

THE BLACK WIDOW THROWDOWN

Circus Announcer: “Ladies and Gentlemen, gather your children and circle the wagons, for on this very stage tonight you will be witness to one of the greatest spectacles ever seen by human eyes…it’s the Survivor Black Widow Shooooooooooowdown!”

You knew it was coming. Jerri “The Original Black Widow” Manthey coming face to face with Parvati “I Take No Prisoners” Shallow for the female grudge match of the season. I couldn’t be happier.

Jerri: Every time I’m around her I want to punch her in the face.

Parvati: She’s just a bitter old cougar.

AND THE WINNER IS…

It’s an interesting match-up but I have to give the advantage to Parvati. That doesn’t mean Jerri isn’t long for the game, it only means in terms of playing the “flirt” game, Parvati has no equal.

She’s even got Russell under her spell. Even Russell, the guy who thoroughly dominated last season in Samoa, is susceptible to the charms of a beautiful woman. Of course he is, he’s a man. Rob sees it. Coach sees it. The audience sees it. We can all sense what is going on. Russell may not want to believe it and I’m sure at the live Reunion show he’ll tell me how wrong I was, but from where I sit he is getting played by Parvati the same way my two-year-old honorary nephew Oscar plays with his marionette.

Coach is spot on. Parvati is dangerous. And yes, if Parvati decides to snuggle up against Coach in the middle of the night you’ll hear Coach singing a whole different song in the morning. He’ll be walking around proud as a victorious warrior spouting off pearls such as :”Parvati is a really nice girl. I trust her. She’s worthy of warriorette status.” Of course he will. Why? Everybody together now, “He’s a man!”

Leave it to the oldest guy out there to say it best:

Randy: “Survivor, in so many ways, is like the real world. You don’t get ahead by being smart, clever, and hard working. You get ahead, unfortunately, with a pretty smile and being able to schmooze people, and Parvati is the queen.”

RUSSELL’S ACHILLES HEEL

But Russell’s problem is not Parvati. Russell’s Achilles heel is his ego. He keeps saying he cannot stand that Rob thinks he is running the camp. What he really means it that he cannot stand that Rob IS running the camp. If it were only the perception that Rob is in charge, Russell wouldn’t care. It’s the fact that it’s true that has those little hairs on his head standing on end.

Russell: “I’m the daddy around here. Nobody knows who they’re messin’ with. It’s Russell Hantz. Gimme a break.”

If Russell were a leader back in the Roman Empire days he would have been Maximillian I, one of the most egotistical Roman Emperors to ever govern Rome. Maximillian didn’t have the Internet or television to promote himself but he did have the printing press and he used it to share all of his victories with the world. Imagine ‘ole Max on Survivor – now that would be a ratings juggernaut.

Let me say it one more time: Russell continues to miss his single greatest strategic opportunity – Boston Rob. Stop working against Rob and work with him. What’s wrong with you! Rob and Russell together could take it all the way to the end. It’s so easy to see when you’re not stuck in the middle of it.

SUMO IN THE MUD

I love this challenge. We could do this challenge every year and I’d be happy. And if Coach could play in this challenge every season I would never stop hosting Survivor.

But first…

The “Didn’t See It Coming” match: Did anybody actually think Amanda would take out Danielle? That was the biggest upset of the match. A total shocker.

“The Most Exciting” match: Colby and Rob. That was a fantastic match-up. Exactly who we wanted to see go at it. Chalk this one up for Colby. That is how this challenge was designed to be played. Aggressively.

“The Most Embarrassing” match: It’s now official. James has clearly lost his mind. It’s el gonzo. It was the most lopsided match of the challenge. There was no doubt who was going to win. James knocked Randy off with one small push and then…he threw his bag on top of him and as always had to have the last word. “Get your f—ing old ass outta here.” Sorry James but this is where I get off the James train. It’s not that I think Randy is the nicest guy in the world either, but that was just unnecessary and truly ugly.

And now…to the greatest moment of the episode…

“The I Can’t Hear You, Jeff, Because I’m Too Busy Posing For The Camera” match: Coach, you are a gem. You are the greatest. I loved this moment when it happened. I love it even more now that it’s on my TiVo and I can watch it over and over and over and over.

Hopefully you all saw what happened. The rules state that both hands must be on the bag at all times. One of Coach’s hands slipped off the bag and inadvertently helped push Rupert off the platform. A technicality yes, but still an enforceable rule. So we had to play again. But Coach didn’t hear me and went into a 30-second pose down that was absolutely brilliant. One of his best ever and his reaction when he found out it was all for naught was even better.

And here’s something I’ll admit. When Coach flipped me off it didn’t bother me. I understood it to be in the heat of the moment and not really directed at me so much as it was just frustration in general. It could bring up the question: Am I holding James to a different standard? I certainly don’t feel like I am. I feel like James’ attacks have been very personal, but I’m aware that it could seem like a double standard. Whatever it says about me, I didn’t find Coach’s flip-off to be ugly, but as already stated, I think James has blown a gasket.

Side note: Some of you may be wondering about the sit-out rule pertaining to back-to-back challenges. That rule only applies within an episode. Each new episode it starts fresh. Typically we have two challenges within an episode, but not always. So Courtney was able to sit out the last challenge (last week’s episode) and sit out again in this week’s challenge (new episode.) Hope that clears up any questions.

AS LONG AS IT AIN’T ME

She did it in the Pearl Islands and she’s doing it again. Sandra is employing the single greatest and most simple strategy you can have on Survivor: As Long As It Ain’t Me. That’s really all you have to do to win this game – just make sure it ain’t you every single time you go to tribal council. Easier said than done for sure, but Sandra has it down to an Olympic-caliber science. She’s so good at it that at this point she is nowhere close to being voted out. Nobody’s even talking about her. She’s just minding her own business, going with the flow and staying out of the way. I love it.

THE QUOTE OF THE DAY

In an episode filled with fantastic quotes, this was my favorite.

Coach: “There’s nobody out here that’s honorable anymore…except for me.” Admit it, you just laughed when you read it, right? It’s that good.

“There’s nobody out here that’s honorable anymore…except for me.” If I could write stuff this good I’d be taking home an Oscar this year.

The thing about Coach is he wears his emotions right there on this tattooed body for everybody to see. He is clearly upset by the lack of honor but in typical DragonSlayer fashion, he rallies with a quote from the great Martin Luther King, Jr.

Coach: “The greatest measure of a man is not the way he handles times of comfort but in the way he rises through controversy and challenges.”

Now the minute I heard Coach spouting off with an MLK quote I just knew it would be a complete bastardized version of the original. But I was wrong. I Googled that quote and Coach, you were spot on, brotha. Bravo.

AT LEAST THEY GOT THE VOTE RIGHT

The villains made the right move. Randy was the best person to vote out. He said it best, he just never fit in with the tribe and with his already sour attitude and marginal strength in challenges, he seemed the perfect and easy target to vote out. Randy I hope you’re happy and if you’re not happy – I hope you’re happy being not happy.

See ya next week.

Parvati is pure evil. I confess that I would do exactly what every other guy has done. Keep her around for her eyes, smile, and ass. She would slit my throat just like all the men before me.

I could've sworn I saw Tyson try to kiss whoever it was he was fighting, at the last second.

he did. he was just being Tyson

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs Villains': episode 4
by Jeff Probst


Well, we’re four episodes in to Heroes v Villains and I am hearing from a lot of you on the streets that you are really digging this season. I’m happy to hear that and you’re going to love next week just as much. There’s good stuff coming down the pipe!

Lets get to the most recent episode…

WE ALL WANT TO BE LIKED

COACH: (battling tears) “Why doesn’t anybody ever say anything nice about me?”

There it is. The Answer. The great mystery has been solved. Nine simple words and you have the secret to understanding Coach.

He just wants to be liked.

Is that so much to ask?

SCREEEECH! Oh, for crying out loud, I can already hear the Coach haters telling me to get over my “Coach Crush.” Let me just deal with you guys right quick by delving into my 7th grade bag of insults. How ’bout this one… “Bite me.” Has a nice ring to it. I may use it again later.

Let me also tell you up front that I’m slightly annoyed as I write this. It’s late, it’s been a long day and as I was driving home at 10 p.m., it started raining. Not a big deal except that I had hosted a big charity event at my little tree house of a home on Sunday and so I pulled out the cushions to my patio furniture and I forgot to bring them back inside, knowing it was scheduled to rain. So I came home to the dreaded… wet cushions. Ah, we’ve all been there, right? The dreaded wet cushions. Right up there with that load of laundry you left in the washing machine and now it smells of mildew. Crisis. I wasn’t in the mood. Now the cushions are in my living room creating a small pool of water as I write this. Just not in the mood. Annoyed. It happens. Hard to believe, I know, but I’m not always Mr. Positive. Shocking.

So… if you pick up on any pettiness, it probably stems from wet cushions. Guess I’ll have to get out my Pottery Barn catalog and order new ones. I’m kidding. I’m not gonna call Pottery Barn, I’ll have my assistant call Pottery Barn. I don’t deal with that kind of domestic crap. Relax. I’m kidding again. I don’t have an assistant. I have an intern, they’re free.

I GET NO RESPECT, I TELL YA

Okay, back to Coach. We all want to be liked. I want to be liked, politicians want to be liked, musicians want to be liked, tree trimmers want to be liked, grocery store clerks want to be liked, even Hollywood talent agents want to be liked. Check that, they REALLY want to be liked. I’m guessing most of you reading this blog also want to be liked. It’s a universal desire to be liked. Well, Coach is no different. Coach believes he is living a very noble life and playing a very honorable game of Survivor and he wants to be acknowledged for doing so… he wants to be liked…but it just isn’t going to happen. It’s Survivor. Nobody gets any respect.

Case in point – Tyson.

Tyson’s actions regarding Coach are a perfect example of why Survivor is so damn tough to play. On one hand Tyson was a source of comfort to Coach. He listened as Coach shared his feelings and he even offered counsel to Coach with some candid advice that Coach would be wise to take to heart.

But then Tyson turned around and shared every single thing Coach said with the rest of the tribe, including the fact that Coach had shed tears and considered quitting. Man, that ain’t right. That’s some bullsh*t up in here.

But that’s how the game of Survivor is played. Information is king. If you give information to someone else, you give them power. Coach gave Tyson power when he shared his feelings with him. It’s harsh but it’s true.

GET IT TOGETHER MAN, I’M SERIOUS

I loved the exchange between Coach and Boston Rob because it brought out Rob’s very limited patience for topics such as feelings and whining. More than any other guy I know Rob is the quintessential “guys guy.” He’s just not one to have long talks about feelings. You’re either with him or you’re against him. It’s so clear that Coach desperately wants to be with him and that is probably at the heart of why he’s feeling left out. He just wants Rob to like him! But with Rob, it’s not so much if he likes you as much as it is if he doesn’t despise you. Coach, he doesn’t despise you, so take his advice – stand up straight and get back in the game. It’s too soon for you to go home.

INTERMISSION

Oh, while we’re here… how about another response for those of you who are still screaming at me to get off the Coach topic? Let’s see… hmmm… how about this 8th grade classic… “Up yours.” Ya like that one? I do too. It’s straight to the point.

I’m kidding. It’s just a joke. Where’s your sense of humor. Fun. You remember fun, right? That thing you used to have before you became a pain in the a–? Yeah, that thing. Listen, if I can laugh at myself with wet cushions, you should be able to take a little Coach humor.

IDOL PLAY

I was a bit surprised at the different way the two tribes approached the idol clue. I never would have guessed that it would be the Villains who chose to not look for the idol, while the Heroes were tripping over each other in a mad dash to uncover it. Further proof that at this point, the Villains are more in control of their game. They just have it more together than the Heroes.

Yes, of course it makes sense to want the idol in your possession, but the fact the villains were fine keeping the idol out of their game tells me they are more concerned with keeping their tribe strong then they are dividing it by looking for the idol.

Russell of course has a different idea and thank heavens, because let’s be clear – we put the idol in the show because we want it to be found… and we would like it to be played.

Preferably many times.

So the Villains’ decision to sit on the clue and do nothing about it is not the most exciting news to hear back at base camp. That’s just one of the reasons Russell was invited back – he plays the game. He’s not an observer, he’s a participant. And he still should have won last season.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE – TAKE TWO

Yes, that was the same Immunity Challenge from last seasons Survivor: Samoa in which the dreadlocked Russell went down… and almost did not get up.

As emotional as it was to run the challenge again, we never debated. We felt that it belonged in this season because of the distinction of being the only challenge in the history of Survivor to not be completed and it offered a chance to create new history when it was finally was completed.

Once again Boston Rob showed his ability to lead as he singlehandedly won that challenge for the Villains. Rob is a guy who wants the ball in his hands when there are only seconds left on the clock. He’s not afraid to step up and take the big shot. That’s the same way he plays Survivor – to win. I respect anybody who plays this game full tilt boogie every day.

Here’s something that will aggravate Russell and probably every other Survivor. Every other Survivor except Ashley from last season – Ashley gets it and she’ll understand that what I’m about to say is not a slight to anyone else, it’s just a really wise bet.

Here’s the bet: If I had to put money on only one Survivor it would be Boston Rob. Overall, he has the qualities that I would most want to have if I played the game and I think that if I bet on him every day that over the course of the run I’d come out ahead.

FINALLY THE HEROES GET IT RIGHT

While I’m sorry to see Cirie gone from the game, I’m happy that she got voted out because this philosophy of getting rid of the strong players simply because they’re not in your alliance was about to make me throw my laptop through my television screen. Imagine that, a living room filled with wet cushions and a busted TV. That would really suck.

Cirie was the right vote. Voting out Colby or Tom over Cirie would have been yet another idiotic vote by the Hero tribe – one that I fully expected them to make. I was shocked to see JT switch his vote, but I do think he made the best overall move.

That doesn’t mean JT won’t be the next one voted out, but if you want to win… you have to have a strong tribe and at times you have to make big moves. JT did both tonight – he kept his tribe strong by making a big move. Cirie is only strong in one area – strategy. She’s a master strategist in fact, but she was not going to help them at camp or in challenges.

NEXT TIME ON… SURVIVOR

So maybe the Heroes can turn things around now. They’re clearly the stronger tribe physically if they can just get their attitudes to catch up to their muscles.

Next week’s episode offers another interesting tribal council and … another Survivor goes down!

See ya then. By the way, the cushions are now dry.

I was yelling at the TV last night for JT to vote Cirie. What a great ending.

Russell is either making a great move or the worst move ever with hunting for the idol.

I think Russell is making a mistake here. I don't think he's going to go very far this season....

How about that reward challenge? Amanda covered in baby oil? Holy Moly!

Another vote for the "happy Cirie's gone" camp.

As for Russell, I'm starting to get disappointed in him. He's letting someone like Boston Rob run over him.

I just don't see what Probst's and others big respect for Rob comes from.
He just rubs me the wrong way.
Amen!

Russell is used to being on a tribe full of followers and poor strategists. It's like he's moved from AAA to the big leagues now. Everyone on his tribe is damn sharp, and I think that he's got some worthy opponents. I'm hopeful that he'll rise to the challenge.

What the hell was up with Coach's breakdown? If he's going to say that he's some sort of "dragonslayer," he ought to act like it! It just proves to me that he's always been full of shit. Ugh. Though I loved Tyson's advice to him: don't do yoga in public, don't wear the feathers, don't tell your stories. That was great advice, which I didn't really expect from someone as cunning as Tyson. Thought he might try to manipulate Coach.

I know I'm in the minority with Probst here, but Coach is my favorite player, possibly of all time. It could all be a ploy by my man Coach! Maybe the "breakdown" was all fake just trying to see whether or not Tyson would blab to the rest of the tribe. The Dragonslayer will rise once again!

James needs to shill the f out. He was so likable on seasons past, but as mentioned earlier, he's a real dick now. Rupert too. JT seems to have a real different inner attitude as well. It's like they figured out that every honest, non-scheming, nice-guy player also is a non-millionaire. (with the exception of Professor Bob)

People like Rob because he's one of the best all around players to ever play the game:

-Strong enough to help win challenges
-Good at the puzzles
-Puts together good strategy
-Plays a great social game
-Takes a leadership role
-Helpful at camp

He isn't the best at each one of those but collectively there aren't many who can do what he does.

I'm rooting for the villans all the way.

Edit:

I agree that James seems like a psycho this time and Rupert is annoying as hell. I used to really like both of them but something has changed with them.

James is much more likable as a Gimp who has to fight for votes.. Surprised by one of the votes tonight tho

Bleh JT pissed me off. I can't believe he sided with Amanda and James. It'll cost them in the end, watch and see.

Man Russell is knee deep in shit. There's no way he's getting out of this one.

The Hero tribe is such a mess. My god do they suck. The only thing they've got going for them is Amanda's green bikini

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs Villains': epidode 5
by Jeff Probst

Let’s call this one THE DUMBEST DECISION YET.

But before we get to Survivor… for all of those concerned, my cushions… are dry. Hallelujah. Such a big relief. You really don’t know how good you have it until you undergo a major crisis such as wet outdoor patio cushions. I didn’t even share that when I called Pottery Barn – I mean when my assistant, actually my free intern, called Pottery Barn – they said those cushions were not being made anymore. Say what?!!

I truly thought for a moment, “What am I gonna do?” But then like a gift from the Universe, the sun came out. That beautiful ball of heat, the most important part of our incredible solar system revealed itself to Southern California and those cushions… that were once so wet…miraculously dried. I still marvel at the power of nature.

Okay onto Survivor…and THE DUMBEST DECISION YET.

RUSSELL: “HERE IT GOES AGAIN”

Admit it. Go on, admit it! You smiled when he found it. You turned to whomever you were watching with and said, “I don’t believe it. He found another idol!” I know I did. How can you not? It’s not Survivor if Russell isn’t looking, finding, or playing an idol. Now that he has it, this season is officially on, and things are about to change dramatically. How can they not, ‘ole Russell is now back in charge.

REWARD CHALLENGE – A TASTE OF CHOCOLATE

Ah, so much to talk about at what started out as a simple little Reward Challenge.

First, the chocolate tease. Occasionally when we really want to whet their appetite, we’ll tease the tribes with a small taste of the reward. So, I handed each tribe a plate with some very tiny pieces of chocolate. Enough for one bite for each tribe member. They were very small, but when you haven’t had much of anything to eat in a long time, even a tiny sliver of chocolate looks pretty good to most people.

But not Colby, or any of the Heroes for that matter. They wanted nothing to do with that damn chocolate. I get what the Hero tribe was doing. They were trying to psyche themselves up by staying focused. Fair enough. They were also trying to intimidate the villains a bit, which clearly was wasted energy. The villains are on a roll, they’re dominating the game and they’re not intimidated by anything at this point.

But the part that I’m sure a lot of you are talking about was my interaction with Colby when he instructed me, in no uncertain terms, to get the challenge started.

To which I replied:

Probst: “I got the message brother, and we’ll go when I’m ready.”

Don’t go reading too much into it. I was merely holding my ground as host, nothing more. I would have had the same response to anybody who attempted to tell me what to do. Because like it or not… “We WILL go… when I’M ready.” That’s what 20 seasons and the title of host gets you. The ability to go when you’re damn good and ready and not a moment before.

SIDE NOTE:

Oh, and one more bit of housekeeping from last week’s blog. I read many of your comments implying that I was hard on “America’s Favorite Survivor” Rupert because I was trying to save my buddy, Colby.

Let me be really clear about a few things:

1. The first time I had seen Colby in several years was at the start of Heroes v Villains. I have no more loyalty to Colby than anybody else.

2. If I wanted to, do you really think I could influence a vote by asking a simple and legit question? You think these players are so easily influenced?

3. If I could indeed influence the game, do you think I would risk losing a job that allows me to buy beautiful outdoor patio cushions by doing so?

Get a clue. Buy a vowel. Phone a friend. Whatever it takes, but pull your head out.

I was hard on Rupert because his logic made no sense. He was clearly voting with an alliance and trying to convince me he was voting based on keeping the tribe strong. Every Survivor knows I ask tough questions. That’s my job. He could have answered any number of other ways and got me off his back. He didn’t. Rupert dug his own hole, all I did was offer him the shovel.

REWARD CHALLENGE – SCHMERGENBRAWL

This is a challenge that was created by our grip department. These are the guys who build the scaffolding that makes it possible for us to shoot out in the water or put cameras high in the air. These guys are hard working and keep us all safe.

During a day off they created a simple game they named Schmergenbrawl. It evolved into a major day-long tournament where our crew divided into teams. They had T-shirts made and some even had their own mascots. It was full-on. The game was so popular with our crew that our challenge department stole the idea and with a few modifications turned it into a Survivor challenge that we premiered in Survivor: Samoa.

You may remember it as the challenge that resulted in me tossing somebody (Ben) out of the challenge for unsportsmanlike behavior and also resulted in the evacuation of Mike Borassi due to dehydration. We should have known that it was too rough, even for Survivor.

But instead, we brought it back again this season. Once again it was physical and once again it resulted in a major injury as James was removed from the challenge after wrecking his knee.

This challenge will NEVER be played again. It was officially retired after last night’s challenge and those of you who love justice being served will be happy to know that the grip that created the challenge was fired.

He wasn’t really fired. He was sacrificed. It turns out the Samoans have an ancient ritual that saved our season from becoming a disaster. We gave him over to the Samoan gods to do with him as they must and in exchange they were able to bless us and insure us a very good finish to our 20th season. A small price to pay if you ask me.

One grip in exchange for a really good season of Survivor. We’ll make that deal every year. Plus, one of the younger guys in the grip department got to move up and take his spot. That’s what you call a “win-win.”

I think my favorite part of the challenge was when Rupert threw Jerri up against the side of the course: “Like I meant to do that!” And Jerri responded by draining the winning bucket for the Villains. You think it was the chocolate that made the difference?

RUSSELL FINDS THE IDOL

I loved the exchange between Russell and Parvati:

Russell: Just grab onto my coattails.

Parvati: I don’t ride coattails, baby.

Russell: You’ll ride these.

Russell is very good at using the idol. I’d say he’s as good at using it as anybody. He really understands how to leverage its power and he completely changed the game by securing Parvati in his alliance and then bringing over Coach.

IS PARVATI RUSSELL’S ACHILLES’ HEEL?

Do you think Russell made a wise move? Or is he falling prey to one of the most deadly flirts in Survivor history? Both Russell and Parvati pulled out their big guns and told the other everything they need to know. Russell believes Parvati will ride his coattails. Parvati told him very clearly she does not ride anybody’s coattails. It may be the showdown of the season thus far, even more so than Russell vs Rob.

Parvati and Russell have both proven they can play this game very well. It’s a deadly duo if they stay teamed up but there is no way this relationship ends peacefully.

JAMES’ TRIUMPHANT RETURN

I was blown away by how emotional Amanda was regarding James and his injury. I guess I just assumed that after playing together three times that maybe she could handle it a bit better. Amanda’s affection for James is endearing but speaks to how complicated this game can get. Showing her loyalty and concern for James is a big, bold move and can’t help but separate her from the rest of the group, at least a little bit, no matter what is said or not said.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

I love blindfolds. Yes. Read into that anything and everything you want. They just make life… and Survivor challenges… more interesting. Once again the challenge comes down to a puzzle, once again the heroes blow a huge lead and once again… the villains, led by Boston Rob, come from behind and win another challenge.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
Okay, straight up – as the Heroes headed into Tribal Council, how many of you thought James would be going home? Me too. It seemed like a no-brainer. NO-BRAINER.

But then I reminded myself, “oh yeah, this is the Hero tribe. They’ve made more silly decisions than Tiger Woods.” The consistently lousy decisions made by the Heroes have been one of the biggest surprises of this season.

But the biggest surprise of the entire season (for me anyway) has been James and his newfound social game.

Set aside his lousy and increasingly agitated attitude –the gravedigger has learned to play the social game. How else could he still be in the game? He has influenced more than a few votes by talking to other people and manipulating them with his arguments. You have to give him credit. I was really impressed that he was able to convince the majority to keep him in the game over Tom. Yes, I know it had to do with alliances as much as anything but when you consider how many challenges the Heroes have lost – to keep a guy with a bum leg was a really crazy move and you have to give James some of the credit.

Once again, Rupert tried to sell his vote based on keeping his tribe strong.

Rupert: (referring to James’ bad leg). “He’s still stronger than Tom.”

Rupert, if you really believe that James, with his bad leg, is still stronger than Tom, then you need to stop drinking that pirate grog because you’ve lost your friggin mind.

Ah, but that isn’t what Rupert believes. Rupert is doing what he needs to do to keep his alliance strong. Once again, let me, “Mr. Back Seat Driver,” point out why this makes no sense. Your own personal alliance may be intact, but your tribe is dwindling and if and when there is a merge, you are putting yourself in a very weak position because you will have fewer members than the Villains.

You know how I feel. James has been a problem from day one. First it was his attitude and now it’s his physical limitations.

And no, I’m not friends with Tom, nor am I enemies with James. I’m just sharing what I feel and I’m guessing what the audience feels as well.

FINAL WORDS

For the record, my niece most definitely could have beat James in a foot race. I just didn’t want to push the point for fear of him hobbling across tribal council with that bad attitude and messed-up knee, and thoroughly kicking my ass. Cause that’s something James could definitely do, even with two bad legs.

NEXT WEEK

Due to the NCAA college basketball tournament, SURVIVOR WILL NOT BE ON NEXT WEEK! I know, we hate it too.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK

Survivor will be on for a special Wednesday night episode: WEDNESDAY MARCH 24TH

BACK TO NORMAL

On April 1st we return to our regular Thursday night time slot.

Spread the word.

Is it really a bikini or is it just her underwear? Either way it is the best thing about the Heroes tribe, which isn't as good as I would have liked.


Russel should have been more convert about looking for it however. It would have been even better if he would have read that note in private.

I have decided to give up on the heroes after yesterdays f*cking stupid tribal council and to root for the Villains to win. JT and Candice are stupid and that whole tribe deserves to get picked off one by one.

I will miss Amanda though, she is so unbelievably hot. I still have visions about last weeks oily challenge!



***removed images cause it messes up the page size :( ***

I'm surprised Jeff didn't mention Colby sitting out the reward challenge after he basically tried to tell Jeff how to run the show. If Colby had been so anxious to start the challenge, then why did he sit it out?

In the Tribal Council vote, Candice still voted for Tom after she called everyone else stupid for even considering it. Et tu Brute?

Candice should have gotten the vote - it would have weakened Tom's alliance while keeping the tribe strong.

What. JUST. HAPPENED?????????????

Jesus H Christ Russell is the second coming of Christ. How the fuck.........??????

Rob wanted to split the vote so that if they played the idol it would be a tie. Russell had to guess that that was their plan, then pick out Tyson for being the one that would vote for him, and lie to him so well that he would change his vote to Parvati, THEN give up his own idol to Parvati at Tribal, and hope all went well...and it did. WOOOOOOW

Like him or hate him, Russell made an awesome move. Changed the one vote he had to and outsmarted boston rob. Sweet

Russell is the best Survivor of all time with that move. The only way it would have been better is if it had been Rob.

It will be real interesting at their camp next week for sure.

Win or lose now, Russell is THE man for that move!
I scared my dog when I yelled when Tyson got voted off. :) Fuck yeah!!

I finally see what you guys are talking about in Rob, way up there ^^.
He not only won the Villain's Immunity, the reward challenge, but he just about came up with a fail-proof strategy to neutralize the Hidden Idol.
He's thinking 3 moves ahead.

Unfortunately for him, Russell thought 4 moves ahead. :thumbsup:

I wonder if Rob'll find out about Danielle's vote?

And thank God James is gone.

I'm really looking forward to next episode.

Wow, great episode. Tyson is such an idiot! The way Russell swayed him is perfect - he just informed him casually that he was going to vote for Parvati - he didn't plea with Tyson for him to change his vote, he didn't even suggest it. He just planted the seed and let Tyson fall for it.

Brilliant.

Will post the Jeff Probst blog shortly.

---------- Post added at 08:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 AM ----------

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Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 6
by Jeff Probst

The Boston Rob vs. Russell showdown continues!

Russell: He’s threatening Russell Hantz. When do you that, you go.
Rob: He’s not playing with the amateurs anymore. Playing with the big boys now.

Rob: I’m just telling you watch your back.
Russell: Same thing for you man, watch your back.

Russell: Boston Rob says it’s better to play with me than against me. Oh, really? I believe I’m gonna get him to eat those words.

And last night, I think Rob was served an appetizer.
More on that later.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Physically, Boston Rob continues to dominate this game. I don’t think there is anybody left that can beat him at any of the challenges. Like him or hate him, you cannot deny that if you’re in a fox hole, B-Rob would not be a bad guy to have in there with you. Part McGuyver, part Pete Rose — in my book, he’s money.
And for all of you who are saying “Nah nah nah nah nah nah! Look at how well James did, he did better than Colby in the challenge! The Heroes were right to keep him in the game!!” Well, you’re right. He did beat Colby, and so did Rupert, and in response, James had some funny comments that I’m sure were tough for Colby to hear:
At camp…
James: You, the great Colby. So if you turn it on and start winning, we’ll be alright. But if it’s the old sleepy ass Colby that gets beat by a fat man and a cripple. That ain’t right.
Then in interview…
James: Colby doesn’t want to be here. There’s no way that’s the Colby of old, one of the baddest competitors ever. He has not done anything. He has almost brought me to tears. It’s like my Superman sucks. All his muscles are gone so it’s very disappointing to see a grown man give up like that.
Then at tribal council…
James: You got slammed by the Dragon Slayer. …[You] got beat by a cripple and a fat dude on the obstacle course. It’s like finding out Superman was in a big girdle. You seem them muscles and you get up close and it’s nothing but a fat suit.

To his credit, Colby accepted it as a valid criticism. He’s not having a great season.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE SEASON – THE HERO OLYMPICS!
Who needs a challenge department? Who needs a host? The Hero tribe provided more drama and more humor than any challenge we’ve done thus far this season when they created their own Survivor Challenge: The Hero Olympics.
James taking on J.T.? Get out. That’s good television. The only person missing was my niece! She would have taken second for sure!

It was one of the craziest things I’d ever seen. James trying to out run J.T. with a splint on his leg. Remember, I do not stay out on the beach, so the first time I saw this footage was watching an early cut of this episode. It was awesome.
I have to give James major credit. That guy does not back down from any challenge. Going up against J.T. with a bum leg was ballsy. And I’ll admit, I was surprised how fast James was, given his bad leg. Maybe I was wrong, maybe my niece wouldn’t have beat him. But let’s be clear… I would have.

It also made me respect the Heroes just a little bit, something that has been hard for me to do of late. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe they’re starting to get a clue.

The entire speech about banana etiquette from Amanda to James was yet another in a season filled with scenes that you would swear are scripted. I think Survivor should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Writing, and the award should go to the Heroes vs. Villains cast. If you could write this kind of a show every week, you would have a big house in the Hollywood Hills with a pool, a few really cool cars, a man servant, a full-time maid, a well-stocked wine bar, a movie theatre in your basement, and an incredible view of the city. In short, you’d be living like Ryan Seacrest.

Fortunately, we don’t have to write anything, our group of Survivors do it for us.
Okay, back to the showdown. This was one of the greatest Pre-Tribal and Tribal Councils we’ve had in the history of our show. So much was going on, so much was at stake. This was truly a royal battle.

BOSTON ROB IS SMARTER THAN RUSSELL
Going into tribal council, Boston Rob laid out a strategy for his alliance that was 100 percent fool proof. 100 percent. B-Rob is a very smart and strategic player. He was absolutely right. Even if nobody played the idol, so long as everybody voted as laid out by Rob, (three votes Parvati, three votes Russell) then their alliance would stay intact — at worst Russell, Parvati, and Tyson would be tied with 3 votes each. They would re-vote, Rob’s alliance would most likely target Russell, he would have been voted out.

But Rob was also prepared for an idol to be played, and if so, then Parvati’s votes would not count, and Russell and Tyson would have been tied at three votes each. We’d re-vote and Russell would be voted out. He had it wired. Russell was going home. Russell should have gone home.

But this is Survivor and that means anything can happen. And what happened last night was…

RUSSELL DID IT AGAIN
The short, stubby, tooth-missin’ garden gnome did it again! Unbelievable. UN-B-LEEVE-ABLE. I still cannot believe he pulled it off. There were two HUGE elements at play:
1. It was a very inspired move to try to convince Tyson that he was safe at the vote because Russell was turning on Parvati — therefore Tyson didn’t need to worry about voting for Russell. He could just change his vote to Parvati since his vote didn’t really matter. The thing is Tyson didn’t have to change his vote. He could have gotten the same result and still kept himself safe by voting for Russell. The smarter move would have been to say, “Fine Russell, I dig that you’re ready to vote out Parvati. I’m gonna keep with my plan to vote for you just so I don’t alert anybody but I’m with you, and Parvati is going home.” Tyson could have gotten the same result without risking anything. Tyson simply lost his mind and forgot what he was doing… because Russell put that damn Russell seed in his head!
2. Russell giving the idol to Parvati was the biggest risk he’s taken in either of his two seasons. He went for broke and it worked.

You can write all the comments you want about how much you hate Russell. I don’t care. I won’t respond. That dude just made a major game-changing, momentum-switching move — and it worked. That’s what legends are made from – big bold moves.

TYSON ENTERS THE SURVIVOR HALL OF FAME
Tyson now joins James and Eric in the small section in the back of the Survivor Hall of Fame reserved for DUMBEST MOVES EVER. Tyson! We passed up Shane to bring you back… we had such high hopes for you. What were you thinking?! It’s one thing to be voted out with two immunity idols in your pocket like James did in China. It’s another thing to give up an immunity idol at tribal council like Eric did in Fans vs. Favorites. But Tyson, you changed your vote when there was nothing to be gained and in doing so you voted yourself out! We’ll take a poll, but I think that might be him at the top of the list. Remember, he gained nothing by changing his vote. It was just a tragic, game-ending muck up.

THE SHOWDOWN CONTINUES… BUT RUSSELL IS NOW ON TOP
It’s one of the greatest showdowns we’ve ever had and one of the most interesting stories of the season. Russell and Boston Rob. Two heavyweights duking it out on the beaches of Samoa.

Tonight, Russell took the upper hand. I loved how happy he was with himself, on the beach slapping his thighs with joy. And Rob’s face of confusion as he heard the votes being read was something we’re not used to seeing. I wonder how long it took him to figure out what happened.
And Russell is absolutely smitten with Parvati. The handing over of the idol from Russell to Parvati was the Survivor version of foreplay. I even got a bit turned on watching it, over and over and over. Think I’m crazy? Go back and take a look again. It’s foreplay. As she takes the idol, Parvati gives him a look that says, “You will most definitely get some tonight.” Of course we all know he won’t, but I think he thinks he will. That’s what I mean when I say Parvati is deadly. Even when you’re not into her, she turns on that charm and next thing you know you’re giving her your… idol.

These are our best players and they are giving us a tremendous season. The strategy is as intense as it has ever been — and we’re still just getting started.

Oh yes, the Heroes finally made a good move and voted out James.

See ya next week! We’re back on Thursdays again – from here till the end! Our finale is in NYC on May 16. Mark it down.

Woah! Russell did it again! I can't believe he can pull it out of his ass every single show. Of course, he is in league with the devil and will not make it to the end. Parvati is going to smile at him while she slits his throat.

One of the best episodes ever. My only complaint was the lack of "Amanda boobs." They should have their own contract.

I'm bummed that Rob is out but Russel once again shows that he is awesome.

losing Rob is terrible. UGH

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 7
by Jeff Probst

THE VOICE OF BOSTON ROB IS HEARD OVER A BLACK SCREEN

BOSTON ROB

The more and more I think about it, something doesn’t feel right. Something just doesn’t feel right.

FADE IN:

EXT. FENWAY PARK – NIGHT
The stadium lights shine onto the field filled with a large crowd of mourners, mostly dressed in red and blue.

JEFF PROBST

…and as we gather to pay our last respects to Boston Rob, I’d like to take a moment of silence to remember the many things he brought to the game of Survivor. He was the Godfather who left too soon in Survivor: Marquesas. On Survivor: All-Stars, he took a different approach. He put his arm around the beautiful Amber on day three and became her “knight in shining armor” as he dragged her to the end giving her the opportunity to win the million dollars while being a two-faced betrayer to everybody else — and he did it all with an evil smile that made many of us fall in love with him in a brand new way. And finally on Survivor; Heroes vs. Villains, he transformed himself yet again — this time into a fairly likable, extremely hardworking and challenge-dominating player who took it upon himself to go up against Russell, the biggest villain of all-time.Some might say the karma of past betrayals finally caught up with B Rob and he went down hard. Probably for the last time. Rob… you will be missed.

There is silence in the stadium. Then… a shout from the cheap seats.

RUSSELL HANTZ

What about me??!!! Where’s the love for me? I’m the one took him down. I’m Russell Hantz, the greatest Survivor of allllll-time. I’m that good.

Russell hops down the steps toward the railing and without hesitating leaps from the 300 section. It is a long way down to the field, but miraculously he lands in the middle of center field and bounces up on his feet unharmed.
The crowd recognizes him as the man who took down Boston Rob. As expected, the Boston crowd quickly becomes a vigilante group and takes after the gap toothed troll. In a flash, he is gone for there is still more game to play on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

FADE OUT
My therapist says that time heals everything, but I’m not sure how much time it will take to heal this loss. I miss him already. I miss the battle. Russell vs. Boston Rob will go down as one of the greatest battles of all time. I want them back. Now. We should do an entire season centered around Boston Rob vs. Russell. Give them some war clubs, put them in a gladiator ring.

Amber could be the ring girl. She’s dressed the same way she was in Maxim (if you haven’t seen it go back and check it out) but instead of being the sexy ring girl, this time she’s a mom, carrying child. She represents hope for the world. Goodness.

Coach would be Rob’s consigliore, his right hand man.

At the other end of the arena, Russell would stand alone. No friends. No allies.

The promos are written, the audience would be there. Right? If I told you right now that next season we’d have Russell and Rob back again, wouldn’t you be intrigued?

Okay, enough of my clear favoritism!

Man, I’m so in sync with you guys I can hear your comments already. “Why don’t you ever talk about how awesome Candace is?” “Jeff, relax, Rob is already married!” “Why do you love all the villains and hate all the heroes?”

Maybe it’s time for me to do a quick recap of everybody left in the game:

J.T. Still like him even though he is clearly playing in a way that could easily earn him a spot on the villain tribe. A friend of mine just told me that J.T. is her favorite, and she feels like she has the best husband because he’s the perfect combination of “J.T., Tyson and Boston Rob.” Not really sure what it means, but in this time of mourning I believe it is best to just share everything.

COACH Hmm. How can I say it in a new way. I can’t. I love Coach. Always loved Coach. I still want to develop a show centered around “Tales of The Dragon Slayer.” But right now The Dragon Slayer is depressed. He’s lost his way. As much as he wants to live by a code, he finds himself trapped in a corner on a game called Survivor and there appears no way out. If this were a movie, this would be the end of Act II when all seems lost. Is it? Or can he rise up from the ashes and be reborn yet again?

CANDACE Ah, man… I just got bored doing this recap. Sorry. I promise next time to talk about how the awesomeness of Candace. And she is awesome. Seriously.

COACH AND JERRI SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G….
Does anybody else think Jerri and Coach might actually have a shot at making it as a couple? I do. Seriously, I do. No, really… I do. If they could each just open their arms, let down their guard, release judgments and simply accept the other, this could be something amazing. (Come to think of it, if I could do that in my own life it’d be pretty amazing.)

Coach and Jerri just look like they should be together. I can see them trekking across the Australian Outback with the sun beating down on their necks, sweat pouring off their bodies as they stop to take… their last… sip… of water. Stranded with no transportation, no food and now no water, they must rely on each other to provide shade, comfort, and love.

I can see the poster for the movie. Coach… his arms raised in a Dragon Slayer pose, a touch of blood dripping down his forearm hints at the epic battle we will witness. Jerri is dressed in a long flowing white cotton dress, slightly torn from her own battle or perhaps just their intense passion for one another. Her arms are wrapped around Coach’s thigh as she looks up adoringly at him.

For the sequel, I can see them paddling down the Amazon as Coach re enacts being captured by an indigenous tribe, only this time Jerri arrives just in time to save the day. Coach sweeps her up in his arms, flexing his tattoos and grabbing a quick feel. They’ll make made love in the jungle, which we won’t show because in this version we want the PG-13 crowd. They emerge from the jungle, disheveled and once again sweaty as Coach is declared the new king of the land.

In the third movie, Jerri surprises Coach picking him up in an old Buick as they drive across America to Burning Man where Jerri will perform a spoken word tribute to the love of her life while Ozzy — yes, Ozzy — plays bongos in the background.

This is one of the greatest “could be” love stories of all time. Coach? Jerri? Are you listening to your hearts? Let go of your fears. Open your arms and your bodies and accept the other for all they are… and all they will never be.

If you decide to marry, I will officiate and forego my normal $25 fee as my wedding gift to you both.

RUSSELL IS THE COCKIEST SURVIVOR TO EVER PLAY THE GAME
Russell continues to flabbergast me in the most enjoyable and entertaining of ways. Calling out Courtney or Sandra as the “next to go home” right in front of their faces was one of the boldest moves I’ve ever seen anybody make in any game at any time. Wow. Give this man a wide berth cause if you don’t, he will take it.

Let me tell you what I’m really learning from Russell — when you have nothing to fear, nothing at stake, you have all the power. Russell is truly only playing to win and it shows. He is so brazen. Russell is one helluva salesman. No, I am not going to stop talking about him because he’s absolutely fascinating.

What’s even more amazing is that he is still in the game! For all the people that want to hate on him, he’s still in the game and Rob is gone. Tom is gone. James is gone. Stephenie is gone. Cirie is gone. He’s not just a crazy person, he’s a very intimidating, cunning and powerful player in this game.

Can he win the game? Remains to be seen. He still lacks social grace. I doubt he has ever had it, probably never will. But that guy will empty your wallet before you ever know he had your hand in his pocket.

BOSTON ROBS LAST WORDS
Rob: (to Coach) You’re a little man.

I love how Rob went out. He didn’t pretend it didn’t matter, he didn’t say “good luck”, he simply said what was on his mind, the subtext of which was clear: Coach, you suck.

Coach. Coach. Coach. I too am a bit dismayed. I will need time to sort through this emotionally. I will certainly need more therapy to help me understand and try to forgive. I may never see you the same way again. But I will still marry you and Jerri. Although at this point I’d feel more comfortable charging you the $25.

See ya next week.

Amanda covered in mud!
Skeletor lives!
Coach hits the showers!
--
Russell better watch his gnome-hole. He's not in as control as he thinks.

Just putting this out there for the record: Russell does not win.

Here's why I think that: last season's finale, Russell offered the blonde some amount of money to "give him the title of sole survivor". When I viewed that and then saw that he was going to be on this season, I theorized that he is desperate for that title, and since he didn't get it on villians vs. heros (I'm almost positive it was in the can when that reunion show occurred.), the only way for him to get it was to bribe the blonde.

So, that's my theory. Russell gets voted out pretty soon.

It sounded like the Heroes might give Russell their idol because the Hero guys are worried that the Villain women are an alliance. He will definitely make it to the merge then.

that's what the editors want you to think.

I also think Russell doesn't win, but I think he gets to maybe the final 4. He looked pretty thin/haggard at the reunion

As in Season 19, I think Russell will go all the way but is scheming way will cost him another Million Dollar.

And when it happens Russell will have spent 78 days without being voted out but won nothing ;)

And because of the editing, I would have liked to know if Russell went back trying to find the HII without any clue after he played it once. But compare to last season, the Hero second HII harder to find that those that he found by himself

I think they enforced a rule against finding the hidden immunity idols without clues or something because Russell hasn't tried once to find it without a clue.

well, they havn't shown him trying to find it, remember we only see a few minutes out of 48 hours that an episode is usually comprised of....

I think they just did a better job hiding it this time. Notice how both times the immunity idol has been well outside of camp way down the beach? last years were all really close to camp.

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 9
by Jeff Probst

Man oh man. Episode eight and this season has not slowed down one bit.

I know I use a lot of hyperbole in my blogs, it’s in part just so I can read your comments criticizing me for doing so, but sometimes the hype is justified. That’s certainly the case with what I’m about to write….

JT made perhaps the biggest and boldest move in the history of our show last night. It will go down as one of the most controversial decisions ever made by a player. Some will call him flat out dumb, while others… like myself …see the wisdom in what he was attempting to pull off.

More on that later…

REWARD CHALLENGE
I have loved this challenge every time we’ve done it in the past, but this time we added a great twist. We made it a tribe challenge pitting opposite tribe members against each other and the twist yielded great results. It was no longer a challenge based simply on strength and will-power, now it mattered who you matched up against. That changed everything.

It’s very clear that Rupert truly believes he is the strongest person left in this game. I love you Pirate Man, but on this note you’re delusional. Maybe you were one of the strongest players back in the Pearl Islands, but not this year. You’re not the strongest. You’re not even top three. In a head to head match up in most challenges I’d take Amanda, Candace, Parvati, Jerri & Danielle over you, and I’m just starting. Most every player left in this game is strong (both physically and strategically) and that’s why it’s going to be an exciting finish.

I think this challenge was won in large part because of the people that had hurt the Villains in earlier challenges. Sandra and Courtney were shoo-ins to win their match up. Courtney’s small stature made this an easy one for her to dominate, in fact she won a similar type of challenge in China. As for Sandra, these challenges play right into her wheel-house because they rely on pure will-power and nothing else. Sandra has an endless supply of will power. Like she said during the challenge, “two kids and not so much as an asprin!” That gave the villains 2 guaranteed points right off the bat.
When I saw the match-ups, I didn’t think the heroes had much chance at all.

100 DAYS OF SURVIVOR
Amanda and Parvati have both reached 100 days in the game of Survivor. You have to tip your hat to that amazing feat. Both of these women are fantastic players. You do not last that long in this game three times in a row without doing a lot of things very well. There are many things you could find to criticize about both of them, but it will never outweigh the fact that they’ve lasted longer than anybody else who has ever played. Now the question becomes who will have the most days played when the game is over? Will it still be a tie? And will either one of them have a million dollars as a result?

THE HIDDEN–HIDDEN IDOL
The way Parvati handled the finding of the clue and the idol is just one of the reasons Parvati has been so successful in this game. Parvati is playing to win. Her instant decision to hide the idol note from everybody except Danielle speaks to her prowess in this game.

Parvati: “We’ll fill Russell in on a need to know basis. Right now he doesn’t need to know.” If she chooses to keep this a secret from Russell and then surprises him with it, there will be repercussions, unless of course she uses it to vote him out.

I’ve said it many times this season because I believe it. Parvati has found a weakness in Russell and it’s a weakness that haunts most men – our ego when it comes to the opposite sex. I know some of you don’t like to talk about sex or the relationship between men and women, but there is no denying it plays a part in Survivor and in our daily lives. Parvati is a good flirt and there is zero doubt in my mind that she senses that she has just a slight edge over Russell so long as she can keep him dancing.

Parvati isn’t kidding when she says she wants to see Russell squirm a bit, she wants it to be very clear to Russell that she’s in charge. It’s a bold move and I respect it, but whoa girl, watch out if and when Russell finds out what you’ve been doing. You better use that idol to vote him out or use it to save him in a way that you can sell as an “alliance” move later in the game. Otherwise this could get really ugly and all the flirting in the world will not save you.

JT’S INCREDIBLY RISKY AND AMAZINGLY EXCITING PLAN
Okay, let’s get down to it.

JT…wants… to… give… a hidden immunity idol… to Russell. What?!

JT wants to give Russell an idol. He wants to hand him a get out of jail free card and along with it the power to change the vote at Tribal and decide who goes home. No amount of hyperbole could over sell this decision. This is JT. The guy who won this game in Brazil now wants to give away the single most powerful weapon in the game to the single most untrustworthy person left in the game?

It boggles the mind. It’s one of the most jaw-dropping decisions I’ve heard in the last 769 days of Survivor. (My math may be a day or two off, but I think that’s how many days the game has been played.)

It’s jaw-dropping but was it really crazy? That’s up for debate. What I like about the move is that it’s a big move and typically (not always) big moves are required if you’re going to have a shot at winning the game.

It’s easy to say it’s a silly idea when you’re watching from home and you know what everybody else is saying and doing. All JT had to go on was the mistaken belief that Russell was in trouble was probably going to be voted out. JT reasoned that if they merged then the female alliance would take over the game. But, if he could save Russell then Russell would be free to join the heroes and they would have the numbers at the merge and JT and his alliance would be in good shape. Based on the information JT had, it was actually a pretty inventive idea. If JT was right, it could have swung the game 180 degrees.

And if indeed there was an alliance, it didn’t matter that Russell wasn’t trustworthy because as far as JT knew, Russell had no other option so that made Russell need the heroes as much as the heroes needed Russell.

INSIGHT – RUSSELL – THE UNKNOWN FACTOR
There’s been a lot of debate about whether Russell had an advantage or a disadvantage since nobody knew anything about him coming into this season. My take is that he had neither. We told everybody at the start of the show that they should read a lot into the fact that while they hadn’t seen Russell play, Russell was selected as one of the 5 most notorious male villains of all time. These are seasoned players, they knew this meant that Russell was a bad dude. On the flip side, when we asked Russell to join the H v V cast, we told him there is a very good chance you’ll be voted out early because nobody knows you, nobody has played with you and therefore nobody can trust you. Russell knew that was a risk going in. So both sides had fair warning. They were just as likely to vote him out in episode one for fear of the unknown as they were to keep him. Once Russell survived a couple of votes and showed what kind of player he is – intimidating, calculating, cunning – all bets were off.

THE LETTER
JT’s hand-written letter to Russell is the kind of moment that reality producers dream about. You just can’t believe it’s really happening and you hold your breath that he won’t change his mind. (By the way, you’re no doubt wondering where they got pen and paper? It was part of Amanda’s luxury item that they won in an earlier episode.)

When the hand-off of the idol and the note finally happened the entire producing team popped a bottle of champagne. Okay that’s a lie, we don’t drink while shooting the show. But when we got back to basecamp. Whoooeee, it was party time! Actually, that’s another lie. When we get back to basecamp, most of us fall asleep at catering. Okay, fine… that too is a lie, a lot of us avoid catering because it’s not the kind of catering you’re imagining. It’s more like Army catering. Hold your plate out and take what’s given to you. So there wasn’t really any formal celebration. But inside, we were really jazzed.

At the end of the day, hindsight is once again, 20-20. Turns out there isn’t a female alliance and as a result JT and the heroes just made a huge mistake. A monumental mistake.

Once again the credit for this goes to the Villain tribe with “special recognition” to Russell for a Golden Globe worthy performance.

THE WORLDS GREATEST ADVENTURE CREW
Hopefully you were so enraptured that you didn’t even notice the amazing camera and audio coverage during the challenge in which all of the idol drama played out. So let me pat our team on the back. We were all over it. First, our crew captured Colby telling Russell the plan as the two stood out on the platform during the challenge. Then, our producers and editors found a beautiful way of letting the moment play within the challenge by fading the audio of the challenge and bringing you right into the moment of their conversation out in the middle of the water.

Then, we got a little love from Mother Nature when she brought us a heavy rain which added to the drama… and you know how much I love me some rain during Survivor.

Finally, our camera crew captured JT giving Russell the idol when they hugged after the challenge. All of this was done without giving anything away to any of the other players. It appeared to be just another challenge.

For all of my lippy comments and for all the times I take credit for things that I have nothing to do with – here’s the real truth… It’s humbling to be a part of this team. Ten years ago I got the greatest break of my career when I stumbled onto this show.

If I may… Survivor: Heroes v Villains is as good as it gets when it comes to storytelling in the reality world and even a lot of the scripted world for that matter. We’re twenty seasons in and the show is as strong as ever.

I hold no hope for any love from the Emmy’s but I would be lying if I said I didn’t think the show deserved to be recognized again for outstanding achievement. Am I biased? Sure. Do I believe it? Absolutely.

INSIGHT – MY ROLE AT TRIBAL COUNCIL
I’m sure most of you have noticed that I’ve been more vocal and more aggressive at Tribal Council this season. The reason is pretty simple – these 20 players are very experienced and as a result very good. To get anything out of them you have to be more direct and more relentless.

I hope you all understand that I never bring up anything at Tribal Council that hasn’t already been discussed or isn’t already known. I would never betray or reveal secret information. When you hear them fighting back with me, that’s just part of the game and often, the words they are saying to me, are actually intended to send a signal to someone else.

It’s a very elaborate game of cat and mouse and the reason this season is so good is because we started with 20 fantastic players who continue to deliver week after week. I bust their chops on this blog every week because that’s the fun part of writing a blog, but since I’m feeling very “confessional” today – the truth is we painstakingly hand selected every person this season and we’re really pleased with the results. Every single player gave us something, even Sugar. Every single player left in the game has a legitimate shot at winning. Even Candace. Ah, I love to kid Candace.

COURTNEY IS GONE
You may find this hard to believe but I miss her. I really dig Courtney. One of the reasons I enjoy her is her laser sharp wit. She could talk me under the table (as you saw at many a tribal council) but I still like taking my swings. I think Courtney enjoyed herself out there more than she likes to admit. I look forward to seeing her on the jury. I expect interesting wardrobe choices and lots of dramatic facial expressions during Tribal.

While we’re on it…

COACH COMES STRONG AT TC
I would be remiss if I did not comment on Coach’s wardrobe as the first jury member. Love him or hate him, the man owns his “personae” and I dig it.

Until next week.

Damn Parvati, she's growing on me.

I still love this season, there are so many smart players involved.

I find it interesting that players that I hated in earlier seasons I like this time around, and players I loved in earlier seasons are like .......whatever.

Jerri, Courtney, Parvati, even Sandra to an extent...I'd never say before that I liked them, but I like them this season.

I sorta hate Amanda and friends. I like J.T. still though.

That is call editing ;)

---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 PM ----------

That is a tough callfor JT moves..... had it really been a Women alliance.... JT would be a genious today.

But if JT and the Heroes had seen season 19, they probably wouldn't have tried to get Russell on board knowing how machiavellous he can be.

Russell still is the best player in the game, but I can see the same thing happening in this game.... he is rubbing more and more people the wrong way.

I don't see why people hate on Amanda. She is smart, builds good alliances, and is one of the better women in challenges. You have to respect someone who makes it to the final vote twice.

Same goes for Parvati. I always hated her because she is bitchy but if you set that aside you see that she has a lot of strategy. Yes, she uses her sexuality to help her but she does a lot on her own as well.

I agree with you kutulu. And they aren't co-tailer like Natalie last season. Especially Parvati as she is known as a scheemer.

Congrats to both of them for 100 days out there.

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 10
by Jeff Probst


WHO WRITES THIS STUFF?

First off, let me just say that I share your “speechlessness” regarding tonight’s episode. By the way, I love creating new words. Would someone please add “speechlessness” to the Survivor dictionary or at least Wikipedia. Because after tonight, I feel like all Survivor fans have just shared a bit of Survivor church. I am still in shock at how good this season is and I was out there shooting it!! Name another reality show having a better season than Survivor. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Okay, onto the blog…

THIS IS WHEN THE GAME GETS CRAZY

Well for once this season, Rupert was actually right. Not only about the game getting “crazy…” but also his gut about whom to trust.. Sandra or JT? He was spot on in choosing to believe Sandra. Then again, it was more of a lucky guess than anything else.

Imagine having to make that choice. Russell or Sandra.

It’s very easy to know the right choice when you’re sitting at home with that big bag of Doritos in your lap, your fingers orange from the artificial flavoring. But imagine having to choose between trusting Russell or Sandra without any outside help.

What a choice. They are two of the craftiest players in the game, both of whom are capable of lying with absolute conviction. I can see why Rupert believed Sandra and I can see why JT did not.

FIRST INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE

Once again Colby drops out of another challenge. I think he has been one of the biggest surprises and many would probably say one of the biggest disappointments of this season. But the truth is it just shows you how unpredictable this game can be and how big of a factor luck can play in how long you last. The challenges this season have not played to Colby’s strengths so he has struggled. The alliance he chose didn’t last, so he has struggled. Because he has struggled, his attitude has waned from wanting to quit to fightin to stay alive. Survivor is not an easy game to play.

This challenge certainly favored women as we witnessed with Danielle, Parvati and Candice battling in the end. I do not understand why Candice stepped out of the challenge. Even after questioning her at the challenge it still makes no sense. Immunity is everything in this game. She had a very good chance of winning. I do not understand why you would step down at this point in the game. I really think Candice is in a good position to go deep in the game right now but her logic in this situation really baffles me.

Not only did she give up personal immunity for herself, but in stepping down she gave immunity to someone from the Villain tribe which gave the Heroes one less person to vote for at Tribal Council. Add in the two immunity idols that Parvati had and the Heroes really had no chance at Tribal.

RUPERT IS ON A ROLL

Once again Rupert’s observation was spot on. Noticing how easily Parvati, a true competitor, agreed to bow out of the challenge raised a big red flag to Rupert. She must have immunity otherwise she would never step down.

He was right. Parvati had immunity. Here’s another question I have – and maybe my logic doesn’t make sense as I am literally thinking about it only while I’m sitting in my home office – but since the Heroes knew that Parvati had an idol, why didn’t their thinking continue to the point of realizing that Russell was also lying. He had said that Parvati played an idol, right? Maybe I’m missing something obvious, but seems to me Russell may have dodged another bullet tonight. He was a sitting duck.

REALLY PERSONAL INSIGHT

In case you’re wondering, my office is pretty small. It’s not connected to my house either. It has hardwood floors that I had to replace about three years ago after a particularly wet winter. I have a poster from a movie I wrote and directed, “Finder’s Fee.” I have a poster from a show I created and hosted, “Live For The Moment” that nobody watched so it’s off the air. I have two very old paintings from one of my grandpa’s. I have a flat screen that my brother mounted on the wall that I never watch and wish wasn’t there. I have an old grandfather clock, a few photos from Survivor, some photos of friends and a few trinkets from my travels. Now you know.

PARVATI AND AMANDA – THE FACE OFF

You knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time. Two former allies come together again with one major question on everybody’s mind. Will they partner or will they battle. I’m so happy they didn’t partner last night. It’s time they battled. I hope it continues. I will admit that I loved that Amanda betrayed Parvati. She just scored points in my book. Not because I’m rooting against Parvati, simply because I like seeing Amanda really step up. It’s about damn time. Parvati didn’t buy it and that’s why Parvati is neck and neck with Amanda in terms of days played in this game. Amanda’s tell is when she starts feigning “the weight of the world” on her shoulders. “I’m so confused. My head hurts.” Ah, she was doing so well until she gave it away. Make no mistake, Amanda is a big part of the reason tonight’s vote went down the way it did.

RUSSELL DOES IT AGAIN

Now let’s get to the good stuff! Russell is a great player who is making potentially disastrous mistakes because of good ole hormones. Say what you want, tell me I’m wrong, I remain convinced that he is doing this because of Parvati’s flirtatious ways.

He would not give that idol to Sandra, even if Sandra was in his alliance. He wouldn’t give it to Danielle who IS in his alliance. He wouldn’t give it to anybody else, but for a second time… he gave it to Parvati…with no idea she already had one of her own.

Parvati is ballsy, right? Wow. She is knowingly double-crossing the one guy everybody else fears. You know what that tells me? She’s not afraid. Parvati is extremely confident. She smelled Amanda’s bullsh*t and she doesn’t fear Russell’s. Could Parvati win this game again? Maybe. Or maybe by me suggesting it, it means she won’t. Or maybe I just gave away that she did. Could Sandra win this game? Jerri? What about Rupert? Danielle? Amanda? Candice? Colby? JT? (Oops, sorry JT). Did I miss anybody?

TRIBAL COUNCIL

It was an excellent tribal council because we have amazing players left in the game. The many layers of strategy that played out last night was fascinating. But the highlight of the night and one of the stand out highlights in a season filled with them came at the hands of Parvati.

It was one of the biggest moves ever and certainly the biggest of this season thus far.

The reactions as she passed out the first… and then the second idol were as good as it gets on Survivor. This is how you play Survivor. Full tilt boogie. Parvati just made it into the Survivor Hall of Fame.

THE AFTERMATH

Oh, there will be a big aftermath with Russell and Parvati. You saw him mouth to her at Tribal, “You got some explaining to do.” Russell does not suffer fools lightly, especially when he is his own fool. He’s mad. Burn your house down mad. This will be their first lovers quarrel. Yes, I know they’re not technically lovers, but in the game of Survivor, they’re more than lovers, they’re married and this will result in a major spat.

The question is will it destroy their alliance or will Parvati be able to salvage it. Any bets?

EVEN THOUGH HE’S GONE I STILL LOVE J.T.

I respect JT for one simple reason. The handshake with Russell. It was classy. He got played and he knew it. Instead of pouting he acknowledged the move and with his head held high, left the game. JT went out with a bang for sure. Many will say he made the dumbest move in the history of Survivor, but in my book it’s how you finish and JT finished strong.

FINALLY

I have a great job.

See ya next week.

Once again, one of the best tribals ever, Parvati shocked everyone. I've gone from totally hating her to being totally in love with her. I can't wait to see Russell's reaction.

Jeff was right about JT, he took it really well. Good for him.

The editing helped but Amanda was doing a terrible job lying to Parvati. She saw right through it.

Yeah I hate to admit it but I'm starting to like Parvati this season too. If Russell makes it to the end I think he'll have screwed up by pissing too many people off. Already Courtney was making fun of him at tribal and now JT is gonna be mad as well.

I think you're right. I feel pretty safe calling it: There is no way Russel can win now. It is the Heros' dumbassery that led to the idol fiasco but they will still blame Russel and there aren't many on the Villans that would vote in his favor now.

Russell will have to pull off another epic move to top Parv's tribal bi-Idol play.
I don't think he's got it in him, but I'm still hoping he'll be able to do it.
I want him to win.

And damn, my 6 year old niece lies better than Amanda.

Wow Russell being overplayed with Hidden Immunity!!!!! I guess the queen took over the country. but I agree, Russell is great for rating and if he's there never get rid of him, he you're #1 friend in final tribal council. You win by forfeit.

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 11
by Jeff Probst

THE FALLOUT FROM LAST WEEK

Last week, Parvati played not one but two idols. Russell had no idea she had the second idol or he never would have given her his idol in the first place! You knew the fallout was going to come and the anticipation of it reminded me of my youth, growing up in the wheat fields of Kansas.

In Kansas, tornadoes are common and they often cause major damage. But just before the tornado strikes, there is an eerie calm. The wind doesn’t rustle, the rain doesn’t fall. It’s just calm. You see neighbors rounding up the bicycles or putting away the lawn mower, cause they know the storm is a comin’ and it’s gonna be bad.

Russell is like a tornado. A tornado that is lingering just outside of town, slowly swirling, building momentum and gearing up to do some major damage. You could feel his anger growing, you could feel the emotions beginning to gather steam as they worked their way through his body.

Swirling. Faster and faster…

If Russell is a tornado, Parvati is the tornado chaser. She loves being in the eye of the storm because she doesn’t fear a tornado but is in fact is drawn to its ferocity.

It’s a bit like a Spielberg movie, right? The world’s greatest and sexiest tornado chaser taking on the world’s biggest and most destructive tornado… in 3D!

Although Russell’s tornado turned out to be a false warning, it doesn’t mean it has gone away. The anger inside him is still swirling. He is still lurking just outside of town and Parvati knows it. Russell will not soon forget, check that, Russell will never forget that Parvati betrayed him and since Danielle was a part of that betrayal she better put her bicycle away too, cause this is only the first act and Spielberg always finishes with a bang.

THE REWARD A.K.A. – THE THREESOME

Warning: For those of you who find my “adult themed” comments offensive, please skip down to the section titled “BACK TO PG.” Otherwise, read on at your own risk.

Colby, Danielle, Amanda. Could you have put together a more perfect group to sleep together on one bed? Colby -The rugged heroic cowboy. Amanda, the pretty and often shy cheerleader. Danielle, the sexy tomboy who despises cheerleaders. All together in one room with one bed for one night. Toss in a bowl of popcorn, a movie and a clue to the hidden idol and you have yourself the makings of a very interesting night. It feels, looks and sounds like Showtime, but it’s just another great moment in a season of great moments on Survivor.

THE CAT FIGHT

Wow. Wouldn’t you like to see the left over footage from that scene? Let’s set the stage. Amanda dressed in bikini bottoms with a hoodie on top is surveying the room, looking for the clue. Danielle, dressed much the same way, is on the bed eating popcorn and also wondering where the clue might be. Colby is the only one actually watching the damn movie and he downs a handful of popcorn.

Danielle finds the clue in the bowl of popcorn. She carefully removes it and then tries to hide it from the others by dropping it on the floor next to her. As Amanda continues her hunt for the clue she spots it on the floor.

Amanda grabs it. Danielle tries to grab it back. The cat fight is on.

Two women, dressed only in bikini’s who haven’t showered in weeks fighting over a small piece of parchment in a hotel room while the seemingly oblivious cowboy from Texas continues to watch a movie on the television. (Take a moment, and let that sink in. Go ahead and read it again if you want, because that is exactly what happened.)

Amanda has it. Danielle wants it back. So now we have an interesting situation. Who does the note belong to? I am not there to referee or make a decision so this is left to them to figure out. Does it belong to Danielle because she found it? Does it belong to Amanda because she found it after Danielle dropped it on the floor? Should they have to share it? Or does it go to the winner of The cat fight? Of course I would opt for the last scenario – let them fight it out and the winner gets it, cause let’s be honest, that would be fun to watch.

INSIGHT: From a rules point of view, there is no rule that covers something this unique. Neither Danielle nor Amanda had a clear-cut case of possession, so it was up in the air.

My call would have been to have them “work it out” which probably would have resulted in all three of them sharing it together. That’s definitely what I would have said if I had been Amanda or Colby, “Let’s work it out together.” I would never have let Danielle walk away with it by herself. Never.

But then the most amazing thing happened. The seemingly oblivious cowboy from Texas suddenly wakes up and turns into a pretty decent game show host and without asking permission declares himself the arbiter of the dispute. Colby then states with an amazing sense of authority that the clue belongs to… Danielle. Well executed. Nicely done, dude. You should host your own show. Bravo.

And then… even more jaw dropping… Amanda, acting like a 5 year old whose daddy just told her to give the toy back to her sister, hands over the clue to Danielle! She gave it to her! Are you kidding?

It was one of the most fascinating moments this season. Human dynamics at play in the oddest context imaginable.

Amanda gave the clue back because she wasn’t strong enough to stand up for herself. It continues to be Amanda’s Achilles heel in life. Standing up for her self. I know she is watching this at home and frustrated once again because she could easily still be in this game if she had only stood up for her self and said, “I’m not giving it back. I have it. I’m not letting go. You were foolish enough to set it aside and I grabbed it. Now back off before I do one of my favorite high schools cheers and toss you over my back and down the stairs.” But instead she was intimidated and obediently did as instructed by Colby.

That is what Survivor is all about. No rules. Work it out. The person who makes the most compelling argument often wins. In this case it was Colby, a guy who didn’t even have a stake in the issue.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM TO COLBY: You did a very nice job of handling the moment. You took charge and you were clear. You only made one mistake. When you fell into the host role, you forgot you were also one of the contestants as well. You should have made a decision that included you getting to see the clue. At the very least you should have let Amanda see it. She’s on your tribe!!! Giving it to Danielle was a mistake.

What do you guys think? What should have happened? What would you have done?

RUSSELL FINDS A THIRD IDOL

“I am the king of hidden immunity idols.” I’d have to agree. Over the last two seasons Russell has proven that he has an uncanny ability to find the idols. In fact, he’s so good at it that he’s forever changed how we will handle idols in future seasons.

INSIGHT: Next season it will take more than just looking under a rock to find a hidden idol. I won’t give away what we’re doing, but in planning our creative for next season we coined a phrase, “The Russell Factor” and it influenced how we will play the hidden idol next season.

SANDRA MAKING HER MOVE

She’s a slick one. She knows when to listen and when to talk. Sandra is smart. Who else could tell Russell to walk away and get away with it.

I also appreciate Sandra’s ability to know when to give up the fight and go with the flow.

This is why Sandra is so good… her last question to Candice: “Tell me who you want out, please.”

Sandra is smart enough to know when she is fighting an uphill battle. Asking that question was her way of giving in without giving up. She was offering her vote to the majority to ensure she stays in the game at least one more day. If you’re in the game you have a chance.

CANDICE

Candice is getting herself into a sticky situation. When you don’t pull the trigger, people start to doubt you. When they start to doubt you, they stop telling you things. When they stop telling you things, you’re in trouble. Candice needs to make a bold move and soon.

RUSSELL IS TALKING TOO MUCH

I think the wear and tear of Russell playing back to back seasons may be taking it’s toll. Far be it from me to criticize how he’s playing, but I think he’s talking too much.

RUPERT IS TOO FOCUSED ON RUSSELL

Again, I’m not playing so it’s easy to back seat drive but Rupert’s grudge with Russell seems personal. Let it go. Stay focused on staying in the game. Keep your eyes on the prize.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
I love these types of challenges. Taking a basic idea like “House Of Cards” and turning it into a challenge is what our challenge department does best. It’s a great challenge because anybody can win and it’s also fun for kids watching the show because this is the kind of challenge you can easily replicate for a Survivor themed birthday party.

By the way – Congrats to Jerri for her first individual immunity challenge victory!

THE ONE THING I DIDNT NEED TO HEAR

Russell’s quote about Amanda is something I could have lived my entire life and been okay not hearing:

Russell: She’s kinda like Boston Rob in a girl’s body. It’s a quote I don’t need to hear, an image I don’t need in my mind. But it lingers. It’s like when you hear an annoying song by Air Supply as you’re just waking up and the song stays in your head all day. Now all I’m imagining is Amanda in a white tank-top with a Red Sox cap on—- … hang on a second. Maybe this isn’t such a bad image after all.

PLAYING CARDS IN THE SHELTER

I wish we had more moments like this because they remind me of the reality of what the Survivors lives are really like. They have hours upon hours of idle time where life is absolutely boring. The fire is stoked, the water is boiled, they’re taking a break from strategy and they’re just hanging out. This is why, when all is said and done, that so many former Survivors become friends. It’s a bonding experience that few of us in life will ever get the chance to experience. I miss these moments in the show. I wish we had more, but the show is about strategy these days and so that’s where most of the stories lead.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

I have to admit and I’m surprised to be saying this… but I found myself a little bummed that Amanda is gone. As frustrating as she can be at times, she’s a tremendous player. One of the best. She only lacks one thing from being an absolute dynamo and that’s the killer instinct. As stated earlier, it’s the confidence to stand up for her self and claim what is rightfully hers. Had she done that with Danielle in the hotel room she’d probably still be in this game.

PS. Sorry I forgot to remind you we were back to the PG rating.

Next week is a biggee. Two immunity challenges. Two tribal councils. Two people gone.

See ya then.

I like Russell being in it because a one good villain is more interesting to watch than 20 "good" people.

Huge move by Russell last night. I can't wait to see how it works out for him. Even if his team is pissed they can't take the chance of either Rupert or Colby making it to the end.

There are only three more votes left until the final three. I wouldn't be surprised if one of either Colby or Rupert makes it in now. That would be such a disaster because they would probably easily win and both of them sucked the whole season.

Man what a brutal move by Russell last night. Attacking your own alliance because you see it going south 4 votes from then......

It's a shame that people who make moves like that aren't rewarded more in the game.

Russell has an amazing ability at this game. Lesser players have tried to split up solid alliances like Parvati/Danielle and been caught red handed. They just throw up their hands and admit they were caught. Russell, on the other hand, made it really seem like Danielle was scheming in tribal council, to the point that even having watched him scheme them both, I almost felt myself being convinced that it was actually all Danielle's fault. The mental breakdown certainly didn't help her.

I still looooooattttheee Sandra.. her attitude, her demeanor, even her speech just irritates the hell out of me. She's the epitome of bitchy busy driver / lunch lady to me, and I just can't see any strategy, just straight vindictive lashing.

I'm still rooting for Russell or Parv for the end, even tho she's already won I think she plays a fantastic game and uses here deceptively 'innocent' appearance to her favor everytime. Russell because I think he's still one of the best players Survivor has ever seen, and he got absolutely robbed last season.

I would've gone for JT too because of his previous season efforts and his ability to do really well despite remaining mostly honest.

Rupert is getting on my nerves as well, I'd like him to get to the final 3 at least, but he seems to be very poor strategically and his 'attack' on Russell at the campfire backfired on him, and made him look like a petulant child whining about being on the losing side of the new Villians..

I agree Katulu, Lasereth and Jinn, such brutal moves and he sold it so well before the vote. Both he and Parvati have that killer instinct with the personality to carry it off, even though the other players know who they're dealing with. I just can't see Russell winning against anyone who's left. He didn't vote out Coach, but he has each of the others on the jury and left some pretty hard feelings.

Think there's anything to
 

The Rupert, Russell, Colby "alliance" made at the end of the last episode? I think Rupert hates Russell and is going to try again to dispatch him.

While I'm not surprised that Rupert went home today, I would have bet money that the girls would have teamed up and voted Russell off. I'm also surprised that Russell and Jerri didn't vote for Sandra. She is the only one I don't like, as she is a great example of what a bad personality is.

I guess there is still a chance that the three girls will team up, but they may also think that nobody on the jury will vote for Russell and it is 'safe' to keep him.

Sandra and Parvati had me LOLing during last night's episode.

Those two were funny. I've always liked Sandra. I love her attitude and her subtlety. She didn't have to work as hard this season but when she won she was great at talking to people and convincing them.

Spoiler: I'm not surprised that Russell lost but I think Parvati should have won in that case...

Yeah not surprised about Russell either but Sandra? Really?

I'm starting to hate how this game isn't Outwit/Outplay/Outlast, it's "Miraculously make it to the end without doing anything so nobody hates me." That's how it is season after season. I keep watching because SOMETIMES the people who win deserve to win (Todd in China, Tom in Palau, etc.). But maybe we're all wrong and Sandra really is the ultimate player. It IS an accomplishment to be worthless and stay under the radar continually for the whole game. Russell's right -- if America had a vote, he'd have won this season and last season. I'm still more pissed about last season -- there is absolutely no excuse for him not winning that. A good argument could be made for Parvati this season.

Rusell is the best player ever (well out of the three seasons I have watched). He might make a lot of enemies along the way, but he controls the game unlike anybody else.

Too bad Russell's his own worst enemy. If he'd just learned to curb his tongue, then he might've gotten a vote or two.

Out of the two girls, I'm glad Sandra won.
I can't stand Parvati's smugness.

So, anyone know what the weather is like in Nicaragua?
Will they have to contend with a lot of rain?

Early on I thought "maybe the fact that these players have played 2 or 3 times would make them more appreciative of scheming and less petty about having their feelings hurt", but I guess not. The truth is, we're seeing 3 days of social interaction compressed into 48 minutes, so we don't really don't understand what it might be like to spend 24/7 with someone like Russell

Ding ding ding

I think he's a lot worse to get along with than they have time to show. Either way he's still a power player but in the end all that matters is if you made people mad or not.

Another case of butthurt jury syndrome. Ok, maybe Russell is too much of a dick but at least give it to Parvati!!

Maybe they edited it all out but Russell's jury answers sucked. He should have owned his moves and made the case that it was his strategy that got him to the end. He should have told JT that the idol was given to him unsolicited. He should have called out Rupert for being a hypocrite (Rupert had no problem aligning with him if it benefited him, this goes for Coach).

I've heard through the grapevine that Ponderosa is a huge deal. Courtney is so persuading and hated Russell so bad that when all of the jury were voted off, they went to her little ongoing Ponderosa party and wound up against him. Look at Jerri (which was hot by the end of the season BTW) -- she even said when she got voted off that she was probably voting for Russell. Into Ponderosa she goes, then at final tribal she says she's divided between Sandra and Parvati?? Been listening to Courtney much??

Courtney convinced the jury that Russell didn't deserve it, plain and simple. I know it's part of the game but it's stupid that if the people voted out were separated, Russell WOULD have gotten votes.

Courtney was one of the few people that I really couldn't stand.

Russell really didn't get it, did he? Jeff tried to talk him down, but Russell wasn't having any of it. He got to the end and thought that SHOULD be enough to win.

I agree, Parvati is one smug person. I'm glad she didn't win.


Remember Jeff said it was just as contentious on the island every day as it was for that hour long show. I think you're right, he had to be awful if they were all feeding on him like they were last night.