Yeah, its too early but I wanna see how I do when I predict during the cast reveal of this new #survivor season.
PRE-JURY:
20) Stephanie- I find her personality too sweet and peppy for my taste. Playing the soccer mom Doesn't normally bode well with a bunch of 20-year olds. She's reminds me of a young Wendy Jo.
19) Chelsea- I feel like the survival aspect will affect her. Others will think she may be too prissy to keep around. Giving me Sarah (S4) vibes.
18) Bradley- I have a hard time being convinced he's likeable enough to get people to be on his side; He could have a hard time fitting in. Reminds me of Cochran, but less charismatic.
17) Morgan- Maybe too competitive for the show; I can see people getting annoyed by her. Giving me Ashley (HHH) vibes
16) Angela- Angela- I don't buy her laying low and biting her tongue--eventually not being able to control things will get to her. Most likely to be screwed by a swap. Giving off Lucy vibes.
15) Jenna- Every season, there's 1 girl who I have no idea what I think and that's her. Usually, they end up premerge so that's where I'll put her. Predicted 'Purple Kelly' Edit
14) Desiree- Rough around the edges; I can see her butting heads with people. She says she's like Cirie, but she's coming off like a NaOnka to me (their intros are giving me a similar vibe)
JURY:
13) Gonzales- People are gonna be threatened by her physically and socially
12) Libby- Showmance. (It normally doesn't end well for the girl in the pair)
11) James- Has a good head on his shoulders and he can easily win people on his side. Almost like Yul 2.0. He's gonna be a big target comes the merge
10) Michael- JP Edit? Reminds me of another boring Michael (One World)
9) Chris- He's teetering between being douche-like and somewhat endearing to me. No way he'll be voted off early, but I can see him being victim of an epic idol play. He could be a succesful Drew Christie type.
8) Domenick- He's a mix between Rodney & Joe (HHH) ; He's self aware & likeable but seems to have an underlying abrasiveness as time goes on. Very crafty.
7) Laurel- I can see her as a gamebot-type of player like Hannah; Don't know if I find her interesting enough to root for just yet. I can see her messing up by making moves too eagerly
6) Donathan- Please do not be like Colton! He seems likeable so far...could be a fun character?
FINALISTS: I basically took the 5 people I liked the most
5) Brendan- Being an older guy can definitely be an advantage as a mentor figure to the younger kids; With that said, he'll be a huge jury threat. Reminds me of a younger hybrid of Tom & Terry
4) Jacob- Relatable; Very aware and I like how he improves on himself before coming on the show. I can see him as someone's side kick. One of the more original characters on the show.
3) Kellyn- I think being a challenge liaibility will we too much for her to overcome despite being sociable but I can also see her being dragged to the end as a goat. I find her to be Aubry-lite
2) Sebastian- So I guess Ozzy, Malcom & Joe have their successor. He's self- aware and endearing enough so I expect great things from him.
1) Wendell- I'm getting positive vibes from him. I'm impressed that he knows that he knows where he fits in this group. I can see him going far.
First of all, what a stupid theme. I thought Millennials vs Gen-X was bad...
Gee...another season is about to start here's my pre-season power rankings on #Survivor 35.
18. Mike- Being a fan does not mean a great player that can go far. He sticks out from the rest of his tribe and is pretty disopsable.
17. Simone- There's just something about her that turns people off. So Kim 2.0
16. Ashley- Strong in challenges, but comes off abrasive. I can see her tribe throwing a challenge just to get rid of her. Contestants named Ashley tend to be voted off pre-merge for the most part anyway.
15. Ali- Nice bio, but I can see her being in the wrong side of the numbers. Also, she admits to knowing Patrick before the game. I can see Patrick getting the upper hand in influencing people to take her out.
14. Chrissy- Very smart and cunning. Even though she doesn't mean to, I can see her being targeted because she seems like a threat or too intimidated to work with her.
13. Lauren- I can see her wandering off to work while people make deals without her. I can see her sulking about being the odd person out. I really don't see her bonding well with others
12. Ben- He seems to be the guy that takes a while to open to people. I can see him just like Lauren, except more useful in challenges. But I'm not sold on his social skills which could hurt him during tribal swaps.
11. Alan- I can see Alan being the face of an alliance and a potential merge boot when his group gets targeted. He exudes too much of Jeremy Collin's vibe to go unnoticed.
10. Cole- On paper, he is what a Survivor winner looks like, but people would be dumb to take him to the end especially how charming he is. His best bet is to be used as a meat shield and hope to win a string of immunities because he's a huge threat coming to the merge--which I guarantee he'll make as long as he doesn't do anything stupid.
9. JP- Another big strong guy is a potential threat early in the merge. He's kinda boring to me w/ a back story which reminded me of Chad from Vanuatu. I can see him bonding with the men, but will be too loyal to make a move against them.
8. Desi- She's a triple threat and would be next to go when all the strong men are chopped. Her best bet is to find bigger threats to sheild her.
7. Devon- I compare him to Cole, except more laid back and less intimidating. I can see him definitely out there as the fun character that brings a few strategic moves here and there. I can see him playing second fiddle to someone like Patrick or Ryan and unaware that he will get blindsided for being too likeable (jury threat)
6. Roark- I really should have her lower because of her blunt, upfront interview. I can see her slithering around alliances because they need her vote despite rubbing people the wrong way. I don't see her making it to the end since I can see others voting her out instead of going through another day needing her as a number.
5. Joe- CBS is painting Joe to be some type of Tony-esque villain, but to me I see a fighter. I can see him being targeted and being resilient but I definitely can see him butting heads with some people.
4. Jessica- Another threat like Desi, although I see Jessica being less threatening enough to go farther than Desi. She has the "America's Sweetheart" label this season and I think she'll surprise a lot of people. That means she's a jury threat so I predict she'll get clipped close to the finals
3. Katrina- I think she'll get dragged as a goat. She's definitely comes off as loud and I can see jurors bashing her at final tribal
2. Ryan- CBS is hyping him for a reason. I can see dubious gameplay from him--almost to the point that he'll end up losing because of a bitter jury a la Russell Hantz.
1. Patrick- Of the fit younger men, he is the least threatening. Being a business owner should help him make deals, manage people, make moves, etc. around the game. He's not too much of a threat physically and socially without being too unlikeable. He's my winner pick as long as he doesn't get medivac'd for that sunburn.
1. Sarah- She's a bit of a game bot but I find her flipping Michaela back to take out Sierra so she can have her advantage is brilliant. Now she has two advantages, two sides she could work with, no votes so far and not getting targeted anytime soon.
2. Culpeper- I have him this high because of his potential to win immunities and his appeal to the jury. This season is setting up as a redemption story for him.
3. Tai- He is invincible with two idols and showed that he can work with the majority by flipping to vote out Sierra. If the men gets pagonged, he's not in trouble any time soon and he can play his idols from there.
4. Cirie- I can't believe no one is targeting her. Her edit is showing an under dog character but I don't think anyone would wanna take her to the end.
5. Troyzan- He's too under the radar to have a winner's edit at this point. I don't see him ditching Brad anytime soon. He has an idol so there is still hope.
6. Andrea- She's public enemy #1 until she's voted off. Her close alliance is with Cirie and Aubry and she's at Sarah & Michaela's mercy at this point. Most likely the victim of an idol being played.
7. Aubry- Kinda under the radar but I only see her narrative as a potential goat because she rode Andrea & Cirie's coat tails.
8. Michaela- goat. I only enjoyed her last season cause she left so early. I did like her explanation about alliances at tribal though. #survivor
I can't believe its time for another season of Survivor. By reading/watching intros and bios here's my list of each castaway and how they'll end up on the game.
****PRE-MERGE****
#20 Sunday- Glad she survived cancer. The thing is that Survivor doesn't deal well with motherly figures since they tend to fall out the wayside early. If she can get out of that mentality and asses the game in an individual mindset, she'll be able to make it further (Possible Ruth Marie (S12)/Patricia (S9) edit)
#19 Cece- I always like people who are fun and has a good sense of work ethinc. But despite having the ability of patience and reading people from her job, she looks like a physical liability for a tribe facing the younger contestants. She needs to be in a tight alliance from the get go or she's doomed. (Possible Darnell/Stacy (S23) edit)
#18 David- He's quirky and I like that he owns up to his struggles. Unfortunately, Survivor isn't really a place to develop better life skills and I think his tribemates will pick up on it. We may possibly have a worse physical competitor since Chet. (Possible Fischbach edit if he makes it farther)
#17 Hannah- If Shirin and Aubry had a love child. I can totally see her taking the Cochran route (S23) but she has two strikes against her: she's not athletic and she's borderline annoying which makes her disposable to an already strong tribe. Even though she says she's mentally tough, I can see people gang up on her and she'll be the cryer of this season. (Possible Shirin (30)/Aubry edit)
#16 Will- He doesn't sound or look 18!!!!!!! He comes off very sly and his build doesn't make him look intimidating. He's a dark horse coming into the game as long as he tones it down with being devious. He will come off as a bratty younger brother and I can see the women being turned off by him. (Possible Colton edit)
#15 Rachel- I guess she's this season's ditzy (fake) blonde. She is giving me Alecia vibes from last season and I can see people getting tired of her giggling and antics pretty quick. I just see her as someone who thinks she can cut it but in reality this experience is way too over her head (Possible Alecia edit)
POSSIBLE TRIBE SWAP CASUALTIES
#14 Lucy- She seem the most serious of all the girls this season. I can see her bonding with the men because of her mentality. I really don't expect much to hear from her cause I have a feeling she will be UTR til she gets voted out. (Possible Edna (S23)/Jill (S21) edit)
#13 Figgy- She's an athletic version of Abi Maria which could go either way. People can either find her as a physical threat or just abrasive. I have a feeling its the latter. (Possible Mikayla (S23) edit)
****MERGE/JURY****
#12 Chris- He comes off boring. He also is going to be the alpha male so I don't see him working well with the women. He's best bet is to be a 'father figure' instead of a leader--which could make him a target. (Possible Roger Sexton edit)
#11 Ken- He definitely has the survival skills down. He comes off to me as a reformed frat/model/surfer guy. The only hint of game he has for me is because of his daughter which makes me question his actual strategy for winning. He seems to be in touch with his faith which makes me wonder if he is willing to do what it takes to play the game. (Possible merge boot edit)
#10 Taylor- I can see him bonding with Jay since they have the same personality. His willingness to easily bail on things he doesn't enjoy makes me wonder if he is trustworthy enough to stick with an alliance. He's most likely to make a move based on the interviews. (Possible Benry edit)
#9 Paul- Really like this guy. He's like Rupert (S7) but more eccentric. He is willing to do anything to get ahead of the game and I have a feeling he's gonna be the mascot of the gen x tribe which makes him a target if he makes the merge. (Either possible Rupert (S7) or Jimmy T (S21) edit)
#8 Mari- She is definitely someone I wanna hangout with on a daily basis. She has potential to be a good strategist and a good physical threat. I appreciate that she is willing to do anything it takes and she doesn't seem intimidating enough that insecure men would wanna vote her out. (Possible Brenda (S21) edit)
#7 Brett- Don't know what I think of him. Other than Chris, he looks very normal. He's your token blue collar guy and game-wise I only see him as a follower to an alpha male. I can see him getting annoyed at a couple of people as well. (Possible Jud Sargeant (S11) edit)
#6 Michaela- I sense a fighting spirit from her interview that makes me wanna cheer for her. I like her positive outlook and my only concern is will people gravitate around her to keep her through the game. (Possible Aubry/Ciera (S27) edit)
#5 Adam- I am on the Adam bandwagon. He has a good heart and an avid fan/student of Survivor. But I said the same thing about Tai last season. I'm hoping that he is smart enough not to unravel from the harsh reality of the dark side of playing the game. (Possible Tai/Spencer edit)
#4 Jessica- I like that she is about helping others and I hope other people see her as a good person and gravitate towards her. She is another female that I can see bond with men. She will mostly be targeted as a jury threat (Possible Marissa (S19) edit)
#3 Zeke- He comes off fun and articulate--which is an asset to bringing people in. He's in the low end of the physical totem pole and I wonder how the several Christians in the cast would interact with him. (Possible Todd/Cochran (S26) edit)
#2 Michelle- Her faith makes me question if she's gonna have a dilemma between her morals or making moves. She is lucky to be cast with several people who share her faith. I don't see her teaming up with the women since she obviously has her sights on the men. My interpretation of her 'flirting' = riding coattails which means she won't since its almost impossible to have two people of the same name win back to back seasons. (Hoping for possible early boot but most likely the coat tail rider/goat that makes it to the end edit)
#1 Jay- He has a nice chill vibe that would be useful in making alliances. He seems like a good physical competitor but not threatening enough to be picked off during the merge--even though he's obviously devious. Personality wise, not a standout since I met a ton of 20 something guys who are the same way. If young Fabio can pull out a win, so can this guy (Possible Brian (S5) edit
My final thoughts
- The tribes/theme is dumb. We already know that the younger tribe will decimate the older tribe with 4 of my top 5 from the Millennials.
- There are a high concentration of religious people on the cast and I'm hoping it doesn't turn into the cult Coach ran in Survivor: South Pacific
- Fiji was not a memorable background the first time around so I'm wondering if its any different this time
Well, now that I have seen 32 seasons, time to update the rankings from worst to best into four categories
UN-REWATCHABLE- So bad, I don't want to rewatch them again.
32nd- South Pacific
- Bland characters, Coach & Ozzy--REALLY!?!, Brandon, Cochran, Albert and Rick were abominations. Terrible boot order. Made me almost give up on Survivor
31st- Fiji
- Horrible recruited cast, either bland or annoying. At least it had 1 good episode in the Edgardo boot. Haves vs Have-nots was an awful twist. Still fuming about Yau Man getting screwed dragged this season way down for me.
30th- Redemption Island
- The few episodes were Russell was in it was rather amusing but it quickly went to crap from there. Editors gave up on these bland/annoying characters and Zapatera has got to be one of the dumbest tribes in Survivor history. I wanted Rob to win after Hereos vs Villains but not the way he did this season. Plus we got introduced to Philip Shepard
29th- Caramoan
Should be renamed Fans? vs Favorites? Its just mean spirited (Brandon, Philip, Shamar) and the unmemorable fans had absolutely no chance which made the season hard to watch. At least the Philip boot was satisfying only to have it caneclled out by Brenda's blindside. Cochran pretty much had a Boston Rob 4.0 edit after episode 1.
28th- All Stars
There's just a lot of suffering and mean-spirited bitterness going on and its taking me away from the game. The first WTF winner even though I personally like Amber in Australia. Had the first 9 boots made the top 9, this season would've ranked way higher
27th- One World
I only ranked it higher because of Kim Spradlin and the women's alliance. It had the dumbest group of men and the one world twist was executed poorly. Oh and we got introduced to Colton. Pretty much predictable outcome kept me from enjoying the season.
26th- Thailand
Many unnecessary drama and there's just not many people I root for here. Brian played a masterful game but it got boring when there were no competition left. Clay Jordan is one of my least favorite Survivor characters ever.
25th- Nicaragua
Pretty much the season that started a string of crap seasons. I prefer the first 10 boots over the top 10 character wise. Young vs Old twist was pretty much a bust...lets forget about ever seeing the medallion of power and Naonka. Nicaragua is just a bland location. One of my least favorite finalists. Another wtf winner for a wtf season.
OVERRATED- People say they're good but when I watched/rewatched them...I still don't get it.
24th- Samoa
Its basically The Russell Hantz show. Never got to know most of the cast because their fighting for whatever few seconds Russell and Shambo isn't taking up. Russells' antics pretty much overshadowed his gameplay which lead to another wtf winner. Samoa is up there for one of my least favorite locations.
23rd- San Juan Del Sur
Many Kelly Wentworth fans assume that just because 3 of the final five are from Cambodia doesn't mean this season was any good--she's pretty much invisible in the 5 episodes she was in. Not a big fan of Missy and Baylor who just annoyed me along with over half the cast which is bland filler. Having Natalie get her revenge in the end pretty much saved this season from being unwatchable.
22nd- Worlds Apart
This season was the most letdown from pre-season to post season. Great personalities does not necessarily translate to compelling Survivor players. The drama got a little to off putting for my taste. Mike was another clear winner that made this season less exciting to watch.
21st- Cook Islands
This season spawned many all stars, but it is also riddled with a lot of unmemorable filler due to mostly recruiting. Yul pretty much had the game on lock when he found the OP idol in episode two which lowered the excitement factor for me. The race tribal lines pretty much was a bust. Its sad that crazy white people make good Survivor characters but as long as I'm entertained I suppose.
20th- Tocantns
The location was not that exciting; JT was the clear winner from the get go and Stephen clinging to him was embarrassing. It pretty much reminded me that Survivor's old 16 person format doesn't seem as compelling tv as it once did in the early years. Terrible boot order.
19th- Africa
Had Brandon voted out Lex, this season would be in the top 10. Very unique location but seeing people suffer from the elements pretty much took out the fun factor for me. One of the better production values IMO.
18th- Guatemala
To those "When will someone from Guatemala get to come bac?k" people, I don't get it. Stephennie and Bobby Jon were less compelling than they were last season and asides Rafe, Jud, Brian and Amy everyone else was forgettable. There were interesting rivalries in Margaret vs Jud & Jamies vs Bobby Jon but I felt like I just schemed through the season the first time it aired. I also found Danni a surprisingly pleasant, but boring winner.
17th- Borneo
It used to be a top 10 season for me, but as more seasons come in, I find the characters really generic--especially the pre merge ones. Survivor is still getting its bearing but compared to the other season, the original season fades into comparison.
UNDERRATED- I think these seasons should get more love than they deserve
16th- Marquesas
There's great characters, even the premerge even though I find the winner Vecepia 14/16 most interesting this season below Zoe & The General. The fall of the rotu 4 pretty much solidified that power can shift in Survivor through strategic gameplay. Also Kathy peeing on John is still one of my favorite scenes on Survivor.
15th- Palau
Had a lot of good compelling characters. Would've loved an even tribe division. The only downside was Tom being an obvious winner from the get go. Also didn't like how Wanda & Jonathan got screwed by the day 2 twist.
14th- Kaoh Rong
Many compelling characters, gameplay and interactions. The evacs didn't take away from the game as much but it shows why Survivor is a tough game to play. Even though I like Michelle, Aubry should've won based on gameplay alone. And having a chicken outlast 15 people is epic. Probably one of the best edited seasons.
13th- Vanuatu
Probably the second most idiotic group of men (minus Chris) next to the dumbest group of women on Survivor. It only had a handful great characters and rivalries but Chris' story arc from causing Lopevi to go to tribal council on day 3 to winning the season has got to be one of the best stories on the show.
12th- Australia
It had some compelling characters and drama (who couldn't forget the many floods and Skupin falling into the fire). There is a reason why half the cast has been brought back for future seasons.
11th- Blood Vs. Water
It had a lot of great characters and gameplay but it had my least favorite final 3. Gervase and Monica were awful and Tyson winning left a bitter taste in my mouth. Favorite moments include: "F*** you Brad Culpepper!", Ciera voting out her mom, drawing rocks, and Rupert going home first.
10th- Gabon
Even though it was mean spirited, we had a good mix of heroes and villains on the cast. I also liked the gameplay picking up right before the merge.
9th- Panama
Has great characters even though they overshadowed the final 2 IMO. Has a fair amount of good gameplay and watching a middle aged man dominate challenges was awesome. The only draw back is the introduction of exile island and the borefest of the swapped la mina tribe.
CLASSICS- They show the best of what Survivor is about. Definitely open to rewatching any of these seasons
8th- Amazon
Its one of the first seasons where there's power play each episode post merge. Rob Cesternino was amazing and should've won since I wasn't a fan of Jenna and her winning was ho hum for me. The battle of the sexes twist felt gimmicky though.
7th- China
Thank goodness China came along to wash the disgusting after taste that was Fiji season. Amazing cast, great game play, we had a decoy winner Amanda only for Todd to win--who is probably had the best final tribal council performance to date. Aaron's boot due to the twist is still one of my most unfair boots to date.
6th- Pearl Islands
Would've been higher if not for the Outcast twist cause we had to deal w/ Lil and Burton all over again. Great theme, concept & production. I enjoyed the cast, even Fairplay.
5th- Cagayan
Great cast who is out there to play which resulted into epic story telling. Not a Tony fan but I appreciate his bold approach to winning the game. Could've done without the beauty tribe though.
4th- Cambodia
People really took advantage of their second chance. Amazing boot order and gameplay from just about everyone--except Keith. Only downside is that we're treated to the same old Abi and too much Joe worship
3rd- Philippines
Asides Chris, Denise's story of being in every tribal council is one of Survivor's most compelling stories. The beginning was a bit bland but it started picking up with great plays from the merge onward. My least favorite thing about this season--two words: Jeff Kent.
2nd- Micronesia
The first season provided interesting characters & compelling drama but the second half provided an epic string of blindsides leading up to Erik's boot. Cirie making it short on the finals is still heart breaking for me.
1st- Hereos Vs Villains
- This is the reason why most All Star season make great seasons. It has a good mix of gamers and characters and Parvati's idol give away is my all time favorite move on Survivor. People played hard (except Colby) and despite the slow pre merge, I will definitely have no problems rewatching this season at any given time.
