Driftwood 3

Alliance Analysis
Jonathan (pictured) had a simple plan: he, Candice, Becky and Yul would be an alliance and he could control Flica. Unfortunately for him, Candice was on Exile Island and Flica really liked Cao Boi and Ozzy who were targeting Becky.

Why didn't anyone think of voting off Sundra? As the only one from the old African American tribe, she's alone in this new tribe.

Voting Analysis
Ozzy, Sundra and Cecilia voted for Becky.
Jonathan, Flica, Becky, Yul and Cao Boi voted for Cecilia.

Cao Boi (pictured) was calling Becky an island princess yet he ended up voting for Cecilia? Why did he change his vote? Did Becky or Yul tell him they would use the Immunity Idol to save Becky and then Cecilia would be gone anyway?

Next Aitu Tribal Council
Candice's return just strengthens the Asian-Caucasian Alliance and their first target will most likely be Ozzy (pictured). However Ozzy is a charismatic guy, maybe he can win over Candice and put together a melting pot alliance with Sundra, Flica and Cao Boi.


Next Update: this weekend I'll catch up on Survivor Live and post my notes.

Ep. 3 Re-cap

Flirting and Frustration

Reward Challenge - Merge!
Drop buffs. Now 2 tribes integrated. Merger is reward. Lots were drawn for captains and then new tribes were chosen.

New Tribes

Aitu: Jonathan, Flica, Cao Boi, Ozzy, Candice, Yul, Becky, Sundra, Cecilia

Raro: Parvati, Nate, Brad, Adam, Cristina, Jenny, JP, Rebecca, Stephannie

Immunity Challenge
Endurance loop. Tribes are tied together and carry packs (weighing 15 pounds) as they try to catch the other tribe on a oval track in knee deep water.

Winner gets Immunity and selects someone from the losing tribe for Exile (who will also miss Tribal Council).

Raru won Immunity.

Exiled: Candice.

Scheming
It looks like it will be Becky or Cecilia. Cao Boi, Ozzy, Flica and Cecilia want to vote off Becky. Cao Boi says she's a princess out here. Jonathan had an alliance set up with Yul, Becky and Candice. Jonathan thought that he could control Flica but she is reluctant to go along with him and Candice is on Exile Island.

Tribal Council
Pretty uneventful, the usual 'how do you feel about the merge' stuff.

Voted Off
Cecilia, 5 votes to 3.
Final words (paraprased): It just shows how quickly the game can change . . . no regrets, I got a chance to do things I never thought I'd do and probably never will again . . . this may weaken the tribe.

Jeff: You don't appear to be unified which can be risky since this game is unpredictable.

Water Cooler Talk
Here's what they'll be talking about at work in the morning.

New tribes due to merge!

Who was the swing vote - Flica? Did Jonathan get her to change her mind?

Did you see that octopus that Nate speared?

Parvati is a bad flirt, she's to obvious about it. What's happened to the subtle art of flirting?

Preview Episode 3

Flirting and Frustration
After sizing up her tribe, a giddy and flirtatious Parvati (pictured) starts using the only strategy she knows: to manipulate men and draw them into her web.

Jonathan quickly grows frustrated with Jessica [Flica] as he tries to talk strategy with her.

Nate shocks everyone, including himself, when he scores big spear fishing and brings back enough food for the entire tribe.

An unexpected twist shocks the Survivors. Will newly formed alliances stay strong or will they crumble?

Drop Your Buffs
In case you have missed the CBS TV ads: Merge! It looks like they will merge from four tribes into two tribes. I think the Survivors will be randomly rearranged into two tribes.

Stephenie LaGrossa Update

Stephenie was on a local Philadelphia radio station yesterday (she will be the Philadelphia Flyers in-arena entertainment host during home games). She only talked about the current season a little bit, she thinks a woman will win although she's not sure why. Stephenie also likes Cao Boi but thinks he is annoying the others in his tribe.

Survivor Wedding Bells

Heidi Strobel, who finished fifth in Survivor Amazon, is engaged to Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. The news was in the Sept. 24, 2006 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer, no wedding date was mentioned.

The lovely couple at Wikipedia: Heidi and Cole.

Video: Survivor Cook Islands Parody on MadTV

Survivor Live with Sekou

Finally Survivor Live is on CBS' Innertube (there is a link on this Survivor page). Here are my notes on Sekou's visit to talk with Dalton Ross and Jenna Morasca. (Note: click on pictures of Sekou for larger photo - they open a new browser window.)

Sekou
He said that he was disheartened that he was voted off but he never gave up and thought that he could compete despite his great age (all of 45). He spoke well of the format for this edition of Survivor and praised the diversity within each tribe as well as between the tribes. He said the game of Survivor is a level playing field.

Game-wise, Sekou said that he should have played up the country-city difference to try and win Stephannie's vote (she's from South Carolina, the other two women are from New York, NY). They showed a clip where Sekou took a break while the others tried to make fire, he said what wasn't shown was him cutting bamboo for hours before that - that's why he was tired and needed a break.

What's he doing now?
Sekou has a jazz CD dropping soon, more info at his web site SekouBunch.com . I think he said the title of the CD is The Next Level.

Dalton
He actually was on the scene for awhile when Survivor Cook Islands was shooting. Here are a few of his observations:
- The Asian-Americans had a well organized camp. [I'm guessing that had a lot to with Cao Boi.]
- The Asian-Americans were intense, they definitely were not mellow.
- Becky's nickname was Bossy Becky.
- The Caucasian Americans had the least organized camp. [My guess is because they are young - average age less than 30.]
- Most of the challenges this season blend physical and mental skills.
- No one has ever made fire on Survivor without using flint.

What did Dalton think when he found out about the tribes being separated by race? He was concerned that the producers would sanitize what happened, but he's glad that they have shown warts and all.

Jenna
She was dressed real nice in a black dress. Here are her astute observations:
- She didn't think the racial thing would affect the competitors because they would be too busy playing the game.
- Never throw a challenge.
- She has a crush on Ozzy.
[You would think that someone who played Survivor twice and won once would have more insights, but that's all I got. Did I mention that she looked more lady-like this session?]

Jeff Probst (recorded)
Sekou is a cool dude and a good leader. He's a likable guy who wants everyone to get along. He stood up early which either helps or hurts in Survivor.


One final note, they mentioned that this season's finale will be in Los Angeles.

Driftwood 2

Alliances
I think any alliance within the racial tribes will have a real tough time being successful post-merge. The best alliances are the ones that are not obvious.

Adam-Candice
How are the love birds doing? We didn't get to see much of them.

Stephannie-Rebecca-Sundra
Is Nathan making any in-roads into breaking up this alliance?

Yul-Becky
The two Korean Americans seem to be forming an alliance and Yul has the Immunity Idol. She says that she thinks of him like an older brother, how does he feel towards her?

Winner Quotes
I did go back and watch the first episode but no Winner's Quotes really jumped out at me, mostly everyone talked about the race thing.

Ep. 2 Re-cap

"Dire Straights and Dead Weight"

Reward and Immunity Challenge
Capt. Cook story, puzzle, tied together for obstacle course.
Reward: tarps. Loser goes to Tribal Council and selects someone for Exile.
Jenny, JP, Adam sit out.

Puka (Asian Americans) and Raro (Caucasian Americans) win! (a tie)
Aitu (Hispanic Americans) lose.

Exiled: Yul.
A really good clue helps him find the Immunity Idol.

Scheming
Ozzy (pictured) admits throwing the Immunity Challenge to get rid of Billy, who knew he was in danger as soon as they lost Immunity. Billy works Cristina, who seems sympathetic (or is she just giving him false hope). She says that she will talk with Cecilia.

Tribal Council
A bit of a to-do as they argue over Billy. Cristina (pictued) defends Billy a little, the men (especially JP) attack him - voices are raised. Billy says he's only playing for Candice, their eyes met at a challenge and it was love at first sight (at least for him).

Voted Off
Billy, "I think I would have fit in better with a heavy metal tribe."

Jeff: It looks like this tribal council was all about work ethic and trust. You dealt with the work ethic issue now what about trust?

Water Cooler Talk
Here's what they'll be talking about at work in the morning.

That Tribal Council - people talking over each other and raised voices as Billy tries to save himself. Oh yeah, and Billy proclaiming his love for Candice, who's not even in his tribe!

Yul finding the hidden Immunity Idol on Exile Island, it should really help him make the final four.

Cao Boi dispensing another headache cure and he never shuts his mouth. How much is he annoying the others?

Preview Episode 2

Dire Straights and Dead Weight
One tribe member becomes dehydrated due to a lack of fire to purify drinking water [I though that all the tribes had fire?]. In the Aitutaki camp [Hispanic Americans], the members consider throwing the immunity challenge so they can vote Billy [the heavy metal musician] out. Castaways from the Puka Puka tribe [Asian Americans] become increasingly annoyed with Cao Boi's controversial comments. At tribal council, the second person is voted off of the islands.

I saw an ad: "A revealed romance leaves Jeff [Probst, the host] speechless."

So I guess we're to believe that Rarotonga (Caucasian Americans) goes to Tribal Council, since last week a budding romance between Adam and Candice was talked about. On the other hand, dead weight could refer to Billy.

Or it all could just be CBS misleading us . . .

Survivor Hut Blog Update

No Survivor Live Online?
I have tried several times to watch last Friday's Survivor Live online and it just isn't on CBS's Innertube. Most Friday afternoon's I can't watch the live stream so I may not be able to review Survivor Live if it isn't available online.

No Fantasy Survivor Game?
As I write this it is only two days until the second episode of Survivor is to be broadcast and the Survivor Fantasy game is not available. Will CBS even have it again this season?

Survivor TV Ratings Down

Racially Divided Survivor Slips from Past Debuts
(Reuters Fri. Sep 15, 2006)

(Los Angeles) The controversial new format of the CBS reality show Survivor -- dividing teams of contestants by race -- proved the series' least-watched debut episode since its first season, Nielsen Media Research reported on Friday.

Thursday's launch of Survivor: Cook Islands, featuring four racially based "tribes" of whites, blacks, Asian-Americans and Latinos, averaged 18 million viewers, easily ranking as the night's biggest broadcast in U.S. prime time.

But it also was the least-watched Survivor season opener -- and the lowest-rated in terms of advertisers' favorite audience, viewers aged 18 to 49 -- since the very first installment in the summer of 2000 (15.5 million).
full story

Driftwood

The Grand Social Experiment?
Well, it's the day after Survivor and the world is still here and civilizations have not fallen. Tribes based on race did not end life as we know it. The contestants handled themselves well. They talked of wanting to play well and to refute racial stereotypes. All in all it was a good hour for America and the human race.


Alliances
It's a little early to see real alliances forming but here are a few that I think are starting to form.

Adam-Candice
Alliance or showmance? Is one just using the other or is this a real alliance in the early stages?

Stephannie-Rebecca-Sundra
The three African American women outnumber Nathan and could remain strong if they're in the same group when the number of tribes are reduced to two.


Who's in Early Trouble?
Survivor Rule #1: Don't stand out early on, at the very least you are a target and you may even really anger some people. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, boss people around.

Cao Boi is standing out and getting on the nerves of his tribe-mates with his Asian jokes. In private he kind of puts them down implying that they aren't really Asian because they were raised in the US unlike himself who was raised in Viet Nam. If he doesn't say it outright to the others then I bet they can sense it.

Billy is trying to assume the leadership role but unfortunately his guidance is worthless. To make matters worse, it looks like he is lazy. If the Hispanic Americans go to Tribal Council next then he will probably be voted off.

Nathan is now outnumbered 3 to 1. He and Sekou stood out by making a decision without involving the women.


Odds and Ends
- Jessica, who wants to be known as Flicka, looks like this season's Courtney.
- What's with all of the stuff so early on? The Survivors seem to have a lot of things, including live chickens, real early in the game. Was this to focus more on the 'social experiment'?
- Exile Island looks more like a sandbar.
- Ozzy seems to be playing well early on.


Winner Quotes
I forgot to listen for Winner Quotes, so this weekend I'll go back and watch the episode again online.

Survivor Live
The official internet talk show is back again this season (Fridays 2pm ET). I'll watch it this weekend and report on it.

Ep. 1 Re-cap

"I Can Forgive Her But I Don't Have to Because She Screwed with My Chickens"
The show started with the four tribes given a short time to grab supplies from a sail boat before paddling their rafts to their respective beaches.

Reward and Immunity
Puzzles and some boat action.
First 3 tribes get fire, first place also gets a fire kit.
Hispanic and Asian tribes led.
First: Puka, the Asian Americans win.
Last: Hiki, African Americans. No fire, go to Tribal Council but get to choose someone for Exile Island.

Exiled: Jonathan.
The African Americans said they selected him because he was the one to take the Asian Americans chicken back on the sail boat. Jonathan maintains that it was an accident. Note: the men seemed to make the decision on their own without input from the women.

Scheming
In the African American tribe voting is forming along gender lines (3 women vs. 2 men). Stephannie (pictured) is worried that the other two women are real close. The men approach her to vote off Sundra. The women talk of voting off Sekou (the jazz musician).

Tribal Council
Nothing really went down at TC, but after voting Jeff gave them fire (so every tribe now has fire).

Voted Off
Sekou, the NY/LA jazz recording artist.
Final words: "My torch may be out but my flame is still burning."

Water Cooler Talk
Here's what they'll be talking about at work in the morning.

Cao Boi (pronounced Cowboy) and his Mr. Miyagi-like cure for Brad's headache. It involved massaging his face and left a red mark on his forehead. You just have to get the bad wind out, you know.

Flicka losing a chicken or two; she didn't know they were under a crate.

The African American tribe talking about how they will show people that African Americans aren't just good at running track, that they can also do other things like paddle boats - then losing the Reward/Immunity Challenge that involved paddling a boat.

Preview Episode 1

title:
"I Can Forgive Her But I Don't Have to Because She Screwed with My Chickens"
Based on ethnicity, 20 contestants divide into four tribes and compete for the prize.

About the Tribes
Dividing the tribes by race doesn't bother me, I think it's just a publicity stunt that has worked beautifully. They probably won't be divided by race for very long.

Putting the pictures together for this blog I had a tough time picking out which tribe a Survivor belonged to just going by their thumbnail picture. I won't be cheering for anyone simply because we are of the same race. An asshole is an asshole regardless of his/her skin color and a good, decent person is admirable whatever color his/her skin is.

There's just one race - the human race.

Exile Island
An Exile Island will be used again. I like this addition to the game, although I hope there's something new to be found there besides an Immunity Idol and food.

Winner Quotes
A lot of Survivor fans think that the show's producers edit the first episode so that the ultimate Survivor is shown stating that he/she will win. Often this is as simple as one person saying "I'm going to win the million dollars," sometimes it is more subtle like "I can't let anyone stop me from winning."

I will be looking out for Winner Quotes and if you notice any then please leave them in the comments below or email them to me; I will include them in a future blog entry.

Enjoy Survivor!

Next Update: tonight after Survivor airs, about 10:00pm ET (-4 hrs GMT).

About this Blog

Here is my rough weekly update schedule during Survivor Cook Islands (assuming a Thursday night broadcast).

Wednesday Afternoon
Wednesday afternoon (or Thursday morning) I'll post my preview of the episode.

Thursday Morning
Any last minute news and rumors plus my picks for Survivor Fantasy League (assuming the game will be played again this season).

Thursday After Survivor Airs
I'll post a brief summery. The re-cap will not be long and it will not be updated as Survivor airs (like last season). I figure that with CBS streaming the show online now if anyone has missed an episode then they can watch it online to catch up at CBS' Innertube.

Friday Afternoon
My notes, comments, observations and/or questions about the latest episode. I'll talk about which players I like and dislike as well as intermingling alliances.

Before Monday Morning
Over the weekend I'll watch Survivor Live (the official CBS internet talk show, assuming they're doing it again this season) and post my notes. Also I'll try and catch the CBS Morning Show online with the latest Survivor voted off and post my notes.

Irregular Updates
Other newsworthy items will be posted as I get them.

Rumor and Spoiler Policy
Please, if you really don't want to know about rumors or 'spoilers' then do not read my blog.

Last season I got an angry email from a reader complaining that I ruined the show for him/her because I mentioned that betting on one Survivor was halted by an internet gambling web site. This 'spoiler' I was told was right 'every time' so I ruined it for him/her. Well, it turned out to be wrong that time; but just the same I occasionally deal with rumors and potential spoilers.

I have no inside information about Survivor, I am just an ordinary fan probably a lot like you. Also I do not wish to know the outcome of the game beforehand - that would ruin the show for me. However hearing about what other fans think is happening or will happen is part of the fun for me. I will from time to time mention rumors that I have come across but experience has shown me that very often they turn out to be wrong - and that's fun too.

Rarotonga (Caucasian Americans)

Here's my preview of the last tribe.

Adam Gentry, age 28,
Raised Fredericksburg, VA; resides San Diego, CA
Copier Sales

Nothing really stands out about this guy. He likes basketball and swimming - wow. He wants to get into medical sales - zzzzzz.


Jonathan Penner, age 44,
Los Angeles, CA
Actor, writer, producer (what, he doesn't want to direct?)

Oscar nominee (1994 Best Short Film, Live Action) who enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, soccer and baseball.

He's going to have to really work the social aspects of the game because he may have trouble physically.


Parvati Shallow, age 23,
From Atlanta, GA; resides Los Angeles, CA
Boxer, waitress (and aspiring actress?)

I'm not buying this "she's a boxer" crap, I bet she wants to break into acting. However she was raised in a commune so she's probably good at relating to people. Also Parvati looks to be a solid athlete and swimmer.

All this but no surprises for this year's girl - she won't go far.


Jessica Smith, age 27,
Chico, CA
Performance Artist, Rollergirl (roller derby)

Her performance art involves fire and her roller derby name is Flicka Flame so that should help her on Survivor where fire represents life. Not really but that's all I got for her; rollergirls were a lot tougher in the 1970s. You'll recognize her by the large tattoo on her right shoulder.

Don't fall for this rollergirl, she may not be around that long.


Candice Woodcock, age 23,
Born/raised Fayetteville, NC; resides Washington, DC
Pre-med student

Nerd alert! She earned a perfect score on the math section of the SAT. Survivor Africa inspired her to spend over ten weeks in Kenya doing volunteer work. Plays soccer and is into water sports.

She should at least make the merge.

Next Updates:
Wed. afternoon - the format for this blog.
Thur. morning - preview of the premier episode.

P&G Pulls Out Too

( UPI News Service) Procter & Gamble, the Ohio consumer products giant, has decided to stay away from the upcoming "Survivor" series [Survivor Cook Islands] in which the show's tribes were initially divided by race.
full story

I guess that means no more Febreze Family Moment after Tribal Council.

Is the race thing scaring away advertisers or the dip in ratings last season?

Aitutaki (Hispanic Americans)

My first impression of this group is that no one will go really far in the game, but I have been wrong before . . .

John "JP" Calderon, age 30,
Marina Del Rey, CA
Pro Volleyball Player

JP is very athletic, in addition to volleyball he is also an accomplished swimmer and has been outrigger canoeing since he was very young. I don't see any inter-cultural experience in his bio, so relating to people may be trouble for him. This sentence in his bio also has me concerned: Calderon also does occasional print and fitness modeling. Is he just another pretty boy looking for a career change and trying to be an actor? I sure hope not.

His athletic ability will keep him around until close to the merger, then he will be a target and either not be aware of it or be able to do anything about it.


Cristina Coria, age 35,
Los Angeles, CA
Police Officer

If she can handle being a cop for 14 years then Survivor shouldn't be much of a problem. She was involved in not one but two life threatening situations. In one a drunk driver pinned her with his car, and in the other she was shot in her left arm and almost lost it. Also being a cop she deals with people from all walks of life on a daily basis.

She should go far. Her problem might be being too cocky or bossy.


Vergilio "Billy" Garcia, age 36,
New York, NY
Heavy Metal Guitarist

Billy has other talents besides playing guitar for Forsakken, he also is an aspiring pro wrestler (under the name Spanish Fly) and has studied martial arts (karate, judo). He is also a former U.S. Marine.

I got a bad feeling about Billy. I'm afraid that he will be a hard-ass and not be able to pull his own weight.


Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth, age 25,
Born Mexico, resides Venice, CA
Waiter (and aspiring actor?)

Going by Ozzy's bio he looks like a perfect fit for Survivor. He is skilled at building traps, forts, shelter and surviving in the wilderness on his own; he camped from Panama to San Diego over a five month period. He owns land in Panama where he likes to spearfish. He can dive 30 feet and hold his breath under water for 3 minutes. Plus his cultural experience should aid him in reading people.

Wait a minute, he owns land in Panama and travels a lot around North America but his profession is waiter? I smell another pretty boy just looking to break into the glamorous world of Hollywood acting. He won't go far.


Cecilia Mansilla, age 29,
Born / raised Arequipa, Peru; resides Oakland, CA
Technology Risk Consultant

Cecilia doesn't appear to have a lot of outdoor or athletic experience, however her cultural and language background probably give her an edge in reading people.