215 replies to this topic

[Patrick Sun]

Here's the line-up of the "faves": Andrea Boehlke Previous Season: Survivor: Redemption Island – 13th castaway voted out / 8th Jury Member Age: 23 Brandon Hantz Previous Season: Survivor: South Pacific – 15th castaway voted out / 7th Jury Member Age: 21 Brenda Lowe Previous Season: Survivor: Nicaragua – 11th castaway voted out / 3rd Jury Member Age: 30 Corinne Kaplan Previous Season: Survivor: Gabon – 12th castaway voted out / 4th Jury Member Age: 33 Dawn Meehan Previous Season: Survivor: South Pacific – 11th castaway voted off / 3rd Jury Member Age: 42 Erik Reichenbach Previous Season: Survivor: Micronesia – 13th castaway voted out / 6th Jury Member Age: 27 Francesca Hogi Previous Season: Survivor: Redemption Island – 1st castaway voted out Age: 38 John Cochran Previous Season: Survivor: South Pacific – 13th castaway voted out / 5th Jury Member Age: 25 Malcolm Freberg Previous Season: Survivor: Philippines – 15th castaway voted off / 8th Jury member Age: 25 Phillip Sheppard Previous Season: Survivor: Redemption Island – Made it to the final 3 Age: 54 Here are the fans: Alexandra “Allie” Pohevitz Age: 25 Current Residence: Oceanside, N.Y. Occupation: Bartender Edward “Eddie” Fox Age: 23 Current Residence: East Brunswick, N.J. Occupation: Fireman/EMT Hope Driskill Age: 23 Current Residence: Jefferson City, Mo. Occupation: Pre Law Student (Miss Missouri 2011) Julia Landauer Age: 21 Current Residence: Stanford, Calif. Occupation: Racecar Driver Laura Alexander Age: 23 Current Residence: Washington, D.C. Occupation: Administrative Officer Matt Bischoff Age: 38 Current Residence: Cincinnati, Ohio Occupation: BMX Bike Sales Michael Snow Age: 44 Current Residence: New York, N.Y. Occupation: Event Planner Reynold Toepfer Age: 30 Current Residence: San Francisco, Calif. Occupation: Real Estate Sales Shamar Thomas Age: 27 Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y. Occupation: Iraq War Veteran Sherri Biethman Age: 41 Current Residence: Boise, Idaho Occupation: Fast Food Franchisee

[Hanson]

I think Francesca (aka Francesqua) is the first "first boot" to come back.


Lots of hissable villains this time around.

[DaveHof]

They really stretched the meaning of "favorites" with the group. I love returning players, but this is not a particularly interesting assortment. Brandon? Erik? Philip? These are not the game's top strategists. If casinos took action on Survivor, I'd be betting heavily on the fans this season.

[Stan]

Wow, obviously in one ear and out the other kind of thing for me. Other than Brandon Hantz, don't recognize anybody else. Probably when I see pictures, it will click. Looking forward to things, it's almost always a fun show. Starts February 13th.

[MatthewLouwrens]

The Francesca thing is weird - she was a first boot, and the only memorable thing about her was Philip's inability to say her name. I like that they brought back Erik - as I remember he did pretty well in the first FvF and was an appealing presence, before being eliminated in one of the most idiotic pieces of gameplay in the show's history. I'm also glad they brought back Cochran. He's a smart guy, and could do well now he's experienced and can avoid the "oh my gosh I'm actually playing Survivor" response.

[Stan]

Did see a picture of Cochran. Why was he invited back? If I remember correctly, wasn't he just a major whiny, nerdy wimp? Was he really that popular to be asked back? I'm guessing he gets voted off fairly quickly. But I suppose with all the weird strategies that develop, sometimes it helps to carry a weak player that you can dispose of later.

[David Weicker]

Not happy to see Brandon Hantz again. Really tired of the whole Hantz worship. I'm worried that it will somehow mean more screen time for Russell, which takes away from the actual players.

[DaveHof]

Russell deserves every bit of Hantz worship he receives - top 5 player of all time, easily. Brandon, not so much.

[Paul D G]

...except Russell overstayed his welcome by returning over and over again in seasons too close to each other. If they'd have waited a couple of years before bringing him back a 3rd time I'd've been fine with it. Not happy to see Brandon back.


Glad to see Cochran. He got a lot of hate (esp on this board) but I didn't have a problem with him. Glad to see Erik back as well. Malcolm is welcome, as is Dawn. The rest I'm indifferent on.


Edit - Article with pics : http://www.huffingto..._n_2459852.html

[Patrick Sun]

Haha, kinda funny how things worked out for the first-to-be-booted-out this season.

[Greg Kettell]

Dammit. Phillip in his underwear again. I had purged that image from my brain.

[DaveHof]

Pretty good start to the season, with the Fans making some of the typical rookie mistakes and the Favorites out-thinking themselves as much as anyone else. Since Brenda seems to have avoided an early target on her back, I would not be surprised to see her win it all.

[Hanson]

Sometime around Francesca's third confessional, I turned to my wife and said, "either they're trying to make up for the fact that she's had very little screen time compared to the other Favorites or she's getting the boot". Which is right when Francesca uttered something about "not going home first this time".


That's when I knew she was toast.


I will take a hundred Phillip Sheppards over a single Brandon Hantz.

[Ronald Epstein]

Had forgotten this was coming back.  Ended up watching it online this afternoon

before programming it on my Tivo.


Also had no prior idea of this season's theme.  Forgive me for not venturing into

the TV area sooner.  I was totally unprepared for the return of CBS shows.


Wow.  I don't know about this season.  Cochran, Philip and Brandon.  Three
players I am not particularly happy to be seeing again.  Cochran is already in

full Woody Allen mode, and as already mentioned, Philip is wearing his signature

underwear.


I have said this before....


I think it's a rather bad idea bringing some of these people back.  Philip and

Brandon will purposely play to the camera based upon their past backgrounds.

This is a show about surviving...not being a celebrity who needs the camera

focused on them.


Let's see how it all goes.  Not unhappy with Francesca being voted out.

Looking forward to spending this season with all of you.

[Stan]

Sometime around Francesca's third confessional, I turned to my wife and said, "either they're trying to make up for the fact that she's had very little screen time compared to the other Favorites or she's getting the boot". Which is right when Francesca uttered something about "not going home first this time". That's when I knew she was toast. I will take a hundred Phillip Sheppards over a single Brandon Hantz.

My first thought also when she mentioned "not going home first". Call it karma, jinxing yourself, or whatever kind of bad luck, but once she said that, I knew she was a goner. Hope that Phillip and Brandon get voted out soon. Don't know how the network decides on "favorites", but can't see how they made the list. Malcolm, Dawn and some of the others are understandable, but those two would be far down the list.

[David Weicker]

Don't know how the network decides on "favorites", but can't see how they made the list. Malcolm, Dawn and some of the others are understandable, but those two would be far down the list.

I assume they go by how much discussion a particular person creates. By that standard, they are 'favorites'. just look at this thread - how many posts are about them vs Erik, or Brenda, or Corinne, and the rest. I'm not happy with it, but I understand the rationale. David

[Dheiner]

IMHO, Russell Hantz is a great player only in his own mind, and the minds of those who truly don't understand the game.

He has NEVER come close to winning.   Being dragged to the final vote by the winner only because EVERYONE HATES YOU was never a good strategy.  


Please don't try to claim that's how Richard Hatch (The first GREAT player) won.


Russell may be great in your mind, Dave, but in my opinion he is no better than Kelli Wigglesworth.

[DaveHof]

IMHO, Russell Hantz is a great player only in his own mind, and the minds of those who truly don't understand the game.  

Winning and deserving to win are two very different things in 'Survivor.' Russell clearly deserved to win in his first season, He was the most dominant player on the island, and he was personally involved in almost every major move in that game. He was also the first to start looking for (and finding) immunity idols rather than wait for the clues. He lost in the final vote because of a bitter beer face jury that couldn't acknowledge how badly they were played, and show respect to the player that beat them. Instead, they turned a vapid coattail rider into a millionaire. The second time Russell played, he again made it to the jury vote, no small achievement in a season featuring all veterans and some of the best players the game has ever had. I'd have been fine with Russell or Parvati winning, but once again the jury opted for the least offensive player rather than the most effective. And in his third go-round, his own tribe threw a challenge to get rid of him, which is about as dumb as it gets on Survivor, and they promptly paid the price for doing so.

[Patrick Sun]

Russell has a great game for Survivor... if you want to finish in 2nd place.

[Ronald Epstein]

Was hoping Shamar would be voted out, but I suppose his time will come.


I have a feeling Brandon won't last too long in this game on the Favorites side.


Don't have any other observations to make this week.