Meet the Cast of Survivor Samoa, Part 1

My apologies for getting this started so late. Darn that Big Brother and real life getting in my way of entertainment! This is part one of two of my look at the cast of Survivor: Samoa which premieres this Thursday night. I'll be doing blog party posts for the show as it airs here on the east coast. So, please mark your calendars and stop by for the fun!

In the meantime as we wait for the season premiere, here's a cheat sheet as we know we'll forget names in the beginning and my quick take on the castaways. It seems we have a lot of law students and lawyers, blondes (I know I'm going to be confused with them), a bartender and a mixologist (same thing), and two Russells. The Russells are easy to tell apart -- one is bald, the other has long hair. All in all, it looks like a fairly diverse cast, unlike some other shows.

Survivors ready?


Ashley: Young, outgoing, flirty, kickboxing. Hmm. Unless she has some tricks up her sleeve I'm not seeing in the CBS bio, I think her chances of winning are slim to none. She'll miss her mommy.


Ben: Whoops, in my photo caption I forgot to mention he's really from Kirksville, Missouri. Most people from Los Angeles aren't. I like his eyes. But he calls himself a mixologist. I didn't like it when Memphis did that, I don't like it now. Dude, you're a bartender. He sounds like a good ol' boy kind of guy. He may do well, but he may irk me. I'll wait and see.


Betsy: Will she be our Mad Dog for the season? As long as she keeps her teeth in, I'd love to have another Mad Dog on the show. A former hippie clean and sober for 21 years and only a cop for a year now. Uh-oh. She won't be a Mad Dog. She has the pity card -- a husband with cancer in remission and no health insurance. But I don't think she can count on the million.


Brett: This kid might have some potential. Something screams friendly about him. Although he's young and healthy (often targeted), if everyone likes him, he'll stay in there for a while. He says he's a flirt. Well, if it wouldn't be cougarish of me to say, he could flirt with me. Perhaps if I were 30 years younger, I'd flirt right on back.


Dave: In his bio, he comes across as an odd duck -- a bit like Ben last season, hopefully not as egocentric. "Fiery personality," opera degree, "rock and roll rebel." Um. Okay. Don't see him getting the million on first observation!


Elizabeth: She has a genuine-looking smile. I like that. She'd be my local choice for a win -- Franklin Lakes, NJ/NYC. Smart, opinionated, and blunt. Eek ... the last two aren't always the best traits for winners on the show. I still think she might do okay ... for a time. The winner? I don't know. If she can handle the people skills ...


Erik: Eep. I spelled his name wrong on my caption. He has a K. Forgive me. A self-proclaimed bartender and womanizer. It's the Anti-Memphis! His special woman in his life is his dog. I don't want to know. He has two degrees but prefers to be a bartender. I'd say it's because he can pick up chicks! If he's a smooth talker, he might do well with the ladies. But how will he do with the men? I see target written on his back.


Jaison: Now, he looks like your basic solid upstanding kind of guy -- undergraduate degree from Stanford, working on his law degree in Chicago, clean-cut. Why, I even think he might have manners. How did he get on the show? He was named Mr. California by Cosmopolitan Magazine ... that's how. He seems smart, has a game plan, and is in good physical shape. Will he be sneaky enough? I don't know.


John: Rocket scientist, eh? The bio page calls him a "charming, cocky genius." He is very nice-looking. He'll be good eye candy for me. But folks who were born with a silver spoon and described as "cocky" tend to come off privileged and sometimes not so nice to me. I think all I'll like about him is his looks. And, if he's that smug about himself, the others will pick up on it and vote him off because he'll annoy them.


Kelly: Free spirit with an edgy twist, spontaneous with a desire to live her life to the fullest. I could be wrong here, but I get the feeling of "flaky" from her bio. If she lasts long at all it will be because she's a flake and no one considers her a threat in the game. Let's see if she gets them chanting mantras or something.

Stay tuned for the remaining ten castaways in part two!