Who's ready for the season premiere? I know I am! Even though I groan about them calling the Gen-X castaways the "old ones," I've been thinking. At my age, if I were to go on the show, I'd just want to camp. I wouldn't mind roughing it so much. I'd cook. I'd clean. But those challenges would kill me. I might be too old for Survivor, but I'm too young to die!
As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll be live-blogging with the major events. As with any season premiere, I'm sure to be a bit lost about who is whom as the show unfolds. My apologies in advance with that! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please feel free to join in on the fun!
Here are the blog pool matches the Lovely Lifeguard Laurie randomly chose:
Millennials - Vanua Tribe
Adam Klein - Brian, Kelsey NY, Sharon N
Jessica Figgy Figueroa - Donna in Alabama, Laurie
Justin Jay Starrett - Becky, Jackie, Shayne
Mari Takahashi - cwcamper, Marthalight
Michaela Bradshaw - Donna in NY, Krysta G, Pinky
Michelle Shubert - Ed in Ohio, Nickelpeed
Taylor Lee Stocker - Donna in FL, Janice from GA, Stephanie in Baltimore
Zake Smith - Beachmom, monty924
Will Wahl - Cheryl, Indiana Jane
Hannah Shapiro - David, meb, Terry is a Texan
Gen-X - Takali Tribe
Bret LaBelle - Brandi Peralta, Judi Sweeney, Skyriverblue
Ciandre CeCe Taylor - Anonymouse, Merrilee
Chris Hammons - Cheryl in NC, Jennasmom
David Wright - Buzzmaam, MikesGirl, Sharon C
Jessica Lewis - Cupcake, Jean, Petals
Ken McNickle - Dolores in Hollywood, Margo, Russ
Lucy Huang - Delee, ML
Paul Wachter - ChickMc, PDX Granny
Rachel Ako - Glenn, Lanell from TN
Sunday Burquest - Brenda, Kristen from Ohio, SueGee
Survivor fans ready?
A pretty introduction to Fiji and these castaways don't know what they're getting into! They're arriving on two separate boats and don't know a generation war is coming. One great thing about this show so many seasons in is that, while the images change, the theme music remains the same.
Jeff meets them all. They randomly choose buffs that aren't so random. Jeff announces the Gen-X vs Millennials theme. Will, the youngest, tells them he's still in high school, left it to play the game. The Gen-X people are already saying Millennials have everything handed to them.
Both tribes scramble to get provisions on their maps. Whoa! Looks like Jessica from Vorheesville found an idol clue! Millennials took the chicken, left the fishing gear. Jeff warns them that it's cyclone season, the danger is real and they need to get their camps built.
Over on Gen-X, it looks like Ken wants to be the leader. All of them are going on about having a better work ethic than the kids. The clue Jessica found is a "legacy advantage" -- if she's still around on Day 36, she'll receive an advantage in the game. Cool.
Kids: Taylor, Jay and Figgy are already working on an alliance. Hannah is already feeling she doesn't fit in. Michelle and Jay have already made a bond. An alliance? Not sure yet!
Older Kids: Rachel is turning some people off with her odd controlling and a bit condescending ways. Bret notices that David is scared of everything. David is paranoid that Ken and Paul might have found an immunity idol. David is trying to bond with Chris and Bret, but it seems to be backfiring a bit.
The Kids: Their shelter sucks, but they want to go swimming. A storm is moving in. Now it's time for them to panic! When they all took shelter in their shelter, it cracked under their weight. When is a shelter no shelter? When the Millennials build it! Heh.
The Older Kids: Their shelter wasn't AS bad as the kids, their shelter wasn't completed before the storm. Jeff sent them a tarp as it would never stop raining. The Kids also got a tarp from Jeff. He wrote that he wants them back eventually.
Uh-oh. As they're building with the tarp, Jeff shows up. He tells them the storm is now a cyclone. Due to the ominous weather, for the first time in 33 seasons, they have to evacuate the castaways. The Kids have to grab their personal items and their chicken and go.
Jeff heads over to share the news with the Older Kids.
They were evacuated for three days and came back to horrific camp damages.
Older Kids: Cool. Ken found a big walking stick bug and David (the scaredy cat) even held it. David thinks he needs an idol to keep him safe and goes off on the hunt while the others build a shelter. They're not happy about that.
Kids: Zeke directs the building of the new shelter much to his own surprise. He also helps to make fire. I'm impressed with these unlikely events! He's from Brooklyn -- as he says, outside is the subway. Hannah sees the alliance forming with Figgy, Jay and Taylor. She decides to work on an outcast alliance. And, she's getting takers!
Time for the first Immunity Challenge. They have to return their tarps to Jeff. They have to make choices that will help them at either the front or back end of the challenge. They have shortcuts throughout an obstacle course, but every time they use one it adds ten pieces to the puzzle they must complete at the end.
They first have to untie clubs from an overhead "rack" of limbs. It's a scramble. Millennials not taking shortcuts. Gen-X is taking the shortcuts. Hopefully their puzzle players are good. Millennials took one shortcut, so have ten less pieces.
MILLENNIALS WIN IMMUNITY and Reward (flint).
Older Kids: Bret seems down on Rachel and Sunday for screwing up the challenge puzzle. It looks like people want to vote out Rachel. David thinks it's him going home. He tries to worm his way in. He tries to work Jessica. He tells Bret and Chris he doesn't have an idol either. They don't really trust him. Bret is sure he has an idol.
Time for Tribal Council and Jeff's probsting questions. Eep. Jessica has a bacterial infection in both eyes due to blowing sanding.
The tally:
David, Rachel, Sunday, Cece, Rachel, CeCe, Rachel, CeCe, Rachel, Rachel
Rachel is voted out.
