Survivor: Game Changers - Season Premiere Blog Party

Everybody ready? We're in for a two-hour premiere. Woohoo! Got your snacks? Got your tasty adult beverages? It should be a good season with some really heavy duty competitors. As the show airs here on the east coast, I'll be live-blogging with all the major happenings. Refresh the page to see the latest news! But, as always, the real party is in the comments area. I hope to see you there!

In case you missed the pool match-up post, here are the picks --

From that World Class Lifeguard Laurie:
Here's the pool. First week is free. Whoever loses goes on one of the teams with only one member.

NUKU
Andrea Boehlke - Indiana Jane, ML
Brad Culpepper - Brian, Sharon N
Cirie Fields - Leonia Hart, Terry is a Texan
Debbie Wanner - Glenn, tbc
JT Thomas - Carol C, Petals
Ozzy Lusth - KelseyNY, Margo
Sarah Lacina - Delee, Rbennie
Sierra Thomas - Becky, monty924
Tai Trang - Cheryl in NC, Sharon C
Zeke Smith - Janice from GA,

MANA
Aubry Bracco - Ed in Ohio, meb
Caleb Reynolds - Cheryl, MikesGirl
Ciera Eastin - DonnaNY, PDX Granny
Hali Ford - Buzzmaam, Nana in the NW
Jeff Varner - Donna in FL, Rochelle
Malcolm Freberg - Judi Sweeney, Merrilee
Michaela Bradshaw - David,
Sandra Diaz-Twine - Jennasmom, SueGee
Tony Vlachos - Jackie, Paula Bell
Troyzan Robertson - Donna in Alabama, Lifeguard Laurie

Survivor fans ready?  

34th season, 500th episode. Jeff is talking to them all on the boat. The tribes are separated to Mana and Nuku. The boat is loaded with supplies for them to take and each tribe has a raft. A massive tool kit is there underwater for the first to untie it. Ozzy goes after it and no one else seems interested. There's also a secret advantage laying on the deck. Caleb finally heads into the water. I think it was either Hali or Sierra who grabbed up the advantage -- a blond. Ozzy got the tool kit for his tribe. They also have the chickens.

Tony runs away from his tribe saying he's going to look for the idol. His tribemates don't chase him but they are thinking of him as a target. Except Sandra who thinks they need him. Caleb falls in with them. 

Ah, it is Sierra who found the advantage. She can only use it when 13 or 6 are left in the game. It's a Legacy Advantage -- so if she goes, she must pass it on. There are goats hanging around their campsite. But, as someone mentioned -- if you kill a goat, you'd have to kill Tai first. Zeke is enamored with Cirie, Ozzy not so much. He blames her for voting him out their last season together. Cirie tried to extend the olive branch but Ozzy isn't totally on board. Cirie finds out from Tai that Ozzy is hesitating. Eep.

Back on Mana, Tony builds an underground spy bunker near that water. They're all suspicious of him. Caleb is getting close to him. Now the others are talking about getting rid of either Caleb or Tony. But Malcolm catches on that it's Ciera spreading most of the talk. Should they target her? 

First Immunity Challenge -- raft to platform, keys, obstacles, back to beach, puzzle pieces, form a ship's wheel, raise flag. Flint is the reward. This year if there is a tie at tribal, there will be no re-vote. Rocks will be pulled!  

NUKU wins Immunity! 

The general consensus is that Ciera needs to go. I like that. Unfortunately, since that seems to be the consensus, it probably won't come to fruition. She thinks it's Michaela going, though. Hmm. Uh-oh. Michaela is ticked that the others told Ciera they were all voting her (M) off. She doesn't react well and might have killed her own chance to stay with her reaction.

Tribal Council Time ... 

The tally:
Michaela, Ciera, Ciera, Ciera, Ciera, Ciera ... six is enough. 

That's what she gets for voting out her mother! Bye, Ciera!  

Tony wants to form an alliance. He goes to Aubry. They want Malcolm, Caleb and Sandra with them. Sandra is cool with it.  

Over on Nuku, Tai is already befriending and naming the chickens. 

In the dark of night, Tony goes to work on his spy bunker. Troyzan and Sandra spy on the spy. He sneaks around to spy on them ... and now the love is gone between Tony and Sandra. She wants him out. He doesn't trust her anymore. 

Cirie is picking up that JT and Ozzy are getting tight. She's in the market for an alliance, but not with them. She goes to Sarah, but in confessional we know Sarah won't have her back. She goes to Zeke. He wants to work with her but considers it too dangerous to align with her because so many are gunning for her. Even Debbie doesn't trust her. 

Yikes! Sandra is going around bad-mouthing my boy Tony and pitting all of the others against him. Varner is loving it. Me, not so much. But Tony is fighting back. He has Malcolm on his sie and Caleb. We have a Sandra/Tony war going on.

Immunity Challenge time. Six of each tribe, ocean, balance beam, cage, retrieve heavy "snake" bag (over 400 pounds), rings, target. Reward is a fishing kit. Cirie sits out.

Nuku wins again. Mana almost got them after coming from behind. 

It's war time -- Sandra vs. Tony. Who will make it through Tribal? 

Tribal Council time.  

The tally:
Aubry, Tony, Aubry, Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony.

GAH! Sandra did it again! Tony is gone! 

Whoa ... dropping their buffs next week? 

Survivor: Blog Pool Match-Ups Announced!

I got word from Lifeguard Laurie that the random pool picks are IN. Then I promptly fell asleep on my couch while watching NCIS and didn't wake up until a bit ago. Hey, what can I say? I was tired! I need to rest up for tonight's big season premiere!

From that World Class Lifeguard Laurie:
Here's the pool. First week is free. Whoever loses goes on one of the teams with only one member.

NUKU
Andrea Boehlke - Indiana Jane, ML
Brad Culpepper - Brian, Sharon N
Cirie Fields - Leonia Hart, Terry is a Texan
Debbie Wanner - Glenn, tbc
JT Thomas - Carol C, Petals
Ozzy Lusth - KelseyNY, Margo
Sarah Lacina - Delee, Rbennie
Sierra Thomas - Becky, monty924
Tai Trang - Cheryl in NC, Sharon C
Zeke Smith - Janice from GA,

MANA
Aubry Bracco - Ed in Ohio, meb
Caleb Reynolds - Cheryl, MikesGirl
Ciera Eastin - DonnaNY, PDX Granny
Hali Ford - Buzzmaam, Nana in the NW
Jeff Varner - Donna in FL, Rochelle
Malcolm Freberg - Judi Sweeney, Merrilee
Michaela Bradshaw - David,
Sandra Diaz-Twine - Jennasmom, SueGee
Tony Vlachos - Jackie, Paula Bell
Troyzan Robertson - Donna in Alabama, Lifeguard Laurie

 *****************************************

Ohhh ... I have Tony, eh? Unlike many, I actually like him as a player. Alas, I think he might have the first and largest target on his back from the start, though. See you all at 8pm ET!

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 5

If you want in on the blog pool, you must sign up on the blog pool post ONLY -- if you ask to join elsewhere, it might be missed. Our aim is to have no stragglers stumbling drunk into the pool after the lights are turned off this season. Can we do it? Entry to THE POOL CLOSES TOMORROW, TUESDAY, AT NOON.

Onto the next bunch of castaways ... it seems that CBS may have blocked the intro videos, so you might have to go there to see them.

Sierra - Game changer or not? First off, let's not confuse her with Ciera. Sierra does seem to have a grasp on where she previously went wrong. She is one of the many who's wisely leery of Tony. One of her problems is that she's too nice and that's not what Survivor is all about. She's going to have to change up her own game a heck of a lot to have game against the big boys and gals this season.

Tony - Game changer or not? Oh, he's a game changer for sure. While other show fans cried foul, called him a sneaky snake and all ... he played a dynamite game during his season and won it all. That said, I think he's going to be one of the first targeted by the others this season to go. In the videos, just about everybody mentioned him. If he indeed can make it through to the end, he will definitely deserve the King of Survivor moniker. 

Caleb - Game changer or not? That's kind of hard to tell. He certainly upped his game between Big Brother and Survivor in his last season of the latter. Unfortunately, he upped it enough to be hauled away on a helicopter when he collapsed. I'll admit I want to see more of him on the show and he impressed me on his short stay before. I also enjoy the Tai/Caleb bromance. However, in the end, I don't think he's going to stand up to the smart minds that are surrounding him.

Cirie - Game changer or not? I tend to think she is one. Then again, she's played three times and hasn't won the game. Came close, but ...! Her strength is her people skills because she's a self-proclaimed couch potato. But she's the best darn couch potato to ever compete on the show. She's also a fellow Jersey Girl -- I wouldn't mind her winning at all. Hmm ... if memory serves, both she and Tony are from Jersey City. They're both incredibly good at reading people and scheming. Hmm ...

Sandra - Game changer or not? Well, duh. Game changer for sure. I don't know how she does it but she rocks at the game. While not a physical player, she's more athletic than Cirie. But she's not as nice. You'd think her social game mixed with her physical one would cause her to lose. But, no. She and Tony have the biggest target on them this season. Can she weasel her way through to yet another victory? She might be just a bit too smug, methinks.

Survivor fans ready?

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 4

If you want in on the blog pool, you must sign up on the blog pool post ONLY -- if you ask to join elsewhere, it might be missed. Our aim is to have no stragglers stumbling drunk into the pool after the lights are turned off this season. Can we do it? Entry to the pool closes TUESDAY AT NOON.

Onto the next bunch of castaways ...

Andrea - Game changer or not? About the only game changing she did in her first two seasons was to perfect the art of being blindsided! She is smart to be leery of Tony. But I think just about everyone is going to be leery of Tony. She wants to align with Cirie. However, to me, Cirie is one of those people others need to be leery about. No one should want to go to the end with Cirie. I don't think Andrea is a particularly strong member in this cast made of so many strong players.

JT- Game changer or not? Oh, I'd go game changer for JT. The first season that he played (and won it all), he was a triple threat as far as this competitive reality show goes -- physical, mental and social. He made some mistakes in his second season which are still obviously biting him in the butt. Like Andrea, he's leery of Tony. (Everybody is!) I think he's wisely sizing up Ozzy and Malcolm to not only align with, but roughly use as shields. If he could get to the end with them, his social game rules. If they fall along the way, it's them not him. 

Malcolm - Game changer or not? Well, for someone who hasn't won the show twice already, I think he kind of is a game changer. He's entertaining to watch on the show. But he plays rather unfettered -- he doesn't seem to think ahead. It'a not quite like chess, but you do have to be very observant and think a few moves ahead in order to stay in. Like the others in this post, he's leery of Tony. (Poor Tony.) He's also leery of Cirie and Sandra -- a smart leery on his part. He does have a strong physical game. I don't think his social game is as fantastic as he thinks it is, but we'll see ...

Aubry - Gsme changer or not? I think she is a bit of a game changer. At the beginning of her last season, I almost dismissed her and thought she'd be gone before the merge. She's not someone you'd really expect to go far. I don't know if her proposed read of people is quite up to the level of Tony's skillz, but hey ... she just might do it. I'd say she's an unlikely winner, yet I'm thinking she just might have some there there.

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 3

Who's ready for the two-hour premiere Wednesday night? Be there or be square! 

If you want in on the blog pool, you must sign up on the blog pool post ONLY -- if you ask to join elsewhere, it might be missed. Our aim is to have no stragglers stumbling drunk into the pool after the lights are turned off this season. Can we do it?

Ciera - Game changer or not? Hmm. If memory serves, she's the one who voted her own mother out in Blood vs. Water. Now, that was something a bit game changing. This is her third time trying for a win. Y'know, if all the people who say they're going to ride a bit under the radar at the start (or, as Ciera says, stay in the middle), the first half of the season will be a snooze-fest as everybody gathers together to oust Sandra or Cirie! Sorry, can't see her winning this season. The competition is too varied and tough, both strategically and physically.

Brad - Game changer or not? Commonly referred to by Jeff as "Culpepper," I think Brad is someone to watch this season. I notice in the video, he's definitely leaning more towards working with the women than the men. Interesting. He obviously has no love lost and seems bitter about dear little Cierra. And, he's right in thinking he needs to be more attuned to how is own alliance is feeling towards him. Then again, we all do love a good blindside! He might be a contender this season.

Ozzy - Game changer or not? Well, for a three time loser at the game, he actually has been a game changer. Just his ability to climb trees more adeptly than a howler monkey in search of food is amazing. I believe his plan to get to know people and build friendships is spot on. However, I worry that others might target him merely for his threat in physical competitions. There are others like Malcolm who might give him a run for the money in that arena, though. Ozzy just might have a chance to be the sole Survivor.

Sarah - Game changer or not? Gosh, I have to say not. I hope she does indeed show us why she was asked to play again. Otherwise, I will have to think it's because they needed another body. I barely remember her from her original season. That said, she does have a lot of good points made in the video. But I doubt very much that she'll be changing this game this season.

Anyone have any thoughts on this group?

Survivor: Game Changers - The Blog Pool OPENS!

Survivor fans ready? The wonderful Lifeguard Laurie will be running the blog pool once again. Have I ever mentioned how much she rocks?
 
The two-hour season premiere is next Wednesday, March 8 at 8pm ET/PT.

Join the fun with friends at the blog party as the show airs on East Coast time on premiere night! I live blog each episode throughout the party.

Okay, here's how the blog pool works:

• Names are matched up randomly with the castaways.
• You get to cheer on your chosen castaway until they're kicked off the island or named the sole Survivor.
• If your chosen castaway is creepy or cries a lot, we won't hold that against you personally.
• Not much, anyway.
• Heehee
• There is no wagering of monies.
• The winner(s) of the blog pool retain bragging rights until the premiere of the next season while we all bow to them and lament on what could have been.

How do you get involved? Sign up right here on this post! If you're posting anonymously, you need a sign off name on your comments. We don't care if you're a boy named Sue, we have to know something other than anonymous. The cut-off for entering is this Tuesday, March 7, NOON ET/3pm PT. 

REMEMBER - YOU NEED TO SIGN UP ON THIS VERY POST YOU'RE READING! If you sign up on another post or the Facebook page, your request might be missed.

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 2

In just one week, we'll be settling into a new season of Survivor! Woot! Woot! While I don't necessarily love the idea of people playing on the show multiple times, it looks like this cast is going to make it all worthwhile.

Hali - Game changer or not? I'm thinking not for her. I don't know. She might have a trick or two up her sleeve. But being pretty, playing under the radar ... those seem to be standards we see in a few every season. I barely remember her from her original season. Yeah, she made some decent alliances. Yeah, she won a few challenges. I think this season I'm more interested in seeing her and Sierra maybe get into a cat fight. Meow.

Zeke - Game changer or not? I believe he indeed can be a game changer. Although he got weaselly last season, often times Survivor calls for weasels ... and rats and snakes. He's definitely a thinking strategical player who can sometimes really throw himself into the comps. I like his thinking in this intro video. Might he win it all? In the words of Rudy, "Don't know."

Tai - Game changer or not? Darn-tootin' right he's a game changer! This guy named the chicken and made it into a camp pet! He weighs less than most prepubescent children, yet can climb trees and give his all in challenges. He's entertaining. And, think about it ... he will be reunited with Caleb! "Reunited and it feels so good ..." He is so not the typical Survivor castaway that he's the perfect Survivor castaway. I do hope he works on that social game and remembers the jury can be bitter.

Jeff - Game changer or not? Hmm. In my opinion, he was certainly not a game changer in his previous two seasons. I liked him in Season 2, not so much in Cambodia. So, he has this new game strategy -- he's going to be everybody's best friend! Ohhh! While he definitely needs a better social approach because he tends to make enemies on rapid order, we'll see how that works for him.

Debbie - Game changer or not? Oh my. The female version of Coach is returning to share her delusions of grandeur and tall tales once again. Hmm. She thinks she would like to work with Culpepper and Tony? I'm not sure they would be that willing to work with her! Perhaps we should take wagers on whether she'll get Aubrey out before Aubrey gets her out. I don't really want her to win. Her game changing claim to fame might be that the show sometimes attracts the lunatic fringe.

Anybody have any thoughts on these five castaways?

Stay tuned for the blog pool sign-up post. It's coming soon!