Survivor: Blood vs. Water Cast Announced

Hmm ... lots of familiar faces. You can check them out at the CBS website for yourselves, but here's who's on and my thoughts about them:


Tyson Apostol / Rachel Foulger, dating
Ages: 34 / 33
Provo, UT
Former pro cyclist / cocktail waitress/graphic designer
Survivor: Tocantins, 2nd jury member
Heroes vs. Villains, 6th voted out
My thoughts: Tyson was a strong competitor. I believe we might have a contender here. The girlfriend seems smart, but that doesn't always win the show.

Aras Baskauskas / Vytas Baskauskas, brothers
Ages 31 / 33
Santa Monica, CA
Musician / yoga instructor/math professor
Survivor: Panama - Exile Island, winner
My thoughts: I liked Aras. I thought he was a very deserving winner in his season. With the brother along, this might be a likable alpha male team.

Rupert Boneham / Laura Boneham, married
Ages: 49 / 44
Indianapolis, IN
Mentor for teens / merchandiser
Survivor: Pearl Island, 2nd jury member
All Stars, 6th jury member, winner fan-favorite
Heroes vs. Villains, 7th jury member
My thoughts: Really? Rupert again? I have to hear him bellow more? I'm so over that. His horse has done been ridden too much. I know he has fans, but I'm not in the bunch.

Candice Cody / John Cody, married
Ages: 30
Washington D.C. 
Physicians
Survivor: Cook Islands, 5th jury Member                  
Heroes vs. Villains, 5th jury Member
My thoughts: I wasn't all that keen on Candice returning the first time she returned. But this could be interesting with the husband along for the ride.
                                                
Monica Culpepper / Brad Culpepper, married
Ages: 42 / 44
Tampa, FL
Former NFL wife; attorney, retired NFL player
Survivor: One World, 5th voted out
My thoughts: Well, this might be revenge on Colton! Cool. He deserves it.

Colton Cumbie / Caleb Bankston, engaged
Ages: 22 / 26
Collinsville, AL
Student teacher / post officer manager
Survivor: One World, 6th out, medically evacuated
My thoughts: I don't like Colton. While I really enjoyed the evil ways of Richard Hatch in the first season, Colton is nasty and seems to feel very privileged. While I don't want him to be medically evacuated again, I hope he doesn't last long. Sorry, Caleb.

Kat Edorsson / Hayden Moss, dating
Ages: 23 / 26
Orland, FL / Springtown, TX
Student / real estate
Survivor: One World, 6th jury member / Big Brother 12 winner for Hayden
My thoughts: I didn't know they were dating! I hope Hayden has more manageable hair on this show than he did on BB. He could very well do quite well, but it's a lot different than being stuck in a house for three months.

Laura Morett / Ciera Eastin, mother/daughter
Ages: 43 / 24
Salem, OR
Construction business owner / cosmetology student
Survivor: Samoa, 3rd jury member
My thoughts: I don't find Laura all that particularly memorable. Hmm. The daughter seems to have spunk. My jury is out on this one.

Gervase Peterson / Marissa Peterson, uncle/niece
Ages: 43 / 21
Philadelphia, PA / Chapel Hill, NC
Cigar lounge owner / student
Survivor: Borneo, 3rd jury member
My thoughts: Gervase? Gervase?!? My memories of him had him as very likable, often wearing a hat ... and lounging about camp! I hope he'll put more into the effort this time!

Tina Wesson / Katie Collins, mother/daughter
Ages: 52 / 25
Robbinsville, NC and New York, NY
Motivational speaker / hedge fund support
Survivor: Australia, Winner
All Stars, 1st Voted Out
My thoughts: Tina played a good game, but if memory serves, she virtually "stole" the win from Colby Donaldson. This could be interesting. She's no spring chicken these days.

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

While I'm never keen on reality shows having returning players, at least this concept for the season is relatively fresh. Your thoughts?

The season premiere is September 18th. Be here or be square.

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Tuesday Into the Evening - August 20

I'm happy being third!

Oh my gosh. Today was just about the most boring day EVER in the history of mankind on the live feeds. Yes, really. Here's the skinny on what went down today in that Big Brother House of the Doldrums:

• Helen knows she's leaving Thursday.
• Helen thinks she can pep talk Elissa into winning HoH.
• Meanwhile, Elissa is resigned to a diet of pickles because she claims she's allergic to slop. Apparently the head cheese and habenaro peppers aren't to her liking either.
• Of course, I would balk at both of those items myself.
• That was rather cruel of us.
• But they deserve it.
• Helen said she'd vote for Amanda at the end if Amanda gets there.
• When Helen said that Aaryn is really concerned what America will think of her, Elissa said they (we) would see what a horrible person she really is.
• Heh.
• For each nice thing Helen said about Aaryn, Elissa came up with a negative.
• "She's the kind of woman who'll steal your man."
• Oh, my. Was she channeling Rachel for a moment?
• Helen really likes GinaMarie.
• I never thought we'd see that coming.
• Elissa, on the other hand, thinks that GM is a bit ridiculous.
• I agree with her.
• As a side note: GinaMarie is NOT from New Jersey despite folks thinking she is. She's from the least cool NYC borough of Staten Island (as was most of the cast of The Jersey Shore). That is NOT New Jersey, it's actually not even very much New York City as folks think of it. It's an island where they talk funny and think they're tough. 
• So, the whole early part of the day was spent with Elissa and Helen analyzing the character of their fellow hamsters, past and present.
• YAWN.
• By 2 in the afternoon their time (5om my time!), the other hamsters were up and stumbling about.
• Sheesh.
• Amanda wants to work with Elissa.
• Uh-huh. We've heard that before.
• Sure enough, she later talks with her crew and discounts everything Elissa said.
• Aaryn once again had the nerve to tell Amanda she doesn't think Helen and Elissa were coming after her and GinaMarie and that Amanda told her that.
• What? You dare question the Queen of BB15 Hamsters?!?!?!
• McCrae admitted to Spencer, GM and Aaryn that his online BB fan friends probably hate the McCranda showmance.
• Well, yeah. A superfan involved with the online presence for the show has totally whacked his own game being a servant to Queen of BB15 Hamsters!
• I so wonder how McCrae would have done without the relationship.
• Aaryn thinks they picked them as the cast because they're all crazy.
• I say they picked them and recruited many for looks and forgot to give the psychiatric testing in the process.
• YAWN.
• Grr, Clownie didn't even die today. That's been the highlight daily for most of the week. Perhaps Andy ran out of ways to kill him.
• Tomorrow should be more of the same.
• I really hope the returning hamster on Thursday livens up this snoozefest!

We're surrounded by characters, but we're not characters

I have such a bright future ahead!

I'd have to disinfect the bed. Ew.

I have everything! The man of my dreams, 500 grand!

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Monday Night into Tuesday - August 19-20

They'll ride it to the end

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of the Fickle Finger of Fate:

• At least Spencer has his small joys -- he's thrilled with the free clothes they get in comps and even more if they win HoH.
• Aaryn thinks she will be put on the block with GinaMarie.
• Probably.
• Aaryn and Amanda talked about "what if" they were the final two.
• Aaryn thinks that any of them (her, Amanda, McCrae or Andy) could beat GinaMarie, Elissa, or Spencer in the final two.
• Probably.
• Helen told McCrae he might be being portrayed as a little puppy dog following Amanda.
• Well, yeah, there's certainly that aspect in there!
• Then she kept after him trying to get him to vote for her to stay. Will that happen?
• Probably not.
• Helen said that Amanda is probably being portrayed as a bully.
• Would that need "portraying" per se?
• Probably not.
• Amanda got all upset with the talk that she's being portrayed as a bully.
• Heehee!
• GinaMarie thinks she (GM) is a "nice girl."
• Eep.
• Both Aaryn and McCrae told Amanda not to say anything about her building anger regarding the bully comments.
• When Amanda was going on about never bullying anyone in the house, Spencer spoke up and pointed out that she bullied him for his vote to go the way she wanted, threatening he'd be out next, at one point.
• I don't say this often, perhaps not ever at all ... but, you go, Spencer!
• Helen wonders what Amanda is like outside the house.
• I don't think I want to know. She can disappear from my life after the season is over. I don't want to know her any better.
• Helen also thinks McCrae and Amanda aren't a good match for each other.
• I think outside the game, she's right. In the game, they're obviously doing something right. I guess.
• Amanda thinks Helen will taint the jury against her.
• I say they're probably already tainted.
• Helen thinks McCrae has deprived himself of the full BB experience due to being with Amanda.
• I personally wonder what the superfan McCrae would have done on his own in the game.
• Helen also said that if Amanda makes it to the end without ever winning any comps, it would be hard not to vote for her.
• Helen is pretty resigned that she will be leaving on Thursday. She asked Elissa if she wanted her to leave anything behind for her.
• Aw.
• But it's too late for could have, should have. Amanda and crew played it stronger.
• Aaryn, Andy and GinaMarie want to be the final three.
• We'll see about that.

Will they be targeted soon?

Targeted

Expendable at any time

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Monday Daytime, PoV Meeting - August 19

Off the block smiles!

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of People Your Parents Warned You About:

• Helen told Aaryn that, if she she goes home this week, she won't go crazy.
• Elissa thinks that Amanda is trying to turn Helen and her against each other.
• Y'think?
• Aaryn thinks that if she puts Spencer on the block instead of Amanda, Helen might have a better chance of staying.
• Aaryn said that Spencer would not vote for Amanda to go if she goes on the block.
• If she puts Spencer on the block, it's Andy who would be the deciding vote.
• I fear, from watching him all season on the live feeds, he won't cross Amanda.
• Amanda found it fun to leave a large mess in the kitchen for Helen or Elissa to clean up as they're the ones most likely to do it.
• Instead, Helen, Elissa and Andy separated out excess dinnerware and locked it up so no one can again dirty all the dishes.
• Then, at the PoV meeting, Elissa took herself off the block as expected.
• (She's dippy, but she's no Marcellas!)
• Aaryn put Spencer on the block in her place. So it's Spencer and Helen on the block this week.
• They have no clue that the four jury members (including the one voted out on Thursday) will vie to return to the house to play the game.
• Aaryn, Elissa, Helen, GinaMarie and Andy had a big pow-wow in the HoH bathroom.
• They tried to talk sense into Andy -- telling him that neither McCrae nor Amanda would take him to the final two if he made the final three. They would be too sure he'd have the jury votes for the win.
• They also said that if Amanda heard wind of the conversation, they'd know who told her. They all looked at Andy.
• He seriously looked like he was thinking about it and considering their points.
• Aaryn seriously thinks McCrae and Amanda will get married.
• I don't. Or, if they do, I'd give it six months ... or until their winnings were spent.
• If they can get the five to stick with it, that's three votes to keep Helen while only McCrae and Amanda would vote for her to leave.
• And none of them are that thrilled with Spencer ... except maybe Andy.
• So, it all goes back to Andy.
• They think it would level the playing ground so they all have a chance at the win instead of a definite McCrae/Amanda sweep.
• But, it goes back to Andy.
• Andy's first input in the conversation? "I know I have to draw the line. I've been friends with everybody."
• Um. Okay.
• After Andy left the room, Elissa warned GinaMarie and Aaryn to watch what they say in front of Andy as he runs to Amanda with it.
• Of course, if he leaks this, he's got all them angry at him instead of just one raving lunatic Amanda.
• Andy later tried to tell GinaMarie and Aaryn that if Elissa wins HoH, she'll target them.
• He continued to tell them they need to vote out Helen.
• Okay. We know he can't be depended on to be the vote to save Helen.
• He might as well be mini-McCrae, following Amanda's lead.
• And, sure enough ... when Amanda woke up, he told her all.
• @@

Cutting down the dish supply

Eek

You can't hide

Big Brother 15: Live Feeds Sunday Night into Monday - August 18-19

Boring, boring

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Friend or Foe:

• Amanda is still irrationally ticked off because she thinks Helen and Elissa are trying to flip the house against her (and McCrae).
• Um. That's part of the game. You can't be Ms. Dictator and not expect the ones you oust or try to oust not to strike back. Sheesh.
• Amanda without McCrae to calm her down probably would have been out long ago. She rants too much when things don't go the way she wants.
• Meanwhile, as Amanda bristles, Helen tells her she loves her.
• Oh my.
• Amanda and McCrae continue to lie to Helen, leaving her to think there's a possibility she might stay.
• Helen told Andy she loves him.
• Meanwhile, the more Aaryn thinks, the more upset she becomes. 
• She honestly adores Helen and feels horrible that Helen will go because of her doing the dirty work for Amanda.
• She feels that Amanda had her do the dirty work and get out Howard.
• She feels that Amanda had her do the dirty work and get out Judd.
• Every HoH Aaryn has had has always been about Amanda.
• Andy tried to tell her that Amanda and McCrae will always be loyal to her.
• Andy thinks that it's better to stick to Amanda and McCrae in the game.
• He thinks getting rid of Helen, as much as they hate to do it, keeps them in the game without putting a target on their backs.
• Aaryn was able to drink when the booze came, so she felt a bit uninhibited as she lashed out at Amanda (who can't drink because she's a Have Not).
• Amanda lashed back.
• McCrae once again tried to calm down Amanda who then lashed out at him telling him she was sick of him not having her back.
• In another world, GinaMarie wants Aaryn to be her maid of honor at the big GinaMarie/Nick wedding.
• @@
• Aaryn, who has more insight into the game than Helen seems to have, told GinaMarie that she knows that she's the fourth and most expendable in the McCrae/Amanda/Andy alliance.
• Aaryn told GinaMarie that Andy told her that Amanda & Co. wanted to split them (GM/Aaryn) up and that's a blow.
• She's considering putting Amanda up on the block.
• But then McCrae would be after her and right now she's not on his target list.
• "This is the Amanda show," says Aaryn.
• She's right.
• She says that if Amanda continues to give her grief, she WILL put her up and they would have the votes to put her out.
• So, then Amanda and Aaryn had another "war of words."
• Amanda said it's because of her (Amanda) that Aaryn even is in a final four deal.
• Amanda denied saying that she wants GinaMarie out.
• Then Aaryn all of a sudden started to believe Andy is lying to her about the GM thing.
• @@
• Amanda told Andy that she knows he's believed in her even when McCrae didn't have her back.
• Aaryn is worried that Amanda will find out that she seriously considered backdooring her.
• @@
• I had hope Aaryn might go against the tide and force a Helen/Amanda showdown, but I think she's going to go with the Spencer nom and sending out Helen.
• Oh well, that's the way the BB ball bounces.

Steaming at Amanda

Cat fight starts in the kitchen