Survivor: Caramoan **SPOILERS**

[GoGo Yubari]

I fucking hate that subtopics are gone because I've been planning to comment on how "Favorites" is maybe a strong word for this group of returning players. But yes, it is sort of a Fans vs. Favorites season, and your returning players are...

- Andrea Boehlke (Redemption Island)

- John Cochran (South Pacific)

- Corinne Kaplan (Gabon)

- Phillip Shephard (Redemption Island)

- Brenda Lowe (Nicaragua)

- Erik Reichenbach (Fans vs. Favorites)

- Dawn Meehan (South Pacific)

- Brandon Hantz (South Pacific)

- Malcolm Freberg (Philippines)

- Um, Francesca Hogi (Redemption Island)

I haven't started looking at the new cast bios yet. If this is like the first FvF, all of them are going to be completely irrelevant anyway. I'm very excited to see a decent amount of this cast. Like, slightly over half. Malcolm playing again is fine but it's not like he's been gone long enough for coming back to be a pleasant shock, Brandon is terrible and nobody's favorite, and "Fans vs. Favorites" and including a first boot is funny. Plus it means that tying for most represented season is one of the least favorite Survivor seasons of all time. That's pretty funny.

I knew 90% of the returning players going in, but I managed to not get Andrea, Erik, or Corrine spoiled for me. Looking forward to seeing all of them again.

[RPS]

Excited to see Andrea, Cochran, Corinne, Brenda, Erik, and Malcolm play again. I'm pretty meh on Dawn. Phillip, Brandon and Francesca were brought back for unknown reasons. Like they do not stand a chance. I would not be surprised if they were the first three booted. The first Fans vs. Favorites, they brought back 10 legitimate contenders who could legitimately actually win again. I think this time around they casted three duds in that regards, though I understand the drive in bringing them back (they could prove entertaining).

I've not been spoiled on the season (I knew the cast list), but judging from the picture - the favorites are gonna losssssse badly. They do not look like physical threats. On the returning side - I expect that Brandon, Phillip and Fran are gone early. Past that, I'd say you've got a lot of players who played OK games last time who could definitely improve (Cochran, Erik, Andrea, Brenda) and people who played pretty good games but just had a bad twist of fate (Corinne got screwed by the stupid fake merges and swaps and Malcolm was close to winning but just came up short with the last immunity challenge). Returning player seasons are hard because you never know who is going to be targeted on reputation, who will fly under the radar and who will vastly improve. My gut says that people like Brandon and Phillip are very unlikely to improve their game, but these things are hard to predict. Who knew Amber, Parvati, and Sandra would win the respected full returnee seasons? Not me.

Random stab in the dark - I'm thinking a favorite is gonna win (Probst seems way too excited about this season) and I'm thinking it's probably either Brenda / Erik / Cochran.

Edited January 11, 2013 by RockPaperScissors

[The Quasi Juice]

"Dawn. Phillip, Brandon and Francesca were brought back for unknown reasons."

How are Philip and Brandon odd picks? They are both very memorable players, albeit not "favorites" but still were always destined to return one day.

Corinne was supposed to be in HvV so I'm glad she got to play this time. I don't expect her to do particularly well though.

I can see Brandon getting to the merge if not further, even though he's nuts (or was nuts) he always performed in challenges and is loyal so he's good to have around.

I really really hope Philip gets to be awesome again but I somehow doubt he'll be as iconic as the first time.

Cochran I can see doing much better than last time. Not that hard though, he pretty much sucked last time.

Erik is going to flop so hard it'll be hilarious.

I can understand Malcolm, Andrea and even Brenda (Marty and perhaps even Fabio should return for an All Stars), but why the fuck are Francesca and Dawn playing? Dawn did decent but in no way deserves another call-up. It's not like they didn't have enough significant people to call up. But Francesca is the biggest farce of all time in Survivor. She must have made some big impact during her casting interview because I really, really don't understand why the hell she's back. Just so she can be on a tribe with Philip again? Jesus. Instead of her, call up Stephen Fishbach.

Edited January 11, 2013 by The Quasi Juice

[GoGo Yubari]

Dawn makes perfect sense as a returning player. If they wanted to cast an older woman to play again, she was well-liked, remains well-liked, and is very good at challenges.

[RPS]

Yeah there other option was Holly from Nicaragua or Lisa from 25. Personally, I am meh on Dawn (I didn't really love her before and hardly think my opinion will change) but I totally understand why she is back. The connection with Cochran and the fact she was pretty well liked. I probably would have liked Holly or Lisa back more, but Dawn is OK.

The casting of Fran is a sham and I really hope it comes back to bite her in the ass. The one thing I will say is that with big Survivor fans like Malcolm, Erik and Cochran out there, I could actually see them actually being miffed she was brought back and turfing her early. Fran is a dud. There was a reason why Boston Rob kicked her first - she is unlikeable and completely unaware. I personally would have went with Alicia or Sabrina from One World or brought back a pre-merge boot who was interesting like Dawson from last season or Christine from South Pacific.

I understand why Phillip and Brandon were brought back, I just think it was futile. Neither of them is going to win. Brandon is an emotional timebomb and Phillip is a complete joke. They are entertaining, yeah and that's what Survivor has to do. But I personally would have liked to see them grab some entertaining characters who could have a shot at winning. Or just skip Phillip and bring back Shane Powers.

Edited January 11, 2013 by RockPaperScissors

[The Quasi Juice]

Good call on Alicia and Holly, I would have definitely casted them before Dawn and/or Francesca. At least Holly made an impact on the game, but Dawn was more likeable ofcourse. I'm personally glad Philip is back because he made Redemption Island at least remotely entertaining, but I agree he pretty much has no shot of winning unless he turns out to be a completely different person and plays a great game. Never bringing back Shane Powers and Todd too for that matter is ridiculous. Especially Todd I don't get because it looked like they liked him as a character, he did very well and he has expressed his desire to return. Hopefully he comes back for HvV 2/All Stars 2/3 whatever. Deserves it.

[RPS]

Todd is a lock for an all winners season, and considering we are at 26... It is going to happen. I think the hesitancy to have a season with winners back is a move by the producers to make it a possibility.

[GoGo Yubari]

God, yeah. I would have dropped Phillip or Brandon for Shane Powers in a heartbeat. Such bullshit that he hasn't played again.

And yeah, I would have liked Alicia back over Francesca too. But everyone haaaaated One World, so.

[RPS]

Shane got dropped for Russel in Heroes v Villians. From interviews, Shane is the type of guy I could see coming back and changing his reputation. Shane is very self aware and smart, but clearly had withdrawal issues. I honestly don't think there has been a story like his on Survivor.

[db07]

Have they gone straight into filming like the season with Russell doing two straight? Because if that's the case, it could help out Malcolm alot.

[RPS]

Yep. Taped last March and April and there was 15 days between seasons apparently. Malcolm is gonna be dead if he lasts long in Caramoan.

[db07]

It will be tough to back up, but at least the fans won't know how he plays, which could be a blessing or a hinderence.

Will Erik make another dumb move?

[RPS]

I think he may learn from his mistake. He and Cochran were just two dudes who got played by better players (Cirie and Sophie) and are huge superfans. Both are likely to be very aware of how they come across this time around. Brandon, on the other hand, I expect to make a fool of himself.

Edited January 11, 2013 by RockPaperScissors

[db07]

I still want a Coach vs Phillip season, where Coach tells a story, and Phillip tells him he's lying everytime.

[GoGo Yubari]

All star of episode #1 is the fiddler crab.

EDIT: lol, Francesca. She was voted out first the first time because she's not that good at Survivor. What a fucking awful casting choice.

[RPS]

Seconded.

Well, there was a reason Franny got booted first. She sucks at the game. And, to be honest, most of the Fans are horrible at the game. That was bad. Bad scrambling. Why is Andrea alligned with Phillip, a crazy person? Why is Erik alligned with Brandon? Why is Dawn alligning with Cochran?

The people who flew under the radar this episode - Corinne, Brenda and Malcolm - to me are the people I am interested in watching. If I were playing Survivor, those are the people I'd wanna be alligned with - smart, logical, rational, well-grounded people who actually seem interesting to be around. Dawn is super emotional. I have no idea how Brandon and Phillip passed the mental assessments to get on the show. Cochran is too self-critical (though he oddly makes a great narrator). Andrea is too unaware and trying to heard to be Boston Rob. Fran has no clue how to play Survivor (obviously). The three most dysfunctional players - Phillip, Fran and Brandon - seemed to be the ones calling the shots the first week. Yeesh. Let's see how things shake down. It seems we've got Brandon / Erik / Brenda and Phillip / Dawn / Cochran / Corinne / Malcolm / Andrea, but my guess is that it's probably going to change.

The fans are interesting. We've got the dumb four (remember One World when the four 'popular and cool guys' formed an alliance and than were targeted right away?) We've got the 3 girls who are smart enough to realize the couples alliance are together and will likely try to vote them off. Matt and Michael came off as two brightest of the group, probably in large part due to their age, as a duo who can build the numbers needed to get the majority. And Shamar, who I love, but I am bias because I love a husky black man any day of the week.

I actually think the season is going to be really good, but I wasn't wowed by the opening. Too much illogical game play from the Favorites and nonsensical scrambling. The fact that Corinne's name was even brought up proves the mental lightweights that are playing right now. Corinne is the last person you wanna vote off first. In her season she was incredibly loyal, very sociable, able to build alliances and great in challenges. She is the exact type of person you want around at the beginning of the season. Kick her closer to the merge when she becomes a threat to swap sides, but right now? She is vital for a dysfunctional and fractured tribe.

Finally, the thing I think I disliked most was the editors trying to sell Phillip as a serious threat. The guy is a shmuck, a horrible gamer and not very entertaining television when presented this way. Like Coach in South Pacific, you can't take somebody the audience knows is a complete and utter fool and try to edit him kindly. We know Phillip is a fool and has no hope of winning. Don't try to edit the show to make us think he is a threat. We very clearly know he is not.

[GoGo Yubari]

I think you're deeeeeeeply misreading the editors if you think they're treating him as a serious threat. People want to work with Philip because he is a goat, and his moves were absolutely not erratic in Redemption Island. His personality was unstable, but at no point did he ever make a big backstabby move.

Fuck, his move with Erik was full-on boneheadedness.

[The Quasi Juice]

Loved how the "fans" weren't marking out at all for most of the favourites. I doubt most of them religiously watch Survivor.

Fuck yeah, so glad Francesca is gone right off the bat again. It's a disgrace she got another shot, just because Philip mispronounced her name in the first episode of Redemption Island.

Not gonna lie, I love me some Philip. He's just very entertaining television. Last time he went full-on crazy mode because he realised Boston Rob would want to take him to the end. He started the game that time as a slightly "normal" person too like this time. I think he's smarter than people think, but he does have the tendency to run his mouth a bit too much. I hope he at least makes it to the merge, but I have a feeling he won't.

I liked Reynold at first, but then he suddenly pulled that stupid cuddling session at night and then created this dumb Cool Kids alliance in front of all the other players. You have 4, you don't have the numbers smartass.

Erik turning around and standing in front of Shamar was hilarious, "oh...shit". What a tank.

[RPS]

I think you're deeeeeeeply misreading the editors if you think they're treating him as a serious threat. People want to work with Philip because he is a goat, and his moves were absolutely not erratic in Redemption Island. His personality was unstable, but at no point did he ever make a big backstabby move.

Fuck, his move with Erik was full-on boneheadedness.

To be honest, the stream I was watching was choppy, of poor quality and it stalled multiple times. I also watched on terrible headphones. I think I may have lost a thing or two because I didn't even know that Reynolds was cudddling with Ally. Hmm, my bad.

[Blehschmidt]

While it is a plan that could easily backfire, I am glad Brenda is playing under the radar at the beginning. I loved her in her season, and I thought she had a good chance of winning. I am very glad to see her getting another shot.