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| They're back! Whether you wanted to see them again or not |
I can't stop thinking what an odd group of players this is. Having to deal with Phillip Sheppard would be hard enough, but having to deal with Phillip Sheppard AND Brandon Hantz? This tribe also contains not one, but TWO people who gave up immunity. It's certainly gonna be a trainwreck tribe, let's hope it's the perfect storm of entertainment.
Andrea Boehlke
I have conflicting feelings about Andrea. On the one hand, I think she's very likeable and seems to have enthusiasm for the game. But on the other, she came off incredibly naive in Redemption Island at times as Rob took advantage of her and exposed her as the amateur she was (but she was young, and she wasn't the only one). On a level playing field though, I think Andrea is someone who could do well. I see her ending up in the middle of the pack.
Defining moment: I guess returning from Redemption Island against the odds was a pretty good achievement, but I mainly remember her adorable reaction shots after getting blindsided, one at Matt's elimination and one at her own.
Brandon Hantz
Oh dear, oh dear. Brandon was really all over the place in South Pacific. Refusing to play the game, outing alliances and having temper tantrums at the drop of a hat. That being said, Brandon seemed fairly well-liked out there all things considered so if he hadn't given up immunity...perhaps he could've won? He might be needed for his muscle and he shouldn't be too hard to string along, but Brandon shouldn't even be here. The fact that the show would put someone who's clearly not mentally stable in such a volatile environment for the purposes of entertainment leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Defining moment: Even though it had been done before, giving his immunity necklace to Albert was a pretty big talking point. He thought he could play with morals in a cutthroat game, and the harsh reality soon dawned on him.
Brenda Lowe
There should be more young women on the show that play like Brenda. She wasn't afraid to take charge and play an aggressive strategic game....although she was pretty good at working the flirt card too. Was she cocky? Yes. But there's no denying she had a lot of star power out in Nicaragua, and not just because she's gorgeous. Brenda's downfall was a massive shock, I've never seen anyone go from the top to the bottom so quick. As long as she can avoid being seen as such a massive threat this time, I could see her going all the way.
Defining moment: Showing her intentions right out the gate by declaring herself "single single single", finding the medallion of power and catching Chase's eye.
John Cochran
I was pretty harsh on Cochran first time out, and with good reason, but surprisingly I think he's someone who could do well with a second shot. His Survivor knowledge is unquestioned, and now that he's had a test run, I think he could put his analytical brain to good use and figure out what he needs to do to improve. He has two main obstacles though - being a challenge liability on a pretty weak team, and his reputation as the guy who betrayed his tribe.
Defining moment: It may not have won him many friends, but his flip at the final 12 basically determined the direction of the rest of the season.
Corinne Kaplan
I usually root for the villains on Survivor, but Corinne was one of the few that was a tad too much for me. Being from a relatively older season and with no-one else really in her age group, Corinne might start off at a disadvantage, and I don't think she has the social game to pull it back.
Defining moment: Her extremely mean-spirited jury speech towards Sugar was what cemented her status as the bitch...bringing up Sugar's dead dad was way over the line.
Dawn Meehan
The sweetheart of South Pacific and part of the recent resurgence of the "older woman" category in Survivor, Dawn wore her heart on her sleeve and was always full of positive energy. Everyone loves her and she should be the strongest woman out there, but as such an obvious jury threat the rest of the tribe would be fools to let her get to the end.
Defining moment: The weight challenge. She got to be hero of the hour for her tribe, defy expectations and make one of the biggest landmarks on her journey from emotional mess to strong woman.
Erik Reichenbach
Bringing back Erik was an excellent choice for a number of reasons. He deserves a shot at redemption after being hailed the dumbest Survivor ever, he's on a season whose original cast hasn't been represented on an all-star season before, and he's now seen both sides of the Fans Vs Favorites concept. He's a very rootable character, and a superfan that should have a lot in common with Cochran, but a lot more to offer in challenges. Erik can win this game, so it'll be interesting to see if he's still got it.
Defining moment: You know what it was. Getting conned out of his immunity necklace by Natalie and then voted out straight after. You shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it. What was he thinking?
Francesca Hogi
Definitely one of the most bizarre casting choices in a long time. I'm not saying she wasn't likeable or didn't have potential, but if Francesca is all-star material, then pretty much anyone is. Perhaps they just wanted the novelty of bringing back a first boot, I don't know. The thing is, Francesca might have done well on another season...she just happened to get on the bad side of Boston Rob and was taken out for being a threat. She's somewhat of an unknown quantity so she's definitely one to watch.
Defining moment: Her feud with Phillip, which is soon to be re-ignited.
Malcolm Freberg
Since this season was filmed back-to-back with Philippines, nobody will know who Malcolm is. I think this will work against him more than for him, because he will probably feel like he's on the wrong tribe. He doesn't know these people, he doesn't have any pre-game relationships to fall back on, and I know if I was the rest of the Favorites, I certainly wouldn't want to play with a wildcard.
Defining moment: Teaming up with Denise to create one of the most dominant duos for a long time. Right from their very first goofy hug, you knew that magic was going to happen.
Phillip Sheppard
Phillip would probably be a headache of a player to live with, but as far as I'm concerned, he's entertainment gold. There's really never a dull moment when he's around. Unfortunately we might not get to enjoy him for long as the only real redeeming factor of keeping Phillip around is to beat him at the end. I doubt these guys will be thinking that far ahead, and his personality coupled with his challenge weakness will almost certainly ensure him being the first Favorite out of the game. If it comes down to a choice between him and Francesca, they're going to side with the sane one.
Defining moment: Phillip delivered one of the most amazing final tribal council performances of all time. Amazingly bad, that is.
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