South Pacific Episode 4: Load Off Your Mind

Ozzy and Elyse are swinging in the hammock, whilst Jim gets jealous. He senses that the two of them are close, so proposes to Cochran that they get rid of Elyse...which is good news to the nerd. Is Jim really turning on his own alliance so quickly? Wow.

Brandon apologizes to Mikayla, and then blabs to Edna about the majority alliance. What an awful player. Not content with sinking himself, he's also sinking his allies too.

Keith gets to grips with Whitney

Bathing suits arrive in treemail and Dawn feels out of place among all the hot bikini babes. She says she has to prove she's not the weakest. Jim leaves for the duel with his new partner-in-crime Cochran, which is a relief to mellow Ozzy, bored of all his strategy talk. This rubs Dawn up the wrong way for some reason, as she's convinced Ozzy is only pretending not to be strategic. Does she not remember his first two seasons?

At the duel, Brandon apologises to Christine and Papa Bear tells Upolu he's switching to them if he gets back in. The challenge is to toss beanbags onto barrels. Christine gets off to a flying start with 4 great shots from the off. Papa Bear eventually catches up and it comes down to the last bag. Christine gets it, and Papa Bear departs amicably, happy that he has lived his dream of playing the game.

"See you in the big apple" says Christine

Edna walks all over Coach

With Brandon's news fresh on her mind, and knowing she has no physical game, Edna begins overcompensating in the social game. It achieves the exact opposite of the intended effect, as Mikayla appears to like her less for asking so many questions, and Stacey mocks her annoying laugh. It was funny to see, but Edna is still endearing to me.

Cochran talks to Dawn, and gets her on board with the plan to vote for Elyse. Maybe now he's finally going to prove his worth as a strategist. The superfan has played a surprisingly poor game so far.

Crazy face!

The challenge involves holding weight on your shoulders. Two men and one woman each. Savaii choose Keith, Jim and Dawn. Upolu choose Albert, Brandon and Stacey. Keith is the first to drop. Surprisingly, Albert goes next. Looks like he just lost his footing. That has dealt a huge blow to Upolu's chances, having him out so early. Jim and Brandon manage to beat the weight record set by Rupert, J.T. and Brendan before dropping out.

It comes down to the two ladies. Stacey and Dawn, with Stacey balancing the pole on her butt. Savaii shout at Dawn to dig deep, and she wins the challenge for them when Stacey drops it. She is crowned the hero by her tribe.

Stacey is aware that despite her effort in the challenge, it still might be her going home. "It could be me, it could not be me. I could be blindsided, that's what a blindside is." Actually, that's not what a blindside is. A blindside is when you don't see it coming.

Edna is uncomfortable, as she fears the tribe may be looking for the weakest link. Stacey decides to stir things up by telling Brandon that Mikayla, Sophie and Albert have a secret alliance. He runs and tells Coach, who snaps at him for believing somebody "on death row".

Rick contributes nothing

In a clear attempt at shit-stirring, Jeff makes everyone at tribal council say what is the most annoying thing about another person. Rick says that Albert snores. He admits it's a lame answer, but at least they gave him a line. Edna says that Stacey doesn't open up, a claim she denies. Mikayla says that Brandon being Russell's nephew is annoying. Brandon cries as he tries to defend his honour. What a sissy.

Stacey is voted out, and refuses Coach's attempt at a hug, saying "it's not real". She seems confident she'll be back though, and heads to Redemption Island where she'll have to beat her buddy Christine. "I knew it!" yells Christine when Stacey tell her Coach is running the show. A little slow on the upkeep, aren't we?

STAR OF THE WEEK: DAWN MEEHAN

Set out to prove she isn't the weakest, and boy did she do that. I will admit that I cried when I saw her reaction to winning the challenge. She's gunning for Ozzy too, so let's see where that goes.

South Pacific Episode 3: The Famous Five

Christine is now on Redemption Island, somehow surprised at having been voted off. She tells Semhar that Coach is "a pain in the ass". It's nice to see Semhar get a friend at last, but does anyone care who wins this duel? Neither have much of a shot of making it back in.

Stacey and Christine share a thumbs up

Coach goes to the duel with Stacey, wanting Christine to lose. Semhar tells Jeff, and spectating Savaiis Ozzy and Elyse that she felt abandoned by her tribe. Semhar gives a poetry recital before the duel. Even Ozzy looks weirded out by it, and he actually liked her once upon a time. The duel involves holding a statue on the top of a large stick. Much to Coach's dismay, Christine wins. I suppose this was my preferred outcome, as Christine has more potential to cause drama the longer she sticks around.

Brandon isn't proud of what he did at the last tribal, and he admits to the whole tribe he is Russell's nephew. Didn't take long to go from "I will never tell them" to actually doing it. I guess the Hantz family are famous for not being able to keep their mouths shut. Coach reckons telling everyone was a mistake, and I agree.

Not one of the cool kids

Good times for Savaii as Ozzy retrieves another fish. Not for Papa Bear, though. He sits swinging in his hammock, knowing that he's at the bottom of the totem pole, frustrated that he's been unable to connect with the tribe. It's kind of sad to see, as I remember how happy he was on day one.

Ozzy tells Keith he has the idol, because he thinks he can trust him. Cut immediately to Keith telling Whitney what Ozzy just told him. Hmm, maybe that was a mistake. Keith is not happy about Ozzy having the idol because that gives him all the power. So, the seed has been planted for a blindside against their glorious leader somewhere down the line.

Mikayla needs a hug

Mikayla takes Brandon alone and asks him why he doesn't like her. Brandon gets mad and blows up in front of the whole tribe. Even his allies are nervous now, and recognize that he's a loose cannon. Both Mikayla and Brandon cry. My sympathies are with Mikayla though, as she's done nothing wrong. It does look like Brandon is struggling though, particularly with his internal "good vs evil" battle.

So, now we have a water challenge! It's been a while since we've had a decent water challenge. Of course they would bring them back for Ozzy though, that's kind of his thing. The challenge involves running out to grab a board and then having your team reel it back in on a cable.Ozzy goes head-to-head with Brandon on the first run, and Brandon comes out on top. Ozzy's getting no help from his tribe. Dawn does two runs for Savaii and is surprisingly awesome, managing to get back before Albert.

Brandon thanks Jesus

The final showdown is Albert and Ozzy, and Ozzy loses his board, giving Upolu a lead. The next stage of the challenge involves the last two members pulling their banners up to the top with a grappling hook, and them displaying them to make their tribe face. Coach and Edna manage to out-grapple Elyse and Whitney, and finish arranging their banner before the Savaiis even get started. Coach shouts out "you better believe it, baby!", like his Tocantins immunity win. Shades of the old Coach at last.

Jim trashes Papa Bear for his poor performance on the reel, saying he should've been the first one out. Back at camp, it was interesting to see Ozzy defer to Jim for the final decision. Probably a good thing for his game though, the last thing he wants to come off as is as the dictator.

Is that an idol in your pants or are you just happy to see me?

Cochran is told he is safe, but they're telling Papa Bear it's him. Unsure if they're telling the truth, Cochran has to resist going into another paranoid scrambling session similar to the one where he dug his own grave last time. Ozzy tells Papa Bear it's Cochran, but Papa Bear is suspicious and starts asking why. He's not convinced, and goes looking for the idol in a last-ditch attempt to save himself, something that does not go unnoticed by Elyse. Unable to find the idol, he decides to fake one, and tell Jim he found it. Will it work?

At tribal council, Papa Bear lets some truths be known. He talks about how he's not one of "the five", and that him, Dawn and Cochran are the outcasts. Jim argues with him over this, despite blatantly knowing it to be the truth. Papa Bear casts his vote for Jim, and likely spewed something venomous doing it too, which we never saw. Unfortunately, everyone votes him out, even his best friend Dawn (though Jim did vote for Cochran as an idol safeguard). He goes to Redemption Island, where his chances do not look good. Maybe Christine does have an outside chance of "pulling a Matt" after all.

STAR OF THE WEEK: MARK "PAPA BEAR" CARUSO

As a rule, I generally don't give this award to people in episodes where they got voted out, but Mark really was the star tonight. He managed to demonstrate some self-awareness and honesty, and his scrambling to save himself was very endearing. I love how he's getting credited as "Papa Bear" on his confessionals now too. What a sweetheart. I'll miss him.

South Pacific Episode 2: The Last Temptation Of Hantz

Semhar is a blubbering mess when she gets to Redemption Island, feeling abandoned by her tribe. She recites some poetry as she goes to sleep on a makeshift bamboo bed. Cochran thanks the tribe for letting him stay, and realizes he has to tone down the paranoia that came out at tribal. Apparently Keith and Ozzy decided to keep Cochran because they think he might be more use on mental puzzles.

It's good to see Coach and Edna becoming friends on Upolu. Coach hasn't forgotten that she was the only one to help him out after the first challenge, so he feels he owes it to her to protect her. This could turn out to be a pretty nice side-alliance for him.

Ozzy doing Ozzy things on an idol hunt

New Cochran is chopping coconuts, and Ozzy goes off looking for the immunity idol. So after climbing around in the trees for a while, he finally finds a suspicious rock, which lo and behold contains an idol. I guess their attempts to make them harder to find this season proved unsuccessful. Ozzy has had an idol before remember, and he's determined that this time he gets to use it to its full potential.

Brandon is determined to play this game with honesty, and feels bad about lying to Coach, so he tells him his true identity. Coach is taken aback, and you can tell it does knock his trust in him...he doesn't want to get burned by a Hantz twice. But he soon realises that Brandon had nothing to gain by telling him, so thinks he's legit.

Jim goes out fishing with Keith and Ozzy and decides to propose that the three of them align - not knowing Keith was planning on asking him the same thing anyway. Whitney and Elyse are his 4th and 5th. He calls it "the 3-2 plan", even though it's not really any different from any other five person alliance.

Pretty sure Brandon is the only one complaining

Brandon and Mikayla go fishing. Mikayla chooses to do so in her underwear, which again aggravates Brandon. It's now his number one objective to get her out of the game. Meanwhile, Christine finds the clue to the hidden idol, although she's unsure of what to do with it yet.

Upolu are eating stuff as they turn up to the challenge. Today's challenge has two parts: unwrapping ribbons from a totem pole, and a moving crate puzzle. The four girls on Upolu do the first part, and do it much smoother and more cohesively than Savaii. But when it comes to the puzzle part of it, Upolu start sitting back and taking their time, and are surprised by Savaii bursting forward and making such quick progress. It's a come-from-behind victory for Savaii! Oof, blowing such a huge lead has gotta hurt.

The comeback kings

Coach has proposed a 3-3 split on Stacey and Christine. He tells his alliance Edna is

On Parvati: "She's screwed many a man"
Coach's response: "That's for sure"

with them, but on a need-to-know basis. Brandon is still continuing his obnoxious crusade against Mikayla, comparing her to Parvati. Even though everyone points out they need her strength, he still tries to rally votes against her and even tells Coach a lie that Stacey and Christine are targeting her. Not even Christine thinks the idea makes any sense, and she's the one on the chopping block.

Coach's alliance has a big huddle, and Christine wonders what they are talking about. Mikayla comes up and Coach asks her from some privacy, before running off when Stacey approaches. Just when you thought the scene couldn't get any more ridiculous, Christine asks Edna who the target is and she says Sophie - which Christine instantly calls out as a lie because Sophie was just in the group huddle with them!

Mikayla's reaction to finding out she's a target

At tribal, Coach puts it all out in the open and declares that he has heard Stacey and Christine are targeting Mikayla tonight. The news comes as a shock to all three people, and Brandon squirms awkwardly as he realises what drama he has caused. Christine seems to blame Coach and spends the next few minutes attacking him. Coach just laughs her off. Eventually, Brandon admits his lie. An extremely convoluted vote sees 1 vote for Sophie, 1 vote for Edna, 3 votes for Stacey and 4 votes for Christine. Christine goes to Redemption Island. Who's temporary now?

There was something pretty funny about watching Christine shake Semhar awake and saying "Hellooo? I'm with you now". I think the icy bitch has more drive and determination to win the duel next week, but maybe the poet will prove me wrong.

STAR OF THE WEEK: BENJAMIN "COACH" WADE

There weren't really many people to choose from this week. What's surprising me about Coach this year is that he has seemed so much more game-savvy than usual. I really do think he's the number one winner's pick at the moment. He's not as entertaining as he was, but his Parvati joke this week was brilliant.

South Pacific Episode 1: Fake It Til You Make It

So, here we are! A new season, and we start with Coach and Ozzy in a helicopter. Already the returnees are eating up screentime? It actually makes sense though, as I thought it was kind of weird how the opening credits to last season never had Rob and Russell.

But...oh! There are 16 other players in the game as well, apparently! John appears to already be bragging about being a Survivor expert. Elyse won me over from her very first giggly confessional, where the Native American says  "I'm hoping somewhere in my ancestral background the spirits will impart some wisdom". Bless.

Christine mocks the Dragon Slayer

The newbies greet a green-shirted Jeff in the Redemption Island arena. There's excitement in the air as the returning players arrive. An unintentionally funny moment occurs when Edna tells Brandon that she hopes it's not Russell..not knowing that he's Russell's nephew. Upon finding out it's Coach and Ozzy...Christine immediately calls them "temporary players". John reveals how excited he is to be in the game, reels off some Survivor stats, and asks Jeff if he could call him "Cochran", because he calls all his favorites by their last name. Jeff gives the veterans eggs to smash, and Ozzy ends up on the red tribe, leaving Coach on the blue tribe.

Right off the bat, Jeff announces there will be a challenge between Ozzy and Coach for reward. As you could predict, Ozzy decimates Coach on the physical portion. It ends with a tricky mental pyramid puzzle, where both of them struggle, until Ozzy asks for encouragement. Ozzy wins the challenge and wins flint for his tribe. He makes sure to credit his teammates for their help, though.

I feel so sorry for Coach as he leaves the arena with only Edna there to comfort him. He's already been bitchslapped by Christine, then he got shown up in a challenge, and now his team won't even walk out with him.

Semhar: A poet and she does know it

On Savaii, Ozzy sees that everyone is expecting him to be the leader. Semhar confesses to being a "spoken word artist" and gives a little poetry recital that Ozzy seems to enjoy. Hope he's not forming another little crush. The tribe then decide to all get in the water and just have fun. It's fun to watch nerdy, insecure Cochran struggle with it. Eventually, Cochran does make his Baywatch-style entrance to the ocean.

Things get easier for Coach and he manages to prove his worth by giving them all tips on shelter construction. He also had a conversation in Russian with Sophie. Who knew? Sophie and Mikayla get the palm leaves and Brandon starts chopping. Christine goes off claiming to look for firewood, but begins a quite blatant search for the immunity idol, which does not go unnoticed. With a selfish attitude like that, she's likely to be out of the game very soon.

Nobody is loving the Savaii group swim more than Jim, as he loves being around the three attractive ladies in their swimwear. He tells everyone he's a science teacher, when he actually sells marijuana. Mark Anthony tells the tribe he's gay and that his nickname is "papa bear". Meanwhile, Dawn is disappointed by Ozzy's lax leadership. She's concerned that they should have a shelter by now.

Mikayla, the temptress

Coach and Mikayla notice some of Brandon's tattoos (not the "Hantz" one, though). Apparently Brandon dislikes Mikayla because she flaunts herself, and he's attracted to her. Seems kind of an odd reason. I personally really like her. The girl can fix a shelter and look good doing it, too.

The first night, Coach is talking with Albert, Sophie, Rick and Brandon and he seizes that opportunity to make it an official alliance. He tells them about the importance of day 1 alliances and how strong they are. Pretty surprising to see Coach does have a strategic game after all. He claims he's here to win and maybe that's not such an impossible reality any more. I'm not sure if I think this is the best alliance for him, though. Rick, a known Coach dissenter, ahead of Edna, someone who actually likes him?

Mark tells Dawn they need to stick together

Dawn is proving to be quite the klutz on Savaii. She knocks out the fire, walks into trees, and needs to be given a pep talk by Ozzy. He does a pretty good job of calming her down and making her feel better. Meanwhile, two of the tribe's weaker members get a moment to shine. Semhar gives the tribe toothbrushes, and Elyse teaches Cochran how to chop a coconut, in what he calls a "true coming-of-age moment". Cochran claims he wants to use his social game to get by, but it appears Ozzy already dislikes him.

Does he really think he can keep his shirt on for 39 days?

Someone who did impress me with their social game is Brandon. He seems much better at it than Russell ever was (like that's hard). And he is proving his worth to the tribe as the chief fisherman. Meanwhile, Sophie demonstrates why she's been called the smartest female player ever by claiming that she has a gut feeling that Brandon is hiding something. Good call.

Time for the first team challenge! We see both tribes' strategy talk session, which is unusual. Anyway, Upolu take the lead in the obstacle course. Cochran is a mess when he gets to the wall. Ozzy makes up some time on the dig, but Rick does a great job on the rope cutting and releases the coconuts first. Both tribes get three shooters: Upolu choose Brandon, Mikayla and Albert. Savaii choose Ozzy, Keith and Semhar (huh?). Semhar is so bad that Mark even asks if they can switch out. Upolu, largely thanks to Mikayla, win the challenge.

UPOLO! UPOLO! Stacey leads the chanting

Jeff tells the tribes that this was the closest challenge he's ever seen and one more coconut would've done it for Savaii. That's unlikely to be any comfort to them. He then explains one of the rule changes for immunity idols. The clue is hidden at camp too, and first they have to find that. Jim goes off on Semhar a little bit. "You feel sorta bad? I feel sorta bad when I'm out of milk".

The victorious Upolu tribe return to camp to start looking for the immunity idol. "It's probably right in my face and I don't even know it" says Stacey. And it turns out...she did brush right over it when she stuck her hand in the right tree and missed it!

"Her body is mesmerizing, but not hypnotizing"

Back at camp, Semhar calls out Jim for yelling at her and making her feel even worse than she already was. It seems Ozzy is pushing for Semhar to stay, which frightens Jim. Jim tips Cochran off that he's in trouble, and after whining about how much he sucks, claims his dream has turned into a nightmare.

At tribal council, it all comes out in the open that the first vote is between Semhar and Cochran. Jim doesn't like how she volunteered and then didn't deliver. Semhar defends herself by saying she thinks having the guts to step up is a positive. Cochran and Semhar have a bit of a debate, and Cochran promises to improve his efforts if he is allowed to stay. The votes come in, and surprisingly everyone votes for Semhar. As she departs to Redemption Island, Ozzy suddenly remembers that he "should've taught her how to make fire". Great, so now the weakest girl in the game has an even tougher road ahead, and this time alone. Thank God for Redemption Island.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JIM RICE

I knew he was my pre-season favorite for a reason. By taking steps to limit Ozzy's power in the tribe, Jim deserves plaudits for stopping this from being a Redemption Island repeat. Plus, he's a quote machine.

Returning player profile: Ozzy Lusth

"Ozzy wins immunity!" That's a sentence Jeff probably got bored of saying during Cook Islands. The latino waiter won 5 out of 6 individual immunities, as well as a handful of rewards. He's a team player too, and was a big part of all the tribal challenges Aitu won, contributing to one of the biggest underdog stories of the show as 4-man Aitu overturned 8-man Raro.

It's not just his swimming and tile-smashing abilities that make him a valuable presence on the Island. He's also just a great survival expert, knowing how to climb trees and forage for food. Cristina came up with the comparison of Mowgli from The Jungle Book, but he's also been compared to a dolphin and a monkey.

Is Ozzy nothing more than a challenge whore? That's probably a harsh statement to make. He was, after all, just one vote away from winning Cook Islands, and it was one of the few seasons where you kind of wanted both guys to win. But his social game has come under criticism, with some people saying he was too quiet, and others saying he was too cocky.

The cockiness was definitely a factor to his downfall in Micronesia. Let's recap: Ozzy started the game in a good spot, forming a strong alliance with Parvati, Amanda and James. Cirie was later brought in as a fifth wheel. Pretty soon, Ozzy is looking like the most popular person in the game. Erik is gushing over him and would follow him to the end of the Earth. Any people trying to take him out have been dealt with (Tracy and Ami), and his only enemy is a dumb kid named Jason who nobody likes.

Ozzy has it so good, he's able to toy with Jason. After finding the immunity idol, he replaces it with a fake, that much to everyone's amusement, Jason falls for. But Ozzy's arrogance soon turned to complacency, allowing Cirie and Parvati to catch him unaware, and take him out of the game without playing his idol in a humiliating blindside.

Ouch

Is that the only thing that went wrong for Ozzy? I don't think so. I'm sure his budding romance with Amanda was proving to be a distraction for him. He just didn't have his head in the game, at all.

Jungle love: Ozzy and Amanda enjoy a shower

After his extremely angry jury speech directed at Parvati, I figured that would be the last time we'd ever see Ozzy on Survivor. But after a 3 year hiatus, Ozzy is back, and it's been long enough for him to gain some perspective on his play. "The last Tribal Council that I went through, I’ve got to let that go, but I have to be able to remember and go back and say there were signs" he says. But with the target on his back bigger than ever, will Ozzy be able to get to the end this time? With the Redemption Island twist meaning that challenge performance will make or break your success, I'd say he's in with a shot.

Returning player profile: Benjamin "Coach" Wade

Coach claims he set out to change the game in Tocantins. I can't say he succeeded, but he certainly provided a lot of laughs while trying. That statement alone showcases his delusion. His lies and hypocrisy are definitely an acquired taste, but once you reach the point where you can't take him seriously anymore, he becomes just that: a joke.

Nobody can tell a story like Coach. His campfire tale about his adventures in the Amazon is one of my favorite moments in Survivor history. Nobody really bought it, but you can't say he isn't creative. According to Coach, he's been in a hurricane, attacked by a shark and had a run-in with a crocodile. And who can forget this moment, from the episode 8 reward challenge?

J.T.: Why's everybody going for our team?
ERINN: Your team's a little stacked, I think.
BRENDAN: We're throwing underhand breaking tiles. None of us have ever done this before in our lives.
COACH: I have.


Of course, Coach has. It's the quintessential Coach moment, really. A spurious claim. A pointless brag. A ploy for attention. Witness another classic Coach moment - his spiritual journey on Exile Island, where he seemed to gain a messiah complex.

The Martyr approach: Coach receives enlightenment

The "dragon slayer" shtick is probably the most famous of all of Coach's idiosyncrasies. This time, you were literally watching a grown man live in a fantasy world. It was just wonderfully bizarre. And it certainly left an impression.

What doesn't leave much of an impression is Coach's strategic game. For someone who claims he wanted to change the game, he ended up having very little impact on it from Tyson's boot onwards. He was only really kept around because he just wasn't a threat. Stephen summed it up best: Coach is a predictable player and that's exactly why you want to keep him around.

Coach treats Survivor like a competition about finding the best warrior. And its a game he's only half-good at. When Coach struggled to win challenges and live up to the name he'd built for himself, Probst mocked him, saying that "all that life experience, not helping you". He did win one immunity challenge in Tocantins though, of which his celebrations were suitably entertaining. But Coach's greatest moment in challenges probably came in the first episode of Heroes Vs Villains.

The Colby Slayer

Typically, that was followed with a self-congratulatory confessional later in the episode claiming that "everyone was still talking about it long after I'd forgotten it". Haha, oh Coach, I don't believe that for a second.

Second time around, Coach demonstrated much more self-awareness, but still embraced the character he had created (this time he opted for a Knights Of The Round Table theme). He even showed a more sensitive side, breaking down after Sandra attacked him at tribal council and needing to be comforting by Tyson.

But his gameplay still amounted to little. Caught in the middle between the Rob and Russell battle on the Villians tribe, after pledging his loyalty to both, Coach bottled it and sat on the fence, resulting in Rob being voted out, calling Coach a "little man". Coach was now expendable, and Russell voted him out next for being flaky.

For Coach to do well in South Pacific, he will need to avoid rubbing the other players up the wrong way, and prove himself to be an asset. In his pre-season interview, he seems to be on the right track, claiming "when I get on that beach, I'm just gonna kill them with kindness". Best case scenario for Coach is that his tribe feel no need to take him out because he isn't a threat. I don't think Coach can win. Then again, that isn't really the point for him. I think he just likes mugging for the camera.

South Pacific new cast power rankings

1. JIM RICE
Occupation: Poker Player
First impressions: He seems like a shady guy. Despite his cockiness he seems fun, albeit perhaps a little sleazy. I expect him to get in a good alliance and should be fairly strategic. I think he could be a good villain.
Prediction: He'll make Jury, but will fall just short of the finals due to not being trusted.

2. JOHN COCHRAN
Occupation: Lawyer
First impressions: He's a Survivor superfan, so expect him to have game. He's not strong physically though, so he might be vulnerable to being an early boot. However, I think he will know the best way to present himself, and few will recognise him as a threat.
Prediction: They'd be wrong. John is a big threat to go all the way.

3. MIKAYLA WINGLE
Occupation: Playboy model
First impressions: Athletic, flirty and smart. Could she be the full package? Jeff Probst seems to think so, comparing her to Boston Rob. That's a big claim considering how much Jeff adores him.
Prediction: She's the frontrunner.

4. EDNA MA
Occupation: Doctor
First impressions: A strong personality, Edna seems hilarious, and I'd love to see her do well. Unfortunately, if her bossy side comes out, she probably won't.
Prediction: Pre-Jury. Enjoy her snark while it lasts.

5. RICK NELSON
Occupation: Rancher
First impressions: This badass cowboy is bursting with enthusiasm and is such a likeable guy. He will be a hard worker around camp, but may rub people up the wrong way or find it hard to relate to the younger crowd. He already mocked Coach in his audition video, and by chance he has ended up on the same tribe as him.
Prediction: First boot like Chicken, unfortunately.

6. MARK ANTHONY CARUSO
Occupaton: New York cop
First impression: I like Mark. His loudmouth nature should provide entertainment. He claims he wants to be the daddy of the group, and I think he's got a good chance of pulling it off. A loyal, honorable guy like him is certainly someone I'd have in my alliance.
Prediction: As long as he doesn't slow his tribe down in challenges, he'll make the merge.

7. ELYSE UMEMOTO
Occupation: Beauty Queen
First impressions: It's hard to say who's hotter between her or Mikayla. Elyse is the one with a wild side though. Don't underestimate her just because she's a party girl - she's planning on bringing all the skills she learned at Pageants to the show.
Prediction: Could go either way. They might get her out early for being a troublemaker, or she could flirt her way to the end.

8. BRANDON HANTZ
Occupation: Russell's nephew
First impressions: This guy has got a lot of baggage. Hopefully he keeps his last name a secret. He seems like a loveable scamp, though.
Prediction: Will play a different game to his uncle, but should be just as successful.


9. SOPHIE CLARKE 
Occupation: Med student
First impressions: A very intelligent girl, but seems socially awkward and overconfident. The physical or strategic game won't be her problem, it'll be fitting in.
Prediction: She's got potential, but will probably disappoint.

10. DAWN MEEHAN
Occupation: Teacher
First impressions: The crazy older lady typically doesn't do well on Survivor, but I think Dawn will surprise people. Her social, strategic and physical game will have a lot more to offer than you may think.
Prediction: Probably no higher than mid-Jury.

11. WHITNEY DUNCAN
Occupation: Country singer
First impressions: She seems like a darling. I have doubts about how much entertainment she'll provide, but she'll certainly be good eye candy. The under-the-radar Queen.
Prediction: Could ride coattails to the very end.

12. SEMHAR TADESSE
Occupation: Poet/actress
First impressions: Uh, there's little here to indicate any chance of staying in the game long. This busty diva is more worried about her hair than playing Survivor.
Prediction: Most obvious early boot ever.

13. ALBERT DESTRADE
Occupation: Basketball coach
First impressions: The douchebag jock of the group. Albert looks to be the best athlete of the group, but the way he brags about his ability isn't endearing.
Prediction: He won't win. His best chance is an immunity run.

14. STACEY POWELL
Occupation: Mortician
First impressions: Seems sassy, but not in an obnoxious way. Indicating she wants to get rid of the returning players is a good sign. Expect her to get very little screentime.
Prediction: Pre-Jury.

15. KEITH TOLLEFSON
Occupation: Environmentalist
First impressions: I've tried, but I just can't find anything interesting about Keith. His pacemaker sets him up as a sob story/jury threat, and he might be another of those Matt Elrod types that are just too "nice" for Survivor.
Prediction: Won't make the endgame.

16. CHRISTINE SHIELDS
Occupation: Teacher
First impressions: If Christine plays as good a game as she talks, she'll do well. But I'm not getting my hopes up for this one. She's unlikely to have much impact on the season at all.
Prediction: Gone before the merge.