VIA: http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article10998.art&page=1

I can’t believe that Survivor is getting ready to air its 20th season! I still remember when Survivor first hit the airwaves. I had just turned 21 and this new contribution to reality TV really intrigued me. After that, I always wanted to apply for reality TV and I even considered applying for Survivor, but ultimately it was always Big Brother that kept my interest – and where, of course, I ended up!

I know this has been rehashed to death in the wake of Survivor’s ten-year run, but I am going to give it my own take. The game of Survivor truly is unlike other games. You not only face the social aspect, but you must face nature as well as physical and mental fatigue. Anytime someone goes into these games, they have a strategy in mind and almost always this strategy gets thrown out the window rather quickly. What I am going to do with this article is look at these strategic choices. I am going to look at how their past choices and the baggage associated with those choices will affect this current incarnation of Survivor. I have to add at this point that when I saw the first promo for Heroes vs. Villains at the finale for Samoa, I got chills. The whole concept is simultaneously so simple and complex. Several of the contestants have pre-existing ties. I will be examining these ties and how they could possibly affect their game. So let’s get right down to the issue at hand and look at our castaways.

Heroes

Rupert: Rupert originally came to our TV screens in Pearl Islands and then quickly returned in All-Stars. Rupert also won the million dollars from America in All-Stars. He is a wacky, zany, loveable guy who is dedicated to helping kids. He also has pre-existing game relationships with Jerri, Colby, Boston Rob, and Sandra. I think at this point Rupert has shown that when it comes to him, what you see is what you get. I really don’t expect to see anything new from him. He will still be the same awesome guy that we have come to know and love. This has been what Rupert’s downfall has been before and most likely will be again. He just doesn’t have it in him to really backstab someone, but I could be wrong.

James: I personally really think that James is a great guy and I want him to do very well. James did well in China and he was doing well in Fans vs. Favorites until he had to be evacuated for medical reasons. He does great in the challenges and he also has a strong social game. I would expect James to play like he did in Fans vs. Favorites. He had learned a lot in China and clearly was putting it into practice. So providing he doesn’t have another medical issue, James will keep doing what he does best. James has existing ties to Cirie, Amanda (two seasons), Parvati, and Courtney. I actually think that James will be sitting pretty. He has two friends on the Heroes and two on the Villains, plus he is good in challenges.

Colby: I really don’t think that you can get any more all-American than Colby. He is a very trusting and loyal person. That is the reason he is a hero, right? I really think that the only thing that could potentially spell doom for him going right into the game is Jerri. Jerri and Colby have a ton of history. He burnt her in Australia and she burnt him in All-Stars. So one would think that they are even. But based on everything I have seen from interviews, I think Colby should be apprehensive of Jerri, which I’m sure he is.

Cirie: I admit that I haven’t seen Cirie’s first appearance in Panama, but I loved fans versus favorites. I absolutely adore Cirie. She is funny, smart, and plays a mean game. Despite her ties to several of the other castaways, I would not expect for her position to be compromised by any dramatic baggage brought to the game.

Amanda: Amanda really has something to prove. She is in a unique position. She is, I believe, the only Survivor contestant to literally make it to the finals in back-to-back seasons and still not win the big cash. She plays well and needs to really just stand up for herself and seal the deal in the final Tribal Council.

Sugar: She is likely going to be the most vocal of all the Heroes. She sticks up for her friends, which is why she is probably on the Hero tribe, and is definitely not shy. I actually expect Sugar to make it further in the game than some of the other Heroes because she is not as memorable. I don’t mean this as an insult, I just mean no one should really view her as a threat, which is the way I would want to be viewed.

Stephenie: Here we have the contestant with whom I am the least familiar. She is definitely an enigma. I am basing my opinion solely off of what I can learn from interviews and what Jeff tells me! So having been the last person left in her tribe and improving her performance in Palau of third jury member to runner-up in Guatemala tells me she is here to stay. Should be interesting to see her interact with some of the stronger personalities.

J.T.: He is such a nice guy, but I don’t think that this guy really stands a chance of getting to the end again. If anyone falls for his “aww shucks” country act now, then they deserve to be kicked off the island. I certainly wouldn’t fall for that, because he is clearly intelligent. He used his charm to disarm everyone in Tocantins and hopefully these people have learned from that strategy. The only thing that could possibly save J.T. is if he finds himself able to fall into a swing vote position.

Tom: Tom won his season. That is not going to work out well for him. Just like other winners in this season, I think it will be a huge disadvantage. I do expect Tom to do well though. He is good at challenges so he will be an asset for his tribe until it comes time to cut him loose.

Candice: I am sure that Candice is the one person from this cast that gets the reaction of “why?” the most. I asked myself the same question, but then I watched Jeff Probst’s interview on why Candice was chosen and it made sense. I really enjoyed the Cook Islands season. It gave us some of the people we have seen a lot of: Ozzy, Parvati, Candice, Jonathan, and Yul. I think that Candice has the biggest advantage of any of the Heroes. She is coming into this game with basically a blank slate. Yes she did mutiny in Cook Islands, but she really didn’t do anything so dramatic that she is going to be pigeonholed by the Heroes or the Villains. She has options and I really think that is going to work out in her favor.

Now for the Villains tribe, wow… a whole tribe of people known for their ability to lie, cheat, manipulate, and deceive people in a game. I can’t help but pull for this tribe more than the Heroes, but that could be because I have a little bit of experience with being on the villainous side of one of these games. I know that the viewers really root against the villains, but I think that there is something to actually be respected about these Villains. The Villains have one huge advantage over the Heroes. The Heroes play like themselves, but Villains understand that it is just a game. This enables them to make moves that they never would in a million years in their regular lives, hence the lying and manipulation. It is because of this special bond I feel that I may write more about the Villains, but I promise I will stay impartial in my strategy talk.

Villains

Tyson: Tyson was a surprise to me in his original season. He came in as kind of a quiet guy, but then really got in everyone’s face. He was extremely hilarious. I totally expect him to fall in line with Coach and form an alliance. I am not sure that Tyson will make it very far in this game though. I don’t know why I have this feeling other than a gut instinct. Probably his opinionated personality will be his downfall.

Randy: I also think that Randy is hilarious. One word and only one word describes Randy: cantankerous. I really hope that he learned something from his Gabon experience and will play a little more under the radar. Should he be able to do that, he will make it far, but once someone really ticks him off, I am sure we’ll have fireworks. I would be remiss to not mention my favorite Survivor moment about Randy. I remember at the end of Gabon, they showed a few of the contestants’ audition videos. The best one hands down was Randy. I remember he was sitting there and painting while filming himself and the phone rang. The next thing that came out of his mouth was a profanity laced tirade about how much he hates people. It was hilarious, raw, and real. That is most likely the reason they picked him. I think anyone who wants to be on reality TV should take note of his audition tape – it is a great example of how to really be you and get noticed.

Sandra: I actually was indifferent about Sandra on her season. I read somewhere that she was offered All-Stars after Pearl Islands and declined it because of health reasons. She was just lucky that Lillian chose her instead of Jonny Fairplay to go to the finals. If Lillian had been thinking, she would have taken Fairplay for the easy win. Sandra will do what she did last time, she will lie low and she will play a strong social game. If Sandra makes it past the first couple of Tribal Councils, she should go far, if not to the finals.

Danielle: Danielle is like Stephenie for me. I really do not know too much about her and thus I really do not know what to expect. She really doesn’t have strong ties to the other Villains and could fall into the swing vote position. I will be waiting anxiously to see how she plays within the social structure of the tribe.

Russell: Russell has a huge advantage going into this season – no one was able to see his season before they filmed! If the other contestants were able to see his season before filming, then he probably would be the first person voted out. I totally expect Russell to play the exact same game he did in Samoa. You can expect more crazy hidden immunity Idol zaniness, more manipulation, and more awesome evilness.

Jerri: I am happy to see that Jerri has finally fully embraced her villainy. She was the first black widow of Survivor and I really hope that she owns that title. She definitely isn’t afraid to cut people out of the game and that is an asset. The only thing that could potentially spell doom for Jerri is her tie to Colby. That baggage could definitely be viewed as a negative by her fellow contestants. I really secretly want Colby and Jerri to bury the hatchet and have a super secret awesome alliance that no one would be expecting.

Rob: Boston Rob is definitely among the best people to play this game. He didn’t have too big of a target on his back when he went into All-Stars. That is mainly due to the fact that he left the game so early on in Marquesas. He doesn’t have the same advantage going into this game. He has now done three seasons of Survivor and two seasons of The Amazing Race. I have no idea what the Survivors think, but all of this success could very easily work against Rob. Something else that could really work against him is the fact that he has a family now. Boston Rob is not a quitter, so I would never see him quitting, but we may see a much more emotional side of Rob.

Parvati: I have to go ahead and say that I am on team Parvati. She is funny and plays a great social game. The only thing that could be a detriment to her game is the fact that she won Fans vs. Favorites. I have faith in her and if there is anyone who could overcome this obstacle, it is Parvati. She definitely proved in Micronesia that she learned some lessons in Cook Islands and knows how to correct them. GO PARAVTI!!

Coach: Coach just really lives to the beat of his own drum. I really don’t expect anything different from him this time. He should be entertaining to his tribemates and he tended to carry his own in his original season when it came to the challenges. This should be good for him and help him, but I honestly feel that once his tribe starts going to Tribal Council, he will be an easy option to eliminate because his only real strong potential for an alliance is Tyson.

Courtney: I expect Courtney to make it rather far in the game if she can get to the merge. She definitely isn’t a physical threat and I think she is someone that people would want to take towards the end so they do not become an immunity hog. She is very smart though and could easily win the whole thing. I really don’t think there is any baggage coming into the game from other contestants that would predispose her to be an easy vote out or anything.

So there is my initial take on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. I am sure a very small amount of it will be correct and a much larger portion will be wrong. I am excited to watch this season and see how it plays. Who will triumph, those who came to play for honor or those who came to play for revenge? We’ll only know once the season is over and I will be tuned into CBS on Thursday night like everyone else to watch!