Blood v. Water: Episode 2

Colton's back! The man is an bullying, manipulative drama queen, but he also brings a level of excitement to the game that I'm happy to see. It seems like his tribe won't take his shit, but I think their Anti-Drama Alliance may lose power the longer they have to live with him. After all they are not a strong group for returnees, either physically or mentally -- probably they're the weakest in Survivor history. They are making giant n00b mistakes for a team of pros. I've never heard of a returning player not wanting to strategize until they lose an immunity challenge. Terrible decision!

Brad's "all women are the same" comments continue to rankle me, but I think the male alliance's decision to vote out Rachel was strategically smart. I'm pretty surprised they've lost 2 challenges in a row. They seem like the stronger & more physical group, but I guess inexperience is working against them. I don't think their losing streak will last much longer, though.


Last Season's Side Bets:

Where's my 6-pack, Bag? I want Left Hand Milk Stout. :)


The Teams:

Michal "Mind Under Matter": 22 points
1. Katie (0 pts)
2. Hayden (0 pts)
3. Colton (8 pts)
4. Kat (6 pts)
5. Tina (8 pts)

AndBag "ahhhhFUCKthat": 17.5 pts
1. John (0 pts)
2. Laura B. (8 pts)
3. Candice (1.5 pts)
4. Gervase (8 pts)
5. Ciera (0 pts)

JeffCo Cartel: 17.5 pts1. Aras (8 pts)
2. Rupert (0 pts)
3. Marissa (1.5 pts)
4. Caleb (0 pts)
5. Laura M. (8 pts)

Moon & Melissa: 16 pts
1. Vytas (0 pts)
2. Tyson (8 pts)
3. Monica (8 pts)
4. Brad (0 pts)
5. Rachel (0 pts)

red = n00b tribe
blue = returning tribe
pink = on Redemption Island

Power Rankings:

Complete Dreckitude: ahhhhFUCKthat - AndBag's team went from bad to worse when the target shifted to John this week. I really don't have anything positive to say about this team. Would enjoy watching a John v. Candice Redemption Island show-down though! I imagine a lot of crying, possibly during the challenge istelf.

Repellant: JeffCo Cartel - Losing Rupert was a foregone conclusion, but Marissa's toughness at Redemption Island was a pleasant surprise. I hope she sticks around for a while - keep that rage a'smoldering, Marissa! Aras is definitely coming across as tribe leader, too, which for a genial man like him is a good thing. Definitely a step in the right direction this week for Doug & Bri, though they still have a long way to go to have a "good team."

Terrrrr: MooMe - Losing Rachel is a blow, especially if Tyson decides to swap places. Then they're both in danger, and lucky Laura B. gets a promotion from the dangerous "newest on the tribe" position. Vytas is playing a crafty game for sure, and Brad & Monica are doing okay... probably this them playing at their highest potential, so you have to be satisfied with that.

Least Horrible: Mind Under Matter - I'm the only person with 5 players still in the game (aka not on Redemption Island), which is surprising. Katie, Hayden & Tina all performed decently, and Kat is playing exactly the role I wanted her to... which doesn't include performing well. So, I'd say this is currently the least horrible team, although only by the slightest of margins.

Douche of the Week:

My heart wants to vote for Brad again, but Colton was really obnoxious beyond compare, so I gotta go with Colton this week.

Blood v. Water: Draft & Episode 1

Survivor returns with a couple of fun twists & another enthusiastic group for the pool! During our dinner at Murphy's we celebrated Doug & Bri's victory from last season with delicious food, seasonal beer, and the next iteration of the Survivor trophy. Alas, I don't have a photo of it, but I can assure you that it is bigger, even more ninja-y, and chock full of special effects!

The Rules:

For a full list of rules, check the spreadsheet linked on the right. New rules include changes to hidden immunity idol points, penalties for voting against loved ones, and a bounty system for Redemption Island challenges. Mostly we're just tweaking & clarifying these days, though, nothing major.

Last Season's Side Bets:

Last season we had a few side bets & it's time for Bag to pay up. I won the toothpaste bet & a Malcolm hook-up bet while Moon won the med-evac bet. I don't remember what these bets were actually for, but I think that Bag owes each of us a 6-pack. What do y'all think?

The Teams:

Michal "Mind Under Matter": 9 points
1. Katie (0 pts)
2. Hayden (0 pts)
3. Colton (3 pts)
4. Kat (3 pts)
5. Tina (3 pts)

AndBag: 6 pts
1. John  (0 pts)
2. Laura B. (3 pts)
3. Candice (0 pts)
4. Gervase (3 pts)
5. Ciera (0 pts)

Moon & Melissa: 6 pts
1. Vytas (0 pts)
2. Tyson (3 pts)
3. Monica (3 pts)
4. Brad (0 pts)
5. Rachel (0 pts)

JeffCo Cartel: 6 pts
1. Aras (3 pts)
2. Rupert (0 pts)
3. Marissa (0 pts)
4. Caleb (0 pts)
5. Laura M. (3 pts)

red = n00b tribe
blue = returning tribe
lavender = on Redemption Island

Power Rankings:

This season the producers didn't bring back fan favorites. Instead, they brought back some of the least liked & non-memorable castaways from seasons past. It's going to give this season's pool an interesting twist. Most everyone doesn't like their team, and for good reason! To embrace this season of hate, I'm switching up the power rankings; no one will get a #1 ranking until their team really deserves it. (A lot of fat needs to be trimmed before this will be possible.)

Complete Dreckitude: JeffCo Cartel - with two players already on Redemption Island, Doug & Bri are the front-runners for suckiness so far. Rupert to me was clearly a bad pick. Yes he was awesome on his first 1.5 seasons, but the last 1.5 seasons he was not strong & now he's completely checked out. Aras & Caleb are the highlights of this team, though Aras will have a big target on his back since he's won before. Laura is still an unknown... as in I literally don't remember her from any previous seasons. Still, JeffCo Cartel started weak last season too, so we can never count them out!

Repellant: AndBag - John may be the favorite to win the whole season at this point. It's nice to have a counterpoint to Brad on the n00b tribe. John is smart, athletic, and seems to have both morals & ethics. Candice, Gervase & Laura B. are going to drag this team down, though, costing AndBag points in the long-term. Ciera came across as the strongest n00b female and I think she could do well.

Terrrrr: Mind Under Matter - Tina & Hayden proved more impressive than expected & Kat met my very low expectations, but I hope she'll still come through by being in a power alliance. Katie & Colton were both huge disappointments -- Katie was supposed to be smart & Colton was supposed to be devious, NOT a cry baby! Hope he switches things up soon.

Least Horrible: Moon & Melissa - they have a sexist moron on their team, and yet they still came out the strongest after this episode. Brad = despicable in every way, but Vytas was impressive & Tyson & Monica seem capable of making waves. They have also proven themselves capable of being duped big-time, though, so it's really too early to call.

Douche of the Week:

No surprise, I'm voting for Brad!