Survivor Worlds Apart First Impressions

The cast of Survivor 30 has finally been revealed! Eighteen new castaways, separated by working class,  will battle it out to earn the title of sole Survivor. I think this cast seems like it's full of quirky characters and savvy players, which should make for a eventful season. Here are my first impressions on cast and each tribe...

WHITE COLLAR

Max Dawson, 37- Max was the first person that stood out to me as a potential mastermind of the season. He seems to know how to deal with different types of people and what it takes to influence them within Survivor. Superfans are usually hit or miss on the show, they either understand the importance of patience and what to do in the early game or they go right out of the gate strategizing and end up crashing and burning. I think Max will be just fine as long as he lets the bigger personalities take control early while he focuses on individual relationships needed to navigate throughout the game.

Joaquin Souberbielle, 27- Speaking of bigger personalities...Joaquin (Dolph Ziggler's twin) seems like the perfect meatshield (and meathead) for the white collar tribe. I hate to say that there is a 0% chance for someone to win...but there is a 0% chance for Joaquin to win. He's cocky, arrogant, and narcissistic and he seems to be proud of it! The only thing that might save him is challenge ability and how much he contributes to the team. Other than that, this guy is on borrowed time already.

Shirin Oskool, 31- At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Shirin. She definitely comes across as a corky and fun woman but I wasn't sure how she would deal with the survival elements and the game itself. After watching her intro video a few times, I found that she really began to grow on me. I think she will have this effect on her tribemates and if she gets in with the right people early, she could be a player that goes a long way. I also enjoy that she's a huge super fan, so I am confident that she'll make the right moves that will put her in the position to win.

Tyler Fredrickson, 33- Tyler comes across as a little soft spoken, but much like Shirin, I believe he will grow on his tribe and make strong connections early. Tyler looks very easy going yet calculated in his strategies and overall game plan. His bio sounds like he is very eager to play, so as long as he can contain that eagerness and focus on the small elements needed to put him in a strong position, I think he has a great chance at making it to the end. In a cast that has many big personalities, Tyler is a very low key player that can make an impact in the late game. My prediction is that Tyler is the dark horse of the season.

So Kim, 31- So is very hit or miss for me. I just get this feeling that she's going to go in, immediately pull the flirt card, and rub certain people the wrong way. If she can at least make an effort to help around camp and in challenges instead of just batting her eyes to Joaquin, then I think she can a very cunning player. I'm just not seeing much here.

Carolyn Rivers, 52- I get a Trish vibe from Carolyn, someone who is kind of a loud mouth and confrontational. The tribe she is on seems to be filled with mostly calm and goofy people (minus Joaquin), so I see Carolyn as more of an annoyance than an entertainer to her team. If the white collars do visit tribal council early, I think Carolyn will be in serious trouble.

White Collar Tribe- Overall, I think this tribe has a lot of strategic threats. My worry for them though is that they might be weaker in the challenges compared to the other two tribes. Their communication and level of teamwork is going to make or break this tribe in the early stages of the game.

Blue Collar

Dan Foley, 47- Dan sounds lovable, passionate, and hilarious BUT I don't think he's going to be playing for a long time. On a tribe of six, challenge performance is going to be critical and I'm not sure if he's going to be able to keep up to the physical performance of his other tribemates. I think that he can integrate himself well socially if the Blue collar tribe can go on a immunity run but if the numbers start to dwindle, he might find himself an early target.

Sierra Dawn Thomas, 27- She sounds like a very sweet girl, but I just don't see her winning this game. Sierra gives off a very Jeffra vibe, southern and cute, but in no way a schemer or manipulator. Her personality will help her get far in the game but I think jury is going to be as good as it gets for her.

Kelly Remington, 44- I'm not really a big fan of Kelly. I think she's a little bit of a try hard and I doubt she can form enough social connections in order to survive the first phase of the game. I also don't get too much from her bio, which is kind of a bad sign. I can see her going in and playing super hard, which will earn her an early boot in the first few rounds.

Rodney Lavoie Jr., 24- Rodney comes across as a very passionate player. His great physical shape and social ability should help him win challenges for his tribe early one, but individually it isn't going to help him in the long run. His loud personality might not mesh well with a majority of the players and will most likely be his undoing. If Rodney makes the merge, I could easily see him as one of the first boots.

Mike Halloway, 38-Mike was easily one of my favorites after watching his intro video. Then I started to read his bio and came to the conclusion that he has tribe leader written all over him. I think Mike will try and lead the tribe as soon as the game begins which is never a good idea! Being pegged the leader is like a death sentence in Survivor and unfortunately I think that will be the outcome for Mike. I predict that he'll be one of the last prejury players.

Lindsay Cascaddan, 24- Nope! Not a fan! I'm not sure where to start but I just don't like Lindsay at all (from a player standpoint of course). Comparing yourself to Ciera because of her "big moves" just sounds silly. I mean sure, vote your mom ally out and then go to rocks at six, BOOM! She said that she's going to flirt her way into blindsides but I think she's more likely to just be blindsided.

Blue Collar Tribe- This tribe might do well in challenges but I don't think anyone in this tribe has a chance at winning the whole thing. All the great social players will likely get picked off early due to challenge performance and then the rest of them will either get dragged as goats or slaughtered by the more fine tuned players. Unity and numbers could be the only thing that keeps this group in the game.

No Collar

Hali Ford, 25- Hali is one of my favorite girls in the cast. She is extremely ambitious, determined, funny and cute. I think she understands how to socially connect with all different types of people but won't be steam rolled into submission by other players. Hali will most likely be underrated which is going to work out great for her if she can still maintain strong relationships and make the big moves needed to win the game.

Jenn Brown, 22- I really like Jenn! Her intro video was very bubbly and quirky and I think her type of personality is perfect for the tribe she's on. Her skills in cooking should keep her around during the early stages of the game and create a roll within the tribe. She seems like a player who will put forth a lot of effort in challenges and social interaction, so I can see her going very far. The only thing that might screw her over is if the No Collars can't seem to grab a win, and have to start picking off multiple members before a swap/twist.

Joe Anglim, 25- He definitely gives off a Malcolm/Josh mix for me. I hope he's not too much like Josh and overplays his hand because I see a lot of potential in Joe. Joe seems like a natural competitor and extremely easy going but I don't think he's going to win and will most likely be first or second juror because of his great social game and athletic ability. I'm really hoping he proves me wrong.

Will Sims II, 41- If there was a Survivor award for nice guy, he would get it in a heart beat. He sounds like he's incredibly grateful to be there and is very determined to make an impact. Unfortunately, I think Will is going to be the first boot of the No Collar tribe because of his lack of physical ability (of course that is just by assumption). Will is going to be a prime example of nice guys finish last...

Vince Sly, 32- Anyone else think Sly isn't really his last name? This guy is so weird! All I could think about while watching his intro video was "where did they find this guy?!" Even though he might freak people out, he seems to have a good grasp of what is needed to be successful in the game. I think his glaring personality is going to be a hinderance for him when it comes to late game but all in all I would say that I am very interested to see exactly what his plans are.

Nina Poersch, 51- I was really happy to see that she compares herself to Tina (Nina Tina!) because she definitely comes across as a strong social player that can keep up with the rest of them in challenges. Her view that you need to be able to sell yourself in Survivor is very accurate and insightful. I think Nina will be a player that will easily maneuver herself from alliance to alliance when needed and be able to create a strong case for herself in the end.

No Collar Tribe- I will admit that there are some oddballs on this tribe but overall I think they are a strong force! They seem ver balanced in challenge ability and social interaction which is going to be key for any of them to have a shot at winning Survivor. I'm not sure who I'd put my money on but I think the winner of Survivor Worlds Apart is somewhere on this tribe.


Make sure to tune in February 25th 8pm est for the 90 minute premiere of Survivor Worlds Apart and don't forget to follow me on twitter Jacob Harpel so you can catch show updates and future blog posts!

Love Will Keep Us Together! Big Brother Showmances

Some would say that love is the greatest power in the universe, but what about in the Big Brother house? Over the years, we've seen all different types of couples hook up and take a run at the $500,000 prize. This intimate strategy has become so popular that Big Brother alumni Dr. Will coined it the term "showmance" during season seven. We've seen cast demographics shift to a younger age over the years in what I believe is an attempt to encourage showmances or just romantic activity so CBS can throw in a #showmance every other episode. Showmances come in all different shapes and sizes, each relationship consisting of two different individuals, but the question remains...are showmances a viable strategy or a death sentence?

Dan Gheesling, winner of BB10 and BB14 runner up, would suggest the later. He has always made it known that his stance on showmances is that they are a distraction for competitors. This is a viable point because Big Brother is a mental game where you should be focusing on the social dynamics of the entire house. To be surrendering all if not most of your time on learning what a cute girl's first pet was called, isn't the smartest idea. You need five votes to win, not just one!

Another argument for anti-showmances is the lack of secrecy it brings. It's always nice to keep your hand close in the game, never letting people know exactly where your loyalties lie. A showmance is like sticking up a giant sign that says "HEY, JORDAN AND I ARE PLAYING THIS GAME TOGETHER!" Of course, a player can have more than one interaction a day, but players will always know that x will come before y when the time comes to choose...well...sometimes.

This brings me to an interesting point, because even if players but their relationships first throughout the game, how many times have we've seen one of the partners cut ties at the bitter end in order to win? In BB5 Drew cut Diane at the final three because he felt that there was no way he could defeat her in the end. This was the girl that he had been hooking up with for the last three months, the person that protected him when his alliance fell to pieces. Jon and Neda from BB Can2 could be seen as another example, although I'm not going to count them as a showmance since there wasn't any real romantic interaction in the house and I believe that classifying them as a showmance just because its a woman and a man isn't fair. Jon cut Neda at the final HOH for a lot of the same reasons Drew cut Diane, he took his personal feelings out of the equation and did what was best for his own chances. Does this mean that showmances or an alliance is effective as long as you are aware enough to realize when the time to actually cut the cord is? I think so. Lisa Donahue from season three is a perfect example of this mindset. She had the ability to vote her showmance back into the house but chose not to because she knew it was better for her game to keep the target off her back and prevent a distraction from entering the house.

                                                                         Sorry Eric!

Let's give showmances the benefit of the doubt for a moment because it's hard to ignore the track record. Below I have listed every winner from BB2-BB16 and the two BBCAN seasons that had a showmance or any romantic involvement. There are quite a few...

Big Brother 2-Dr. Will
Big Brother 3-Lisa Donahue
Big Brother 5-Drew Daniel
Big Brother 7-Mike Boogie
Big Brother 11-Jordan Lloyd
Big Brother 12-Hayden Moss
Big Brother 13-Rachel Reilly
Big Brother Canada 1- Jillian Maclaughlin

That's eight out of seventeen winners, a little less than half. Of course there are some exceptions to this list. Hayden won his season due to the brigade, not the fling he had in week three with Kristen. Also, we all know about the Jillian vote controversy and could argue that she wasn't going to win in the first place.  Either way, it's hard to ignore statistics like this. Showmances have proven to be helpful in a lot of ways. One argument is that you're creating an aura of intimidation, no one wants to get rid of someone while knowing there's someone who's going to go after you 100% because of it. This strategy worked for McCranda for a long time in BB15. It's also great knowing that someone is always going to be on your side, and have a vote that you can control or count on.

To be honest though, everything positive that I said about showmances could be said about strong alliances as well. Take the romantic interest out of any showmance and you'll get a loyal alliance like Chilltown, the Brigade, or the Shield and vice versa. If Will and Boogie were in love with each other, which could be debated in all honesty, then they'd be marked the greatest showmance of all time. Take a look at the two most talked about showmances to play, Jeff/Jordan and Brenchel. It wasn't the sex or marriage plans that made Rachel and Brendon huge forces, it was their challenge ability. Jeff and Jordan were cute together but I think they're talk about bugs and spelling didn't do much for their game, the coup d'etat did that for them.  There were other elements to their gameplay that made them successful, not the relationship itself.

There's nothing wrong with having a relationship within the Big Brother house. You're in there for three months, a long time to go without any physical activity. In the end though, I think we can all agree that showmances have their perks and their disadvantages. What really matters is that you know how it effects your game. If you're not willing to cut your better half when the time comes, you might just be cutting your chances to win instead.


Agree or disagree with my view? Let me know! Comment below or tweet jacobharpel!

Looking Back on San Juan del Sur

After Survivor Cagayan, which was full of over the top characters and twists and turns every week, I knew that Jeff Probst and co. were going to have a tough time trying to keep season 29 on the same scale. I'd be lying if I said that I thought this season was as entertaining as the Cagayan castaways but as I watched Natalie get crowned Sole Survivor at the end of San Juan del Sur, I felt satisfied that the best player came on top and won an overall enjoyable season.

Blood vs. Water

I think if Survivor decides to continue the Blood vs. Water theme, they should stick to an all newbie cast. Having half a cast of returning players go up against people who have never played will always be an unfair advantage and will usually result in a one sided game. Unfortunately, the trade off for having a all new cast is that you risk having a boring game with a bunch of people that don't know how to play. I was worried that this would be the case during the first phase of the game, which was dull and uneventful and centered around the two "masterminds" who thought they were running everything. I think everyone can agree that the cast wasn't the most strategic of the bunch. Watching Josh, who had terrible social management with players, and Jeremy, who kept talking about himself walking on water, were being angled as these great players was a little frustrating. There was also the constant reminder that it was a Blood vs. Water season. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time they talked about surviving on the island or Jeff asked about playing with a loved one, I'd be rivaling Natalie in prize money.

We get it. Living in the wild is hard and playing with your loved one is harder. Got it.

Once the merge began, I felt like the game had new life in it. We started to see all the players who thought they had the entire game figured out get blindsided one by one. I remember watching the episode that Jeremy got eliminated. Before they revealed the vote, I turned to my roommate and said "nice smokescreen Survivor, Reed is a deadman." After the blindside, I couldn't help but look like this...

I had to use it once. I couldn't help it!

Once the merge happened, it seemed as if everyone that grabbed the reigns of the game got burned for it the following week. When you're not sure who is going home, it's incredible for viewers. It creates excitement and suspense when they tune in to see who will be the next person on the chopping block. Natalie navigated through this perfectly after she lost her number one ally. Think about it, how many times have we seen a player lose someone they're close to and then be the next boot? Natalie had the patience and strategy to wait for the right opportunity to turn on Jon and receive her revenge. Moments like that made the season entertaining and breathed new life within the show.

THE FINALE

The finale wasn't anything too special, but it had it's moments. The biggest question was if Natalie was going to make it to the end. Luckily for her she was smart enough to turn against Baylor and Missy at the final five. In my opinion, Keith winning that immunity was a godsend for her. Going into a final four where you know two people will never vote for each other is never good. Had Jacquelyn won the final four immunity, which she did of course, Natalie buys her ticket to fourth place unless she gets the tie.  

Really the only other memorable moment for me was of course the Reed speech. If you haven't seen it, I implored you to watch the video below.

Whether you agree with it or not, you have to admit it was the most memorable scene of the night. Reed saved the final tribal for me because other than him, the jurors fell flat. I was extremely disappointed in Jeremy who I expected to give a great speech about Natalie's gameplay and why she deserved to win. He was on the right track but he fumbled around his words and didn't really say much. I guess Jeremy has a hard time expressing how awesome a player's game can be unless it's himself.  Zing! 

Speaking of player's games, lets take a look at who won my awards of the season. You're on the edge of your seats, I know. First things first (I'm the realest) the season MVP is obviously...

MVP

Natalie. Not just because she won because frankly if Keith took the million, she'd still deserve this. Natalie wasn't anything special during the first halve of the game. To me she came across as Jeremy's pawn, someone who was going to follow him to the end and get third place. Once Jeremy got the boot though, we saw a different side to Natalie. She knew when to play nice and when to pull the knife out, gaining Jon's trust when she told him to play the idol and then voting him out three rounds later.  Timing is everything in Survivor and Natalie was perfect at it.

Natalie was very entertaining but who had the biggest spotlight of the season...

MOST ENTERTAINING 

Keith was without a doubt one of the biggest stories. Whether you rooted for him all the way or breathed a sign of relief when his torch was snuffed, Keith was memorable character. I mean who could forget "stick to the plan!" Keith's cluelessness made him hilarious, there were some episodes where I genuinely thought he believed he was stranded on an island with his son and some strangers. He also created great tension. During the finale, he was against all odds and had no choice but to win out.  I liked Keith but I was happy he lost. When a player is so bad that he gets his son son eliminated...he might not be the best winner. I got a sense that Keith was just along for the ride when his son got asked to play.  

WHO I'D LIKE TO SEE RETURN

I'm going to have to say Reed on this one. I was ready to put Jeremy for the longest time but at the end of the day I had to give it to the Spiderman himself. Jeremy was incredibly cocky and since he played so hard so fast, he made himself a huge target at the merge. Jeremy's game was very transparent. Everyone knew that he was talking to everyone and when he gave his reward away, eyes were rolled at the obvious move. Reed played a strong game. He hid behind the power players and laid low for the first phase of the game. When Josh left, he knew that he needed to make power moves and was able to convince the other side that Jeremy needed to go. The main reason I'd like to see Reed come back is because his elimination was at no fault of his own. I don't think Reed would have to worry about an ally not recognizing a smokescreen during tribal council and screwing himself and his entire alliance as an effect. Also, Reed's speech at the end will be talked about for a long time. Unlike some people, I'm not ready to put it above snakes and rats but it's definitely up there. 

All in all, I think San Juan del Sur was a solid season. It didn't rock our world with strategy but it kept us engaged during the heat of the game. I hope that Survivor will take at least a couple seasons off before Blood vs. Water returns. The dynamics are interesting and unique but could get stale if so heavily relied on for the future of Survivor.

Agree or disagree on my thoughts? Tell me what you think! For all updates, follow my twitter https://twitter.com/JacobHarpel

An Introduction: No Escape from Reality

I would say that I'm a pretty big fan when it comes to reality shows.

Okay, you got me...I'm addicted. 

My name is Jacob Harpel and I'm not an alcoholic. Truth be told, I'm just addicted to reality television. 

Now before you spew hate on me for being part of a television culture viewed as pathetic and phony, let me just say that I'm not one for all those weird housewife shows...I'm not that far down the rabbit hole. I will confess that I have been known to turn my brain off and watch Rock of Love from time to time. 

Nobody's perfect. 

ANYWAY

This is the introduction for my blog. What am I anticipating to do with this thing? Well, right now I'm leaving it open. My main goal is to cover Big Brother and Survivor since those are arguably the two most popular reality competition shows right now as well as my favorites. Big Brother Canada is supposed to air sometime in January or February, so I'm excited to kick off the blog by following the third season and writing my critiques opinions on the houseguests and game. Survivor San Juan del Sur is also wrapping up, so instead of jumping on the train late, I imagine I'll do an end of the season critique just for funzies!

Until then, I decided that I would do something special with my first post and give you all some insight on who I am. 

(I'm the one in the center, the other two are the people I hired to be my friends...whatever it takes, right???)

Whether I'm chatting at my office or talking to a friend, I can't help but get consumed with a passionate energy whenever the topic of conversation shifts to Big Brother or Survivor. I can talk about it for hours, whether we're discussing past seasons, who we can't stand in the game currently, or how the only people that think Survivor is fake are the ones who don't even watch the show! (I'm looking at you, Janet, in the break room with your judging eyes.)

But why? Why such the obsession? Why watch a show three times a week or even write about it?

I think I've always been a super competitive person, someone that's always wanted to be the very best (I mostly blame Pokemon). My friends and I played video games on a regular basis, and every weekend I would always get crushed by one of my best friends. Even with the consistent defeats, I couldn't help but anticipated the tournaments we would have on our birthdays. We would all put our skills to the test to try and be the last one standing, the one that was able to beat everyone else. To outwit, outplay, outlast...

Sound familiar?

That same feeling really carried over when I started watching reality game shows. The first one I ever remember following was a game called The Mole. To sum it up quickly, 10 contestants try and complete missions in order to make money while figuring out which one of them is a mole whose sole purpose is to sabotage each mission. Every round they would have to answer a questionnaire that asked them questions regarding who they thought the Mole was, the person who got the most questions wrong would be eliminated. The game sounds difficult, but once you start thinking about the intricacies about it...it actually sounds impossible. I'm pretty sure they're the mole...but what if he isn't...what if he's a contestant who is posing as the mole trying to sabotage my questionnaire?!

The Mole, in my opinion, is one of the most challenging and mentally stimulating games ever. I was hooked after that show, I loved watching the constant struggles between people as they had to climb over countless obstacles and be the last one remaining. I was so interested to see what other games were out there that pushed people to their limits. I started watching Solitary, Real World Road Rules Challenge (say that 10 times fast) and eventually...Big Brother. 

The first episode I ever watched was the All Stars season when Chicken George had to shave his head off in order to win veto and save himself from the block. Most people would have watched the displayed and though...what a ridiculous show. My thoughts? 

Now that's a show I could see myself on.

I watched season after season and then went back to watch the older seasons. I fell in love with Danielle Reyes, cursed at Evel Dick and worshiped Dan Gheesling. Big Brother is like the social olympics, where you have to spend 90 days locked in a house with people who are equally or more looney than you are. There are so many levels of gameplay that goes on that CBS offers 24/7 live feeds, so you can literally watch the houseguest's games evolve as they engage in strategy. 

It wasn't long until I also gave Survivor a try and i am now embarrassed proud to say that I have been able to catch up on all 2900 seasons. I will admit that Survivor seems more formulaic which is bound to happen when you continue a show like that for so long. The biggest element I love about Big Brother is that you can go from almost being eliminated to calling the shots next week. That sort of power shift is so rare in Survivor and harder to pull off. It takes a majority to turn things around in Survivor but in Big Brother...it only takes one. Regardless though, it's very easy to get caught up in game of Survivor, it's simplistic yet effective. In a way, the lack of power shifts helps the show's entertainment level, because when they do happen...oh boy. 

My point is that I love both of these shows and others like them because they're all special in their own way but still tie in that main theme of being the last one standing. You have to work hard and out maneuver your competition every single round so that when the next torch is snuffed or the latest portrait turns grey...you're still there. 

To be honest, I'm not really sure what I'm looking for in this whole thing so I won't be giving myself a strict timeline. At the end of the day, I just want to talk about Big Brother and Survivor! It makes me happy and I think I know more than the average Joe (sorry Chief). I'm excited to explore and see where this whole thing takes me and to hear the feedback along the way.  If you like what you see then follow me +JacobHarpel or just tweet me https://twitter.com/JacobHarpel. It's the best way to get in contact with me and to share my posts to anyone that might find them interesting.

I hope you enjoyed my rambling. I promise to make this thing the best it can be for anyone who reads.  Here's hoping! Write ya later! ;)

J

Out of Mind, Into Reality