Saturday, August 30, 2014

SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR Cast Assessment

WHAT AN EXCITING CAST! -_-
Right when Survivor San Juan del Sur was about to be filmed, the Survivor community was alarmed by the news of EW writer Dalton Ross and the Survivor host himself Jeff Probst about one pair not passing their medical exams a day before they started filming in Nicaragua. The result? This pair didn't make it to Day 1, heck they didn't even make it to Day 0. What's worse is that they didn't have an alternative so they ended up pushing through with an 18-player cast. The twist? An uneven ratio of male to female (10:8). Truth be told, I think the worst part of this is that the pair that didn't make it are rumored to be Korean sisters and I watched their video and they seem like what this cast really need. First of, they're pretty, and then they seem fun and most importantly, they seem intelligent. They're like the Chemical X Prof. Utonium poured in his experiment to form The Powerpuff Girls.

Then a day after they announced this news, another one came. With the unfortunate fate of the Korean sisters, and with the Survivor staff not being able to replace them, it also affected the Redemption Island twist. They scrapped it! Just when we started on warming up on this twist for a BvW season. I won't complain though because they brought back the Exile Island twist where one of the pairs will be sent to the island after his/her pair defeats him/her in a challenge or something. Although I'm not entirely positive if this will stimulate drama just like how Redemption Island did to the first Blood vs Water, because the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol is actually found on Exile so... I guess we'll find out everything about it after the premiere. After all, Exile Island is a Survivor twist that I never mind them using.

A string of bad news occurred as if Survivor going back to Nicaragua is not yet terrible of a news to begin with. But another bad news came a month before the premiere of this season wherein the show's editors went to a strike that endangered the premiere schedule of the show. This news totally reminded me of Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki delaying The Big Bang Theory's production for weeks because they demanded a million dollar salary per episode. Good news is it seems like CBS/Survivor and the editors settled it out quickly as they went back on working only one day after the boycott.

Phew! This season is starting really badly. This is what happens when they reward us with four consecutive decent to brilliant Survivor seasons. Or I guess we can conclude that Philippines is Survivor's good luck charm and Nicaragua is the bad omen in terms of locations.

I must admit that the cast didn't really make me excited about this season. I'm totally uninspired. I truly think that the Korean sisters would have made this cast better, like if they're on, everyone would be great but if they're not, this is the result. Totally humdrum. But wouldn't it be funny if there's actually no Korean sisters and I'm just believing a total lie or gossip? Anyway, after watching their CBS and EW interviews and reading their CBS bios, here's my Survivor San Juan del Sur Cast Assessment. WARNING: I'm really indifferent by the majority of the cast and you'll see the word 'boring' several times.


18. Wes
Age: 23
Tribe: Coyopa
I think Wes' father Keith is totally outshining him that his father didn't leave any likable quality for him. He's my least favorite of the bunch so far. But to be fair, I think he's going to be good in the game. He seems capable and social enough to go deep in this game but if I were to choose, I hope he gets voted out early. I really hate that he compared himself to Russell Hantz. That alone is the deal breaker why we should not root for this guy.
Prediction: Mid-jury


17. Dale
Age: 55
Tribe: Coyopa
Oh my goodness! We already have Keith. His only role in this game is to support her daughter's journey in winning this game. I should be thankful to him for that but other than that, I find him really bland. :(
Prediction: Early boot


16. Reed
Age: 31
Tribe: Hunahpu
It's not cool that he sort of looks like Frankie of this season's Big Brother especially that I loathe the self-proclaimed social media mogul. But that's about the only thing I hate about Reed. I actually think he's nice. Probably great in the game too. We shall see.
Prediction: Late jury


15. Julie
Age: 34
Tribe: Hunahpu
This bombshell seems like she's going to be crazy and funny. She's supposed to be the second coming of Monica Culpepper but obviously Julie is way hotter but I think Monica is way better in terms of playing the game. I can't imagine Julie living on an island with minimal source of food and comfort. I can't imagine her sleeping in the dirt. With all of these stuff I just said about her, there's a huge room for Julie to prove me wrong. I hope she proves me wrong and is actually a game player. The thing is, I.don't.see.that.happening. Props for comparing herself to Colleen though. That's Survivor knowledge right there.
Prediction: Early boot


14. Josh
Age: 32
Tribe: Coyopa
I think he's nice but I think he's going to be super nice that he'll end up being invisible and boring. For now, I believe Reed will be the better player between the two but I can see it being the other way around too if Reed ends up being an over aggressive playing mess.
Prediction: Premerge


13. Jeremy
Age: 36
Tribe: Hunahpu
I think Jeremy will go far solely because his tribe is going to need him in challenges. He's buff and he seems social enough to bond with the rest of the cast so good for him. But even though I see good things with this guy, I also think he's going to fade in the background ala Cliff Robinson last season.
Prediction: Merge boot


12. Jon
Age: 26
Tribe: Hunahpu
I think they're pegging Jon to be the John Cody of this season. The nice guy who loves his girlfriend so much. Unfortunately, as much as I think Jon will be nice, I also think he's extremely boring that there's no way he can duplicate the niceness and vulnerability of John Cody in the first Blood vs Water.
Prediction: Early Merge


11. Jaclyn
Age: 25
Tribe: Coyopa
Jaclyn has a nice and touching story but I don't think it translates into her being a great player. Jaclyn and Jon's obvious affection for each other is adorable but so far I think they're so vanilla that they're going to be boring. Oh my! I hope their adorbs self will be fun to watch on the show. But she compared herself to Jefra and we know what happened to her despite her adorableness.
Prediction: Early boot


10. Alec
Age: 22
Tribe: Coyopa
He's giving me massive 90s vibes because of his resemblance with The Moffats and the Hanson brothers. Between the Christy brothers, I think one of them will be the Jason Siska and the other will be the Malcolm Freberg. Obviously, I think Alec will be the Siska but I guess slightly better. Well for one, Jason believed that a stick is an Immunity Idol. I don't think Alec will fall into blunders like that but I'm starting to think that it would be fun if he will.
Prediction: Midjury


9. Kelley
Age: 28
Tribe: Hunahpu
I like Kelley! I think she's perfect for Survivor. She seems physically fit, socially capable and strategic. That's something that's going on for her. I hope she doesn't end up being like Brooke Struck though or Kelly Czarnecki. I believe Kelley is going to be a force but I don't wanna jinx her so I put her in the middle of this ranking.
Prediction: Midjury


8. Keith
Age: 53
Tribe: Hunahpu
Keith seems comedic in a good way. He seems feisty, easy going, fun loving and likable. One friend told me that Keith's giving him Roger Sexton vibes though and when he said that, I believed that it could be true. Here's hoping he ends up being hilarious.
Prediction: Premerge


7. John
Age: 39
Tribe: Coyopa
I'm looking forward to John Rocker because he seems like a firecracker in this dull cast. I think he's going to be offensive and hilarious at the same time. He's obviously casted to be the Brad Culpepper of this season but I kind of find Rocker a little chill compared to Culpepper so I think he's not going to be as aggressive as what the majority probably thinks of him.
Prediction: Early boot


6. Val
Age: 35
Tribe: Coyopa
Another police officer! But I think Val is going to be nothing like Sarah or Tony from Survivor Cagayan. I think Val is going to be an asset in her tribe in terms of challenges but I think her weakness would be the social aspect. I think she's going to be unaware too. I hope she provides the laffos. Most importantly, I hope she proves me wrong and does a Tasha -- someone I predicted will be an early boot but ended up being my top favorite of her season.
Prediction: First boot


5. Drew
Age: 25
Tribe: Hunahpu
Like I mentioned in my Alec writeup, I think Drew is going to be the Malcolm of the duo. He's got the complete package and more importantly, he's a fan of the show. I think he's going to win if he overcomes the fact that he's an obvious threat to win and people are likely going to target him once they hit the merge. All he need is a solid alliance and he's aces. 
Prediction: Winner


4. Nadiya
Age: 28
Tribe: Coyopa
I can't distinguish her personality right now compared to Natalie. I didn't watch her TAR season but all I know is that the two will be a force to be reckoned with in this game. Their interviews are way LIVELY compared to their competitors and as much as I think there's a possibility that they're gonna be annoying, I have no choice but to root for them because I'm a fan of enthusiasm. Twinnies got them.
Prediction: Late merge


3. Natalie
Age: 28
Tribe: Hunahpu
I already laid out the reasons why I like the Twinnies but one thing that made me like Natalie more than Nadiya is that when Dalton Ross asked her which player her twin Nadiya is going to play like, she answered Rupert and ruthlessly laughed right after. LMFAO
Prediction: Runner-up


2. Missy
Age: 47
Tribe: Hunahpu
Missy and Baylor have a massive shoes to fill in because they're this season's Laura and Ciera. Good thing is that I think they're capable of being great players. I love their answers in their interviews and I love how firm Missy is that they're going to set Survivor records. I'm excited for that. Unfortunately, as much as I like Missy, probably more than Baylor, is that I think she's going to be seen as a threat early in the game and she won't be able to fight back. She might end up having the fate of Laura Morett in BvW but as we know, there's no second life this season. No RI. :(
Prediction: Early boot


1. Baylor
Age: 20
Tribe: Coyopa
The youngest this season and also has the award for the Most Unique name. I also think that she's the most promising. Ciera in the first BvW was polarizing and it's hard to follow her archetype and obviously, Baylor is this season's Ciera. But part of me wants Baylor to succeed more and I think she has a chance. I love her energy in her interviews. I think she's going to be out there playing instead of hiding behind the bushes so I'll appreciate that. Of course she can end up being a disappointment but for now, I am rooting for her the most and if she fails, then boo-hoo. I hope not. Scary thing though is that I'm really not good at assessing these players. I picked J'Tia first last season for chrissakes.
Prediction: Late jury


Well there you have it! I am most certainly hoping that my predictions will end up being wrong and we'll have an unpredictable season coming our way. Predictable or not, I'm just hoping that it'd be good. My expectations are low especially with the success of its predecessor Survivor Cagayan and the string of bad news that it overcame.

But as fans of Survivor, we should be thankful another season is about to begin with new players, and hopefully new games.

Survivor San Juan del Sur premieres September 24 in the US, and September 25 in the Philippines.

Follows me on Twitter: @jaynormouskid 

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