SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR Episode 3 Ranking

Another good Tribal Council care of the Coyopa tribe. First, we've got a classic blindside that didn't need an idol, only a flip from Baylor. Second, a tiebreaker and this week, a man with the idol in his pocket got blindsided and that man is no other than John Rocker. It's 3/3 for San Juan del Sur.

On paper, this might be the best one yet of this season and I have been vocal about my appreciation for this but for some reason, the third episode, despite having the best Tribal Council so far, it frustrates me because there are only few people given strategic perspectives in their confessionals. 

We get it Probst, this season is Blood vs Water but you don't have to juice out every possible dramatic scenario for every pair. I am getting tired of the dramatics every Reward Challenge and it doesn't help that the challenges are not that exciting because even though they're playing with each other, reward is the only thing at stake, and I guess Exile Island. But what about tribal dynamics? We need more of those. After having a season with challenge practices, chicken reward celebrations, rice dumpings, etc., here they are stepping backwards again. I miss Cagayan!

Not only that, I don't know if it's the editing or the players but one of the things I dislike about this season is that only a few players are given strategic perspectives in their confessional. The rest are just either for complaints, narratives, etc. Those factors are important, I get it, but strategy is also one thing that made the last couple of seasons work. It's not that these people aren't smart or whatsoever, but it's hard to root for people when they only narrate scenes, and we can't figure out what their strategies are in this game.

Speaking of confessionals featuring strategy, Josh is one of this season's players that's been consistently shown talking about game moves. For Coyopa, it's definitely him and for Hunahpu, it's Jeremy. I don't see any looming danger for these two anytime soon so I assume they'll both go far and one of them would win. It would be an exciting end game hopefully but see how it can be predictable? Oh well... I'm really hoping I'm wrong.

This week, Josh gets another Plummy for leading the charge to flush out the idol from Rocker, and forming a new alliance where his voice will be heeded. Baylor remains by his side, and now with Wes, Jaclyn and Alec and he's totally golden in his tribe. Let's proceed to the ranking:

16. Dale

There's something off about Dale this episode. It seems like he's starting to get comfortable and cocky, and I didn't like that. Coyopa did a great job for keeping him in the dark because I'm sure that if even only one of them informed him about the John Rocker boot, he's gonna blab it, John's gonna play his idol, and we'd be robbed with a John blindside. So thank you Coyopa!

15. Alec

Thank goodness Alec voted John Rocker because I thought he'd be the reason why Josh's plan would not come to fruition. Still, I don't like his reasoning behind wanting to keep John instead of Baylor. It's an acceptable reason but it's also boring so, I don't like Alec that much anymore. Plus, I don't like how he sarcastically mocked Natalie after the Immunity Challenge. 

14. Reed

Still invisible but harmless. I have a feeling he's not gonna last long.

13. Kelley

Too quiet this episode. I am not sure who's the token invisiblonde anymore. Is it Jaclyn or is it Kelley? Both are but so far, Kelley is more invisible.

12. Jon

MVP of the Immunity challenge handsdown.

11. John

I've got nothing against John because I think he's nice deep inside but there's obviously some scenes that was not shown last episode. Still, I love me some drama so it would probably be boring in Coyopa now that their biggest star is gone. But better him than Baylor I guess. Underdogs FTW

10. Wes

I'm starting to like Wes. I like that he's more inclined in following through Josh's plan compared to Alec and I like that he actually followed through it and helped in executing the Josh blindside. Wes clearly knows how to play the game but we need to see more of him so we can judge him thoroughly.

9. Keith

Oh Keith! Reminds me of Rudy Boesch for his comment about Josh's sexuality. A little bigot but for some reason, he still comes across as hilarious and lovable. I'd love for Keith to stay longer and I think he can because he's allies with Jeremy.

8. Baylor

My lowest rank for Baylor so far but I still love her as hell. I love a player who consistently fights for their life even if they're in an almost hopeless situation. I love that she approaches people and actually ask them about forming an alliance. Basically, I love that she makes moves that even if she's not the reason why Wes and Alec flipped to their side, her efforts are highly appreciated. I can see her going far, really. She consistently have massive airtime too!

7. Jeremy

Jeremy might have been a little too defensive but what can you do? Val is his wife and she was voted out despite having a deal with one of his wife's tribemate. But I like him because he continuously exceeds my expectations. To me, he doesn't reek of intelligence, but his likability shines and it works for him well. I think he's got a good combination of good common sense and charisma that's why I think he's gonna go far and possibly win too.

6. Drew

Drew has been edited negatively since the premiere. I thought it's going to change anytime soon but it never changed and it might never will since next week, it looks like it will be the peak of his negativity. But I find him super hilarious so I've got nothing against him. The more he stays, the better. I hope him and Baylor ends up being the Final 2. It would be fabulous.

5. Missy

The angelic Missy wasn't shown that much this episode but she's still the consoling mommy that never fails to make me awww. She teared up when Wes and Keith were having some moment, and then she's the one who consoled Julie when she felt alone. Missy FTW!

4. Natalie

Love Natalie's fire! Her moment with Rocker after the Immunity Challenge is currently the most debated scene of the season in different Survivor communities and she may not be the most righteous player at that moment, I'm with her because I love it when someone stands up for themselves. Plus, I love that she's not afraid to voice out her thoughts to her tribemates. One regarding Drew. But I like both so I hope they spare the two from being voted off.

3. Julie

A goddess that keeps on giving. She's exceeded my expectations of her numerous times and I love every moment she's in. Now that John is gone, I hope Julie can focus on the game more and prove to the viewers further that she's actually a gamer. I would also love to see her win this game.

2. Josh

He's got so many haters but he consistently impress me for leading the charge in Coyopa. That's why I'm a fan. He easily created an alliance, something Baylor can't even do. He's got credibility and likability that his tribemates don't see any ounce of doubt with him. I hope he continues to lead the charge in Coyopa and I freakin hope they start winning now too.

1. Jaclyn

LOL Jaclyn. This is most likely unexpected but I love her this episode. The idea of Jaclyn amuses me. An invisiblonde but for some reason, they always give her a shining moment at Tribal being a snarky warrior no one ever saw coming. It's a bonus that she's beautiful. Like Julie, she's also exceeded my expectations because I thought she's just going to be one of Coyopa's weakest member but she actually comes off as strong may it be in challenges, in spirit and in battling the elements. I don't see her complaining and I love it when she speaks her mind and fight for her spot in the game. I hope she goes far. :)

WINNER PICKS

1. Jeremy

2. Josh

3. Baylor

Next week: Hunahpu faux kingpin is gonna rule our world and I can't wait for it. I hope Hunahpu loses so we'd be able to discover more of their dynamics.

If you've got any questions or comments, feel free to post it here or tweet me @jaynormouskid

SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR Episode 2 Ranking

I don't know about you but I am highly enjoying this season. Yes, it doesn't have uber hilarious characters, yes, it doesn't have explosive Tribal Councils but there's something about this cast that's refreshing to me. They're so different compared to the complex and aggressive Cagayan players and they're also different than the first Blood vs Water so I've got no complains even though they're slightly inferior than the past seasons shot in the Philippines.

But I think one main reason why I am enjoying this is the existence of Baylor. I firmly believe that when you're enthusiastic with a player, whether you hate or love that player, that a season is going to be an enjoyable ride because you have someone to watch for. Unless that player gets voted out early. This season, it's Baylor. It's an unpopular opinion because she's massively hated by many in Survivor forums but there's something about her that's engaging. She, truly is the polarizing character this season, not John Rocker.

During the first episode, she flipped right off the first Tribal Council. Then, this episode, her wrestling duel with her mom is probably my favorite part of the episode wherein her puppy dog eyes manipulated her mother Missy to lose her energy, resulting to a point for Coyopa. That shows character for me. Then at Tribal, Val and Jaclyn threw her under the bus and in the end, she's still safe and kicking. Oh boy, she's going to be fun to watch especially if she goes far, and I truly hope that she goes far because she's the main fuel that keeps me from liking this season.

But I'm picking Josh as the recipient of this week's Plummy -- by solidifying his alliance with Baylor, maintaining his middle position in Coyopa, seeing John Rocker as an asset to his game, and keeping both Baylor and Rocker at the end of their Tribal. He's playing a great game so far and no one's even close.

On to the ranking:

17. Val

Val is likable on paper but what she did was idiotic. Lying about having two idols, that's ludacris/abimaria. Funny thing is that Rocker believed him but it didn't matter because she's leaving anyway and she doesn't have an idol to save her life. If only she told the truth to Rocker, she might have been saved. But the Oscar winning moment that she's referring to is a faux. I won't miss Val at all.

16. Wes

Kudos to winning the challenge against Jeremy. That's really unexpected.

15. Alec

No substance despite being in the losing team. He's clearly not running the show and it might be too early to say, but with his invisible edit this episode, he might not be the winner of SJDS.

14. Keith

From no. 1 to no. 14. Unfortunately, there's not enough Keith this episode so I can't really put him higher in this ranking.

13. Dale

I thought it's adorable for Dale to watch out for Kelley, her daughter but other than that, he's not a hero nor a villain this episode. Plain edit.

12. Reed

He's finally having airtime and he's the one who talked to Jeff about the Hunahpu flint situation. But we still haven't heard anything from Reed regarding the game so I have no clue where his head's at.

11. John

John is already starting to show his true colors. But in the meantime, I'm actually enjoying him. His two losses this episode, one with Julie and one with Jon, are amazing. If he continues to be edited as a loser then I won't mind seeing him go far even with his nasty comments. LOL at believing Val's lie too. WTF

10. Jon

Major kudos to Jon for admitting that he lost the flint. That shows a lot about his sportmanship and athleticism. But way more kudos for defeating John in the wrestling challenge. But other than that, I thought his scene with Drew was ridiculous. He's still likable, though.

9. Jeremy

Again, we're seeing some strategy talks from Jeremy. His side deal with Rocker was great. But now that Rocker failed to protect Val, I'm afraid Jeremy will avenge his wife. Unfortunately, Julie will pay the price. Too bad because I like both.

8. Drew

Drew continues to have a negative edit but despite the negativity, he's also hilarious. His side comments, smirks and douchey smiles are all glorious to watch. I'm not even annoyed even though I think he's a joke.

7. Kelley

Kelley got a decent edit and from what I saw of her, I like. She's proven that she's strong, and likable too. I'm still curious on what other things she can do though. I really hope Hunahpu loses next episode.

6. Josh

Josh is the man. He's playing the game as if he's the original fan of Survivor, not Reed. He's on a different league compared to his Coyopa tribemates and he's very stealth about it. He's going to go far. He might win this.

5. Jaclyn

I thought Jaclyn was going to be a dud throughout the season. I thought she's going to get voted out without anything of substance or importance. But she's proven that she's not weak, both physically and I guess mentally. She's not a sheep as she's feisty. Love it when she defeated Kelley in the first round of the wrestling challenge. Love her even more when she showed her sassy side at Tribal. I hope she goes far.

4. Julie

Julie is an angel. I really thought that she's going to be a bitch and if not a bitch, snarky and smug and arrogant. But she has already proven after two episodes that she doesn't complain and is actually willing to play. Love her social interactions. And yay at defeating John Rocker. That's a huge accomplishment.

3. Natalie

Natalie is love. Her reaction out of Nadiya leaving was touching (and the background music helped a lot). She showed a softer side of her and it's just heart melting. Now that she's moved on, I hope she's stronger and sassier. Love her side comments about Drew, and I think I'll love her even more next week when she fights against John Rocker.

2. Missy

Wow Missy. I love you. What an angel. First, her comforting Natalie was a true act of kindness. Second, I felt her when she couldn't fight her daughter after accidentally hurting her. She's a kind soul and I hope she goes far. I hope we see more of her strategic skills too. Because she obviously has the social game turned on.

1. Baylor

This young woman is going to be fun to watch. After two episodes, she's already flipped, had a fight, cried, confronted, made allies, etc. And that's what I love most about her. She's playing and she's not resting. She's moving and there's danger surrounding her but she keeps on surviving. It's fun to root for a player whose always on the chopping block yet always finds her way to be safe and I hope that would be the case for Baylor for a long time in this game even if she doesn't win, as long as she keep on surviving and annoying the shit out of her competitors. Go Baylor!

WINNER PICKS

1. Josh

2. Jeremy

3. Baylor
4. Natalie

Next episode, John Rocker unleashes his true colors, but he has the idol so I don't think he'll get voted out. He's shown that he's not that smart though so we'll see.

Follow me on Twitter: @jaynormouskid

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