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 Premiere Ranking

Image from CBS | Survivor San Juan del Sur Cast

Survivor is back and I couldn't get any happier! For the first time in 14 years and 29 seasons, I watched it with true Survivor avid fans and man, it was super awesome. We laughed at the random scenes, we guessed who's going to get voted out or who's gonna win, we read past Survivor tweets, we reacted in every possible way. I think the worst part is that we're so noisy while watching that there are scenes that we couldn't hear or watch what's going on. But it's all good! Point is, there's nothing better than watching Survivor with friends who know the show by heart. It sucks we weren't able to take a video of our reaction during Tribal Council because it was pretty bonkers as you know. Nadiya, one of the Twinnies, one of the players I pegged to go far, is the first player voted out of Survivor San Juan del Sur!

Nadiya, who almost everyone expected to see go far. Good thing is I predicted Natalie to go further than her. Well okay, I gotta come clean here. I read a fake spoiler that the Twinnies are going to reach the merge and I fell for it. It reminds me of when Danielle was voted out in HvV because there was also a rumor or a spoiler that she's going to be in the end. But oh well, it served me right and it got me good. I was flabbergasted when one of the Twinnies got voted out.

If you check my Survivor SJDS Cast Assessment, I pretty much butchered the premiere...NOT. I sucked! -- predicting Alec to be the Jason and Drew being the Malcolm when it looks like it's the other way around, Val to be the first boot because of her weakness and not being able to fit in with her tribe and it turns out it's actually the opposite and she was able to fit in well, started an alliance even, Dale being a dud and look what happened, he's actually one of the stars of the episode. I really did suck but I like it when I do because it means that Survivor is unpredictable. Or no, I really just suck and there are no excuses.

Anyway, the Survivor Premiere is pretty much...average. Average not because it comes after a terrific season in Survivor Cagayan, I thought that reasoning is getting old and lame, but it's average because there's really nothing interesting, or hilarious, or groundbreaking or outstanding that happened. Survivor nowadays is about jawdropping moments and Survivor SJDS' Premiere did not deliver that. But with this cast, I must say that it exceeded my expectations. It reminds me of a random sports team who doesn't have a lot of fans but when they play, they still tried to fight and it turned out that they're actually rootable. Yes, I think this season is rootable and I'm actually interested on how this season will play out. I got no clue what's going to happen, I can't read the players' psyche, the editing is balanced, and these players seem like the kind who will surprise you just because you don't expect anything from them. Should be good.

Anyway, I'll continue giving Plummies this season! And this time, I won't necessarily give it to my favorite so they won't be at my top spot. I have my Power Ranking for that which I'll publish in my social media too. Stay tuned for that!

So original right? First Plummy, a ripoff of Stephen Fishbach's Fishy, next Power Rankings, pretty much the same thing as Gordon Holmes' Power Ranking at xfinity.com, except way more humorous and awesome. :3

There is no doubt in my mind that Dale wins this Premiere's Plummy. He exceeded every expectations I got from him. He was never boring. He channeled Lisa Whelchel by being the odd man out, but he made fire for his tribe using his ultraelectrolaser double lenses, he claimed a random necklace on their water well which we're still uncertain if it's a Hidden Immunity Idol, he targeted Nadiya using a ridiculous reason and even if it's ridiculous, it's necessary because he would have gone home instead if he didn't go aggressive and mention any player's name for a target and lastly, he smiled like a true villain when Nadiya finally got voted out. He's go every reason to win this Plummy and no one came close. 

Here's my SJDS Premiere ranking:

18. Jaclyn

She's so beautiful but my goodness she's also invisible. Please don't be a Jefra.

17. Reed

Looks like I was wrong about him. Wrong in the sense that I thought he's going to receive more airtime than his boyfriend Josh. But it's just the first episode and Coyopa lost the Immunity so Josh had more time to shine. We'll see what Reed has to offer when his tribe goes to Tribal Council.

16. Nadiya

I like the Twinnies because they're feisty and energetic. We need that with this kind of cast. But c'mon, she kind of dug her own grave in her short stay on the island by not being extra sensitive about others. Still, I'm bummed that she's the first player voted off especially when the main reason is her reputation in The Amazing Race 'coz Survivor is a different game and I think she's got more to offer and wouldn't it be awesome to see Natalie and Nadiya duke it out in a wrestling match? We, the audience, loses here.

15. Wes

Wes doesn't annoy me anymore. I think he's actually pretty likable, chill and soft.  It's just that the other players remain more likable than him.

14. John

John is alright this episode. For some reason, his interaction with Val felt like it's a little forced. We can all see that he's trying his best to seem tolerable but you just know, that once the agitation kicks in that he's going to be madness. The promos already prove that.

13. Kelley

I like Kelly, I think she's going to be strong and she already has an alliance in Hunahpu. But she's also so invisible that I can't support her any further.

12. Missy

Same with Missy. She's in the same alliance in Hunahpu, and she got the divorce quote, which could be a winner's quote but she's still not a boss bitch I'm pegging her to be. We'll see.

11. Val

Val is a pleasant surprise. I was sure that she's going to be the first player voted off but despite the circumstances of being at Exile Island and missing the get-to-know-your-tribemate phase in the game, she was able to fit in, she didn't share the clue to Keith, she started a women's alliance and all of those signs that she's capable of playing the game. I still think that she's not going to win though.

10. Drew

The resident douche prince this season. Ha! He's my winner pick and don't get me wrong, I still think that he has a chance to win even with the negative edit that he got. But I believe Alec has more chances now than Drew.

9. Natalie

The only reason Natalie is this high is because I'm a fan of the Twinnies and I think she's going to play better now, now that her Twin is gone. But based on this episode solely, she's got more chickens to fry.

8. Alec

Alec is this cool quiet guy that everyone will probably love. He fits in with the boys, and with the youngings. I don't see him bonding with the older players though so we'll see but for now he's doing great and I think he has a chance to win. Fan of the show and he's got the eye on the prize as according to him, winning the title of Sole Survivor is much better than winning the money. Totally agree!

7. Julie

Julie is another pleasant surprise. I expected her to be primadonna but she seems very on the go. From challenges, to working at camp, she's there doing her best. It doesn't hurt that she looks stunning on the island. I thought she's going to get ugly without make up but she got more beautiful when she's deglamorized.

6. Jeremy

Jeremy is fun fun fun. I don't know about making a deal with numerous players is good but one thing Tony Vlachos taught me from last season is that being aggressive actually puts you on top and making deals with most of your tribemates doesn't always mean it's negative. Tony Vlachos won and I can see Jeremy following his lead. Not to mention, he's also more likable than Tony. I just don't know if Jeremy can play the game more strategically.

5. Dale

Dale is not a favorite but he impressed me so much it's unfair to put him lower than this spot. He did everything he could to survive the first Tribal Council even if the odds are not on his favor but he was able to turn the game around and proved that he could be a power player. Can he win? I'm not sure. Can he go further than the merge? It's likelier now.

4. Josh

He's so jolly and happy to be on Survivor. So cheerful but when it came to strategizing, he also proved that he's serious in the game especially he's put on a tough spot being the swing vote. It's great to be on that spot probably come merge time but first Tribal Council, I'm not so sure. I'm also not sure if he did the right thing, we'll find out once they go to Tribal Council again but this premiere, he sticked to his guns and provided a good headscratcher at Tribal when he voted Baylor. I'm excited to see Josh deliver.

3. Jon

Jon is unexpectedly so likable. I thought he's going to be boring and invisible but he's got moments of fun and lightheartedness in all of her scenes in the premiere. His sarcastic comment about their utensils, his weird liking for monkeys, his talk about his father, and his Exorcist performance in the Immunity Challenge. I'm scared he's going to quit though for his father ala Jenna Morasca in All Stars. If he doesn't, then I think he has a huge chance to win.

2. Baylor

I thought for sure Baylor is going to be invisible but she's one of the few players who got more than 3 confessionals. Some about commentaries, one narration and one for strategy. It's crazy because she's not the more visible player outside confessionals but the editors still choose to give her time to say her insights. I think she's going to go far and I think she's going to be edited as a ruthless player too. I.am.excited.

1. Keith

Keith is fun, fun, fun and he's currently my favorite this premiere. His dry humor is amazing. He's like the father you never had. I love him mainly because of his personality but game wise, I'm pretty sure that he's going to leave early. Too bad, I actually like the guy but I think he's too nice and chill for the game that those won't help him go far in the game. Sigh.

WINNER PICKS

1. Alec

2. Jeremy

3. Baylor
4. Josh
5. Jon

Next week, I can't wait to see Natalie's reaction about Nadiya being the first player voted off. Then we'll have the wrestling match, then we'll probably have John Rocker's volcano eruption. Follow me on Twitter: @jaynormouskid