Survivor Blood vs Water: My Pre-Show Picks

The 27th season of Survivor is set to premiere this week and fans are excited to witness one of the craziest twists that the game has had since the racial tribal split in Cook Islands. This means that it is also time to make my picks on who I think has the best chance to win the season. It was a difficult choice for me having to pick who I thought would have the best chances to win, particularly in the Returning Players side.

Returning Castaways

Tyson Apostol

Who doesn't love Tyson? He is goofy and does not take himself seriously. It's rare to find a personality in the show like this and Tyson is definitely a gem. Having said that, I pick Tyson mainly for the entertainment value he offers. But that does not mean he is not capable to win this game, either. He is physically up to par with the best competitors out there, especially in this batch of castaways. He is also right to point out that he is in the middle of the pack in terms of the age and athletic ability. Thus, he will not be singled out for being a huge physical threat right off the bat nor will he be on the outs socially.

The biggest challenge for Tyson in this season is his ability to maintain his focus in the game. We saw him make one of the worst moves in Survivor history last time he played, which got himself voted off by his own doing. If only he can be more calculated about what moves to make and when to make them, I think he has a pretty decent shot.

Aras Baskauskas

I am not full-on riding on the idea that Aras can win this game for a second time. I could be wrong. I thought the same of Sandra, too, in Heroes vs Villains. But then again, Aras and Sandra are two different types of winners. Aras is perceived more as a physical and strategic threat whereas Sandra likes to orchestrate behind people's backs. If Aras can strike before he can be struck at, he might be in good shape.  


Loved Ones

Katie, Tina's Daughter

I don't know why I picked Katie - I simply have a good vibe about her. She is charming, lovely, and seems pleasant to be around. These characteristics are going to help her in the social aspect of Survivor because she is definitely going to be fun to hang with. Katie also appears to love the outdoors, as I've seen in her CBS bio, so the elements might not be that much of a big deal for her.

The strategic side is the biggest question mark. When her mother, Tina, played and won Survivor, the strategic game wasn't as cutthroat as it is now. I am doubting her ability to go there if needed to - of course, they would say they would do anything. I could be wrong. But I have good vibes towards Katie so I am counting on her to pull through.

Vytas, Aras' Brother

I am picking Vytas to win because I believe that Aras is going to have a bigger target on his back simply for being a former winner. Not that I don't think Aras won't do good or go far, but the target is going to be there. Vytas appears to have the same personality as Aras is, plus they are both athletic and sociable.

My initial perception of Vytas is that he is smart and is able to read people and situations around him really well. In their pre-show interview, both he and Aras noted adaptability as going to be a crucial aspect of their individual games and I don't see Vytas having problem with that. He is going to be well liked by both male and female castaways on his tribe, plus he is going to be a force in challenges, too. In addition to his athleticism, Vytas also practices yoga (as with Aras) and that is going to help him channel his energies where they need to be and maintain proper mental focus in a game that is more mental than physical. It'll be interesting to see how far he goes or if he can go all the way.

Caleb, Colton's Fiance

I cannot believe that I would pick someone that has some sort of association with Colton, probably one of the most hated player in Survivor history. But Caleb is a wildcard pick for me. He has enough likability that I think people will overcome the fact that he's Colton's fiance to want to be around him, and that he is going to be a lot of use around camp. I don't think that Colton has any chance at all to win this game so having him around is also going to help Caleb's game because much of the animosity is going to be focused towards Colton.

The strategic part of Caleb's game is going to be the biggest question mark, though. This is when he might be able to use Colton to his advantage because he appears to be a highly grounded person to me that I don't think he will be as cunning or manipulative as Colton can be. One thing that might work against Caleb is if and when he proves to be likeable, he might be perceived as a threat to win and if the other castaways catch up to that, he will be in big trouble.

Who I Think Has No Chance to Win

Rupert - A lot of people might hate me for this, but even Jeff won't deny in the TV Guide Network special that he does not believe Rupert can win again (even in his fourth run). It's a different scenario with Boston Rob wherein he became more strategic and sharper as a player with every stint. With Rupert, it seems to work in reverse. His poor performance at the Heroes vs Villains was dismal, to say the least. I don't even get why they even invited him back because I thought for sure he's done with Survivor.

Colton - Duh.

Kat - She's fun and bubbly, but unfortunately these aren't characteristics that merit a win in this game. Even when she does improve her game from last time, I am not sure if she can convince a jury to respect her game.

What did you think of my picks? Let's compare notes by sharing your picks in the comments section.

Survivor Blood vs Water: Behind-The-Scenes of First Immunity Challenge

It is a little over a week until the premiere episode of Survivor: Blood vs Water. As the 27th season of the longest-running reality TV show, Survivor strives for novelty by introducing lots of new twists to the game. One of the most notable new twist would be the return of Redemption Island, which most Survivor fans have a love-hate relationship with. Nonetheless, Jeff Probst and the show producers promise that there will be more layers to the Redemption Island twist to further complicate the game.

But with the premiere episode of each new season, the first immunity challenge is probably the most awaited. Castaways work hard to win the first challenge to ensure that they do not end up in the tribe that goes to tribal council first.

This season's first immunity challenge is scheduled to take place on Day Three. The challenge goes like this:

Image: Xfinity TV Blog

Six members will start off the challenge by sprinting to the beach and overcome a series of obstacles (net, rolling logs, platform with a stack of crates). Once they successfully navigate these obstacles, the castaways must make their way back to the water and towards the tribal boat. One of the six tribe members need to swim down to release the boat that is tied to a buoy and then row it back to the shore while collecting a chest containing puzzle pieces on their way back. When they reach the shore, the tribe must crack the chest open in order to retrieve the puzzle pieces. Three other tribe members will take those pieces to form a puzzle wheel. The first tribe to build the puzzle wheel must use it to raise a flag and win immunity for their tribe.

Final puzzle station (image courtesy of Xfinity TV Blog)

Feeling fired up for the first immunity challenge yet? Don't miss the 90-minute premiere on September 18!

Disclaimer: Photos and details courtesy of Xfinity TV Blog

Meet The Cast: Tyson & Rachel

Tyson is one of the most animated characters in the over 10 years of Survivor history. Indeed, he is full of himself, but in a funny way. He treated us to his witty, unforgettable, and always funny one-liners when he first appeared in Survivor: Tocantins. But being viewed as a threat, he eventually got voted off to become the member of the jury that handed JT the million dollars in his first season.

On Tyson's second appearance in Survivor, he did not even make it to the merge. He figured in one of the most talked about tribal councils in Survivor history wherein he was swayed by Russell to change up his vote, which ended up in him going home instead of Parvati or Russell (the two with whom the Villains' majority alliance had split their votes on that time). Some would even go as far as calling it the dumbest moves in Survivor history. Whether you agree or not, one thing is for sure: it's always fun to watch Tyson!

What kind of antics will Tyson be bringing this time? Will his girlfriend Rachel be able to keep up? Get some insights into their gameplay coming into the game with this interview video with Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly correspondent for Survivor:



Do you think Tyson or Rachel will go to the end this time?

Survivor Blood vs Water: New Cast and Twists

The long wait is over. CBS has officially lifted the curtains on the cast list of the new season, 27th, for its long-running hit reality TV Show, Survivor. The new season will be dubbed as "Survivor: Blood vs Water" and will feature 10 returning players and 10 of their relatives/loved ones. The concept might seem obvious at first glance, judging by the tagline for this new season. But always have a knack for innovation, Jeff Probst and the show's producers apparently have more tricks under their sleeve.

First off, let us meet the casts for Season 27, Survivor: Blood vs Water:

1. Rupert Boneham (Survivor Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars & Survivor: Heroes vs Villains) and wife Laura

2. Tina Wesson (Survivor: Australian Outback winner) and daughter Katie
3. Aras Baskauskas (Survivor: Exile Island winner) and brother Vytas
4. Kat Edorsson (Survivor: One World) and boyfriend Hayden Moss
5. Monica Culpepper (Survivor: One World) and husband Brad Culpepper
6. Colton Cumbie (Survivor: One World) and boyfriend Caleb Bankston
7. Gervase Peterson (Survivor: Borneo) and niece Marissa
8. Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains) and girlfriend Rachel
9. Laura Morett (Survivor: Samoa) and daughter Ciera
10. Candice Woodcock-Cody (Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs Villains) and husband John

Jeff Probst also reveals that several twists, both old and new, will be incorporated into the show's 27th installment. One of them is the return of the Redemption Island twist. This means that castaways that are voted off do not automatically go home. Instead, they will be exiled into a separate island wherein they will await another castaway to join them and compete in a head-to-head duel.

But Redemption Island is not like before - the loved ones twist brings forth another layer of complication into the game. If the castaways would want to, they can opt to trade spots with their loved ones such that they go to Redemption Island instead. According to Jeff, this is their way of experimenting how far would these castaways go when it comes to separating strategy from personal relationships. Or would it matter?

No word yet on other notable twists used in past seasons such as the hidden immunity idol. Guess we'll find out during the premier.

CBS has also announced that the new season will have a 90-minute premier telecast on September 18, Wednesday.