Okay so I know that there have probably been a million threads just like this, however, I haven't seen any like this one, soooo...here are my picks and
explanations! Some of them are winners and people who went far, some are those who deserve another chance, some I just want to see play again! The ones with a
(?) next to them are the people I'm kind of torn on whether I want them to return or not
Oh also, I never saw Fiji when it aired (was in the process of moving and had no Tivo) and just downloaded it, I'm only on episode 3 so far, so I'm going to reserve my Fiji picks until after I've finished watching.
I know this list is really long, but here's my thing...I'm not really into watching any professional sports (I like boxing and hockey, but I'm not nuts over them), so Survivor is like a sport to me! I love the game, the players, the stats! I feel/felt the same way about Big Brother, but it has REALLY gone downhill the past few seasons.
...By the way, welcome me to the board mothafuckaaaaaahs! X-)
Vanuatu:
Rory - He had really played a great game and amazingly survived both a tribal switch and the women's alliance! Definitely deserves a second chance!
Twila - The best player of Season 9, she got robbed at the end due to the jury voting personally (something that happens WAY too often in this game of Survivor!), she refused to compromise herself for anyone, pissing off virtually everyone from day one, and still managed to make it to the final two! The fact that I to this day have no idea how the hell she made it to the end of that game is a testament to how good she is!
Chris - A deserving winner, even if Twilia was the true mastermind, Chris is one of the show's better players. Technically, he should have been the first one voted off after single-handedly losing the immunity challenge, and ended up winning the game! I would like to see him come back and really fight hard this time.
Julie (?) - She had her head in the game and thought about strategy more often than not, I think if she really stepped it up, she could be a great player!
IF they'll step up their games, Ami and Scout might do well if given a second chance to play!
Palau :
Coby - I definitely think he was a much better player than he let on! His big mouth and defiance was what cost him the game. If he could keep that under control and keep his mind on strategy, he could be a real force!
Steph - Yeah, yeah, yeah she came back twice, but I don't give a hoot! If Kaysar can come back three times, by George so can she!! Here's my thing with Steph...loved her in Palau, and despite the fact that I didn't like her in Guatemala (thought she was extremely arrogant and had a real sense of entitlement), she played the best game that season and only lost because the jury voted personal. I'm really interested in seeing how she'll modify her strategy this time!
Ian (?) - He's definitely an all-star, however, this one is a BIG question mark for me, because if he came back, it could go either one of two ways...he could really step up his game and be a friggin FORCE, or he could just try to be nice and play "with integrity'' (argh I hate that oh so much!)...unfortunately, I think it will be the latter. It's a shame too, because I think if he were to be a real strategic player, he could very well win.
Tom! - Okay, the first time I watched Palau, I could not STAND him! However, when I re-watched it on DVD, knowing that he wins, I realized what an amazing player he was...not just in the competitions, but also strategically. He's one of my favorite players of all time, and if he makes it past the first tribal council, he could very well pull a Will Kirby and come close to winning the game for a second time.
I also wouldn't mind seeing Angie or Gregg come back, as they were both good!
Guatamala :
Brian!!!!!!- Brian is probably my #1 pick for All-Stars 2! Through the first half of Season 11, up until his vote-off, he was the best player, strategically placing himself PERFECTLY for both the present and the future. For a while, he was controlling the game, and nobody had the slightest idea! Unfortunately, he was the casualty of an unfair tribal switch (even though he was able to preserve himself for a week or two). I hope and pray that he will be cast, and if he is, could very well win this game!
Gary - I think Gary, like Brian, is a perfect example of somebody who deserves a second chance at this game. He made a lot of mistakes early on (like voting out his allies!), however, once he stepped his game up, became my favorite to win. He would need to majorly step up his game, focus on strategy and not worry about playing "with integrity"...Playing with integrity should mean playing the best game!
Amy (?) - I really liked her, but I'm not entirely sure what a great player she would be.I'd like to see her back though!
Rafe - I'm not a fan, however he did gain all-star status with his immunity wins that NOBODY saw coming, as well as good strategy! Send him back!
Steph - See Palau.
Danni (?) - I really love this girl as a person, and she did play a pretty good game, however, I'm really torn on whether or not she really deserves another shot. In many ways, she reminds me of Lisa from Big Brother 3. She played an alright game (although, like Chris from Vanuatu, was more a benefactor of circumstance), but didn't deserve the win over Steph. IF (and that's a big IF!) she were to majorly step up her game and focus on strategy, as opposed to people's feelings, she would be good, but I certainly wouldn't be broken hearted if she wasn't cast.
Panama: Exile Island
Misty - This might seem a bit random, but hear me out...She was a really smart girl, had her head in the game at all times, and got voted off way too soon! I think she could really go far and be an excellent player.
Austin - I loved Austin! I think he was a great player and again, got kicked off way before his time due to the Casaya alliance (and the season's insanely boring Pagonging!). Had he stayed longer, I truly think that he would have been a great player! Give the guy another shot and I think he could be the Boston Rob of All-Stars 2!
Cirie - I loveeeeeee this woman! The ultimate silent threat, she was the best strategist of a weak season with a weak overall cast, and was my favorite to win! She was supposed to be one of the first ones gone, but made it to the final 4! I think she's one of the people who most deserve a second chance. I really hope she plays ten times harder this time, since I think her demise in Panama was not fighting hard enough. If she gets cast, she could very well win the game.
Terry - Again, I'm not a fan of his, but he certainly deserves another shot. He was unbeatable in challenges and not a bad strategist either (even though he seems to think the game is about nothing besides the challenges.) I liked his underdog status once the tribes merged and was rooting for him up until he started with the "wives are more important than mothers" crap and then became really arrogant and over-confident! Once Cirie got kicked off though, he was my pick to win.
Cook Islands :
Nate - He was a really amazing player and strategist, and for a long while was controlling his entire tribe, without anyone being on to him. The only reason he was kicked off was because of the numbers and not so much a strategic flaw. He is VERY much deserving of a second chance, and like Brian and Austin, is also likely to become the season's Boston Rob.
Jonathan - Okay, so he was really paranoid, made a hugely dumb mistake (Mutiniying, pissing off every single person way too early in the game!), and way overplayed his hand ---however, I would much rather someone go out for overplaying the game than underplaying it! Jonathan really deserves another chance! If he can gain people's trust, keep a level head, and not over-scheme too much, he could go far!
Yul - One of my absolute favorite players of all time! He manipulated and controlled the game in such a quiet and subtle way. Despite the fact that everyone knew he was in charge, and he was an early merge target, he made it to the end, and was so good that he never even had to use the Immunity Idol (and not because of winning challenges, ala Terry!)! He put together an alliance of three players who he knew weren't nearly as good as him, knowing that he could easily beat any one of them in the final 2 (well, 3 in this season). I know they might not bring back winners, but pleeeeease bring him back! I would love love love to see him play this game again -- and even harder!
Cao-Boi - I loved him as a person, however the big question is...is he really a player? I think so. If you remember, he came up with an elaborate and very intelligent plan to eliminate the Immunity Idol (not knowing that Yul had it), but if he can keep his large personality under control, he just might be a true Survivor.
I also wouldn't mind seeing JP (think he might've been a good player had he stayed longer) and Candice. I know people want me to say Ozzy, but I really find him to be one of the most overrated players of all-time. Yeah, he was good in competitions but not nearly as good as some other people! When it came to strategy, well, he didn't really have one, aside from being lucky to get on the right side of the numbers game (like those floaters named Sundra and Becky!) Oh well, he'll probably be back anyway so it doesn't matter!
I just started watching Survivor: Fiji, and can't really make picks yet....I'll post a reply once I finish it in a few days! So far though, I'm liking Yau-Man, Dreamz, Rocky, Sylvia, Gary...but I'm really just on the third episode, so I'm in no position to decide. In case you can't tell, I'm really for the strategic players!
As for Survivor: China, it's hard to judge players pre-merge so with the exception of Todd (since I think he's the only one to have already gained All-Star status), these are all question marks, but as of now, here are my picks:
Todd - It doesn't matter if he makes it to the end or if he's the next one voted off, he already deserves a spot on All-Stars 2! Thus far, he has strategically placed himself SO perfectly in a way that virtually no one has done this early, and I'm really rooting for him to win! This is the first time in many seasons that I think my favorite player truly has a good shot at winning the game!
Courtney - I'm not sure whether I'm right or wrong about this, but for some reason, I have a gut feeling that within the next few weeks, Courtney is going to become an amazingly strategic player. I think she's extremely intelligent, and we have yet to see what she's really capable of.
James - I don't really care for him, but if he's the next one kicked off, as it appears he's going to be, then he definitely deserves another chance, since I think if he makes it to the merge has got a good shot at being the first person in Survivor history to win every single individual Immunity challenge! I must admit, this guy is like superhuman! How amazing would it be to see him, Terry, and Tom compete against each other?!
Other than that...I think Phi-Gee might do well the rest of the season. I really applaud her strategic move of throwing the challenge (even if it wasn't exactly done in the most eloquent way.) I think Ashley and Aaron would've both been good merge players, Dave was such a douche that he might provide some entertainment. Amanda is doing good thus far...and for all we know, anyone of them could become great players in a few weeks time! So it'll be really interesting to see!
Okay, so this next section is mostly wishful thinking, buuuut....If they're going to include pre-season 8 players (even though they won't, but just in case...), then I would love to see:
Brandon Quinton (he made some dumb mistakes, but was very smart, absolutely deserves/deserved a chance to play the game again, and I REALLY hoped he would've been on All-Stars 1!), Kelly from Africa (same reason as Brandon!), Johnny Fairplay (despise this guy personally, but he played an awesome game!), Rob Cesternino (greatest player of all time, in my opinion! Got robbed on All-Stars!), Heidi (She's an extremely intelligent girl.. If she can drop the attitude and the "honesty and integrity" horse pucky, then she could do really well.), Colleen (always thought if given another shot, she'd be a smart player), Richard Hatch, (if he's out of prison! hahaha), and Kathy (LOVE LOVE LOVED her on season 4 and she's one of my all-time favs, but she really fucked her game up on All-Stars by taking things way too personally! Would love to see her again!).
So those are my choices! Although All-Stars 2 is just a rumor, I'm remaining hopefully, and think that if given the right cast(!!!!!!!), it could really work! For me, the reason that the first All-Stars season didn't work as well as it should have was a crappy cast. There were WAY too many people that didn't deserve to be there...Jenna Lewis, Amber, Jenna Morasca, Big Tom, Alicia, Shii-Ann, Ethan...and it's debatable whether Rupert deserved it. I think he did, based on Pearl Islands (I really liked him on that season), however he was useless on All-Stars, and definitely didn't deserve the popularity contest million $!
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this (I'm a hardcore insomniac so it gave me something fun to write at 2 in the morning! LOL)! I'm excited to see what you guys have to say about your picks and favorites! X-)
xo,
Mike
Oh also, I never saw Fiji when it aired (was in the process of moving and had no Tivo) and just downloaded it, I'm only on episode 3 so far, so I'm going to reserve my Fiji picks until after I've finished watching.
I know this list is really long, but here's my thing...I'm not really into watching any professional sports (I like boxing and hockey, but I'm not nuts over them), so Survivor is like a sport to me! I love the game, the players, the stats! I feel/felt the same way about Big Brother, but it has REALLY gone downhill the past few seasons.
...By the way, welcome me to the board mothafuckaaaaaahs! X-)
Vanuatu:
Rory - He had really played a great game and amazingly survived both a tribal switch and the women's alliance! Definitely deserves a second chance!
Twila - The best player of Season 9, she got robbed at the end due to the jury voting personally (something that happens WAY too often in this game of Survivor!), she refused to compromise herself for anyone, pissing off virtually everyone from day one, and still managed to make it to the final two! The fact that I to this day have no idea how the hell she made it to the end of that game is a testament to how good she is!
Chris - A deserving winner, even if Twilia was the true mastermind, Chris is one of the show's better players. Technically, he should have been the first one voted off after single-handedly losing the immunity challenge, and ended up winning the game! I would like to see him come back and really fight hard this time.
Julie (?) - She had her head in the game and thought about strategy more often than not, I think if she really stepped it up, she could be a great player!
IF they'll step up their games, Ami and Scout might do well if given a second chance to play!
Palau :
Coby - I definitely think he was a much better player than he let on! His big mouth and defiance was what cost him the game. If he could keep that under control and keep his mind on strategy, he could be a real force!
Steph - Yeah, yeah, yeah she came back twice, but I don't give a hoot! If Kaysar can come back three times, by George so can she!! Here's my thing with Steph...loved her in Palau, and despite the fact that I didn't like her in Guatemala (thought she was extremely arrogant and had a real sense of entitlement), she played the best game that season and only lost because the jury voted personal. I'm really interested in seeing how she'll modify her strategy this time!
Ian (?) - He's definitely an all-star, however, this one is a BIG question mark for me, because if he came back, it could go either one of two ways...he could really step up his game and be a friggin FORCE, or he could just try to be nice and play "with integrity'' (argh I hate that oh so much!)...unfortunately, I think it will be the latter. It's a shame too, because I think if he were to be a real strategic player, he could very well win.
Tom! - Okay, the first time I watched Palau, I could not STAND him! However, when I re-watched it on DVD, knowing that he wins, I realized what an amazing player he was...not just in the competitions, but also strategically. He's one of my favorite players of all time, and if he makes it past the first tribal council, he could very well pull a Will Kirby and come close to winning the game for a second time.
I also wouldn't mind seeing Angie or Gregg come back, as they were both good!
Guatamala :
Brian!!!!!!- Brian is probably my #1 pick for All-Stars 2! Through the first half of Season 11, up until his vote-off, he was the best player, strategically placing himself PERFECTLY for both the present and the future. For a while, he was controlling the game, and nobody had the slightest idea! Unfortunately, he was the casualty of an unfair tribal switch (even though he was able to preserve himself for a week or two). I hope and pray that he will be cast, and if he is, could very well win this game!
Gary - I think Gary, like Brian, is a perfect example of somebody who deserves a second chance at this game. He made a lot of mistakes early on (like voting out his allies!), however, once he stepped his game up, became my favorite to win. He would need to majorly step up his game, focus on strategy and not worry about playing "with integrity"...Playing with integrity should mean playing the best game!
Amy (?) - I really liked her, but I'm not entirely sure what a great player she would be.I'd like to see her back though!
Rafe - I'm not a fan, however he did gain all-star status with his immunity wins that NOBODY saw coming, as well as good strategy! Send him back!
Steph - See Palau.
Danni (?) - I really love this girl as a person, and she did play a pretty good game, however, I'm really torn on whether or not she really deserves another shot. In many ways, she reminds me of Lisa from Big Brother 3. She played an alright game (although, like Chris from Vanuatu, was more a benefactor of circumstance), but didn't deserve the win over Steph. IF (and that's a big IF!) she were to majorly step up her game and focus on strategy, as opposed to people's feelings, she would be good, but I certainly wouldn't be broken hearted if she wasn't cast.
Panama: Exile Island
Misty - This might seem a bit random, but hear me out...She was a really smart girl, had her head in the game at all times, and got voted off way too soon! I think she could really go far and be an excellent player.
Austin - I loved Austin! I think he was a great player and again, got kicked off way before his time due to the Casaya alliance (and the season's insanely boring Pagonging!). Had he stayed longer, I truly think that he would have been a great player! Give the guy another shot and I think he could be the Boston Rob of All-Stars 2!
Cirie - I loveeeeeee this woman! The ultimate silent threat, she was the best strategist of a weak season with a weak overall cast, and was my favorite to win! She was supposed to be one of the first ones gone, but made it to the final 4! I think she's one of the people who most deserve a second chance. I really hope she plays ten times harder this time, since I think her demise in Panama was not fighting hard enough. If she gets cast, she could very well win the game.
Terry - Again, I'm not a fan of his, but he certainly deserves another shot. He was unbeatable in challenges and not a bad strategist either (even though he seems to think the game is about nothing besides the challenges.) I liked his underdog status once the tribes merged and was rooting for him up until he started with the "wives are more important than mothers" crap and then became really arrogant and over-confident! Once Cirie got kicked off though, he was my pick to win.
Cook Islands :
Nate - He was a really amazing player and strategist, and for a long while was controlling his entire tribe, without anyone being on to him. The only reason he was kicked off was because of the numbers and not so much a strategic flaw. He is VERY much deserving of a second chance, and like Brian and Austin, is also likely to become the season's Boston Rob.
Jonathan - Okay, so he was really paranoid, made a hugely dumb mistake (Mutiniying, pissing off every single person way too early in the game!), and way overplayed his hand ---however, I would much rather someone go out for overplaying the game than underplaying it! Jonathan really deserves another chance! If he can gain people's trust, keep a level head, and not over-scheme too much, he could go far!
Yul - One of my absolute favorite players of all time! He manipulated and controlled the game in such a quiet and subtle way. Despite the fact that everyone knew he was in charge, and he was an early merge target, he made it to the end, and was so good that he never even had to use the Immunity Idol (and not because of winning challenges, ala Terry!)! He put together an alliance of three players who he knew weren't nearly as good as him, knowing that he could easily beat any one of them in the final 2 (well, 3 in this season). I know they might not bring back winners, but pleeeeease bring him back! I would love love love to see him play this game again -- and even harder!
Cao-Boi - I loved him as a person, however the big question is...is he really a player? I think so. If you remember, he came up with an elaborate and very intelligent plan to eliminate the Immunity Idol (not knowing that Yul had it), but if he can keep his large personality under control, he just might be a true Survivor.
I also wouldn't mind seeing JP (think he might've been a good player had he stayed longer) and Candice. I know people want me to say Ozzy, but I really find him to be one of the most overrated players of all-time. Yeah, he was good in competitions but not nearly as good as some other people! When it came to strategy, well, he didn't really have one, aside from being lucky to get on the right side of the numbers game (like those floaters named Sundra and Becky!) Oh well, he'll probably be back anyway so it doesn't matter!
I just started watching Survivor: Fiji, and can't really make picks yet....I'll post a reply once I finish it in a few days! So far though, I'm liking Yau-Man, Dreamz, Rocky, Sylvia, Gary...but I'm really just on the third episode, so I'm in no position to decide. In case you can't tell, I'm really for the strategic players!
As for Survivor: China, it's hard to judge players pre-merge so with the exception of Todd (since I think he's the only one to have already gained All-Star status), these are all question marks, but as of now, here are my picks:
Todd - It doesn't matter if he makes it to the end or if he's the next one voted off, he already deserves a spot on All-Stars 2! Thus far, he has strategically placed himself SO perfectly in a way that virtually no one has done this early, and I'm really rooting for him to win! This is the first time in many seasons that I think my favorite player truly has a good shot at winning the game!
Courtney - I'm not sure whether I'm right or wrong about this, but for some reason, I have a gut feeling that within the next few weeks, Courtney is going to become an amazingly strategic player. I think she's extremely intelligent, and we have yet to see what she's really capable of.
James - I don't really care for him, but if he's the next one kicked off, as it appears he's going to be, then he definitely deserves another chance, since I think if he makes it to the merge has got a good shot at being the first person in Survivor history to win every single individual Immunity challenge! I must admit, this guy is like superhuman! How amazing would it be to see him, Terry, and Tom compete against each other?!
Other than that...I think Phi-Gee might do well the rest of the season. I really applaud her strategic move of throwing the challenge (even if it wasn't exactly done in the most eloquent way.) I think Ashley and Aaron would've both been good merge players, Dave was such a douche that he might provide some entertainment. Amanda is doing good thus far...and for all we know, anyone of them could become great players in a few weeks time! So it'll be really interesting to see!
Okay, so this next section is mostly wishful thinking, buuuut....If they're going to include pre-season 8 players (even though they won't, but just in case...), then I would love to see:
Brandon Quinton (he made some dumb mistakes, but was very smart, absolutely deserves/deserved a chance to play the game again, and I REALLY hoped he would've been on All-Stars 1!), Kelly from Africa (same reason as Brandon!), Johnny Fairplay (despise this guy personally, but he played an awesome game!), Rob Cesternino (greatest player of all time, in my opinion! Got robbed on All-Stars!), Heidi (She's an extremely intelligent girl.. If she can drop the attitude and the "honesty and integrity" horse pucky, then she could do really well.), Colleen (always thought if given another shot, she'd be a smart player), Richard Hatch, (if he's out of prison! hahaha), and Kathy (LOVE LOVE LOVED her on season 4 and she's one of my all-time favs, but she really fucked her game up on All-Stars by taking things way too personally! Would love to see her again!).
So those are my choices! Although All-Stars 2 is just a rumor, I'm remaining hopefully, and think that if given the right cast(!!!!!!!), it could really work! For me, the reason that the first All-Stars season didn't work as well as it should have was a crappy cast. There were WAY too many people that didn't deserve to be there...Jenna Lewis, Amber, Jenna Morasca, Big Tom, Alicia, Shii-Ann, Ethan...and it's debatable whether Rupert deserved it. I think he did, based on Pearl Islands (I really liked him on that season), however he was useless on All-Stars, and definitely didn't deserve the popularity contest million $!
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this (I'm a hardcore insomniac so it gave me something fun to write at 2 in the morning! LOL)! I'm excited to see what you guys have to say about your picks and favorites! X-)
xo,
Mike
Austin?
...I'm not exactly sure what that face is for, but golly a happy dancing
muffin sure is uplifting! X-)
