UPOLU
Albert: 26, a baseball and dating coach from Plantation, FL. This very confident charmer believes his fellow competitors will underestimate what he really brings to the table: his knowledge of social dynamics. Yes, he is one of the "big, athletic guys" (the only one?), but his past as a dating coach educated him in the ways of talking to people and reading what they are leaving unsaid. Albert is a strategist and will be micromanaging every single decision.
Brandon: 19, an oil tanker tech from Katy, TX. Yes, he is Russell Hantz's nephew, but this husband and father wants to bring dignity back to the Hantz name. He's not above backstabbing an alliance member (this is Survivor after all), and he does have to watch his temper, but Brandon insists he will show that Hantz men have emotions.
Christine: 39, a teacher from Merrick, NY. Christine applied for the show by telling the producers and casting folk that they should all be fired for casting quitters like NaOnka and Purple Kelly. The firy New Yorker won't tell her tribe that she is fluent in Spanish, hoping to catch them talking about her or their strategy. She is playing not for the money, but the thrill of the competition; she just hopes she doesn't get too "crabby" from the lack of food.
Edna: 35, an anesthesiologist from Los Angeles. An owner of two businesses, Edna believes her tribemates will simply see her as a "slight Asian female who is probably good at puzzles," but she is willing to allow the stereotype, though she is not so good at puzzles. She is worried about how her forced "computer celibacy" might effect her mood. She can be too much of a leader (aka "bossy") at times, so she will try to lay back and be more of a team player.
Mikayla: 22, a lingerie football player from Tampa. You read that correctly. Mikayla is a lingerie football player. She insists, however, that it is just as tough, if not tougher!, than the game played on Sundays by men. Mikayla is a Jersey girl who will downplay her physical ability and try to stay a step ahead of the other competitors.
Rick: 51, a rancher from Aurora, UT. Rick applied to be on Survivor fourteen times before finally being cast via the Sears Casting Call. He wishes he was selected ten years ago when he was a bit younger, but he believes he still has some game left in him. This rancher hates quitters, is suspicious of pretty girls, and does not want to see Coach in the game (Sorry Rick! Let's hope that random draw goes your way, huh?). He can build a shelter rather easily, but he knows better than to be a leader early in the game.
Sophie: 22, a medical student from Willsboro, NY. Sophie is this season's self-described "smartest player in the game." She is hoping for religious people like last season's Matt because since those people think God has determined everything, they are really easy to manipulate. She has always thought herself great at everything, so she is not going to play dumb to not stand out to her tribemates. Her models are the strong women that have won the game so Sophie will be conniving where necessary.
Stacey: 44, a mortician from Grand Prairie, TX. Stacey believes herself strong because she was the first person in line for a Survivor open casting call. She likes to "get devious" and is going to try to be a "hustler" by agreeing with everyone and then backstabbing them. That is if the anxiety of starting the game doesn't get to her first.
After looking at the contestants, a couple things, and people, jump out at me. First off, there are no real "alpha males" this season. Sure, Albert is a big, athletic guy, and maybe Brandon as well, but that's it. Overall, this cast also seems older than usual with seven of the sixteen new players over the age of 30. These two facts will make Challenges very interesting as they will likely involve less (if any) confrontational Challenges (i.e. where a player from each tribe physically battle each other). Further, it should be more difficult for one tribe to dominate over the other -- a welcome feature of any Survivor season.
On Savaii, Dawn and Keith seem poised to go far in the game. Dawn reminds me of Holly from two seasons ago: motherly figure, but with enough physical skills to actually be a benefit to the tribe. Plus, she's been preparing herself like Jane (like Holly, also from Survivor: Nicaragua) for the game, so nothing should be a surprise for her. Keith should do well, too. He seems like an amiable guy with a lot of the necessary skills to thrive on Survivor. Of course, his one drawback is the sympathy factor surrounding his pacemaker. As noted above, however, there aren't a lot of alpha males, so Savaii will likely keep Keith around for a while as someone necessary to win Challenges.
On the negative side of Savaii, I'm not sure Mark-Anthony (who I will just call Mark from now on) or Semhar have any real chance to be the Sole Survivor. Mark seems to be convincing himself that he has something left int he tank, but I'm not so sure. He may get far into the game, simply because he is a vote being used by the majority alliance, but he's not going to win. Semhar, I believe, is in for a rude awakening when she gets out into nature and into the game. She lived in one of the less developed nations in Arica, Eritrea, but admits that she stayed in the city, and never ventured out into the rest of the country. She says she is already put off by the potential smell from camp, and is afraid of Redemption Island. She is going to crack, and her "way with words" is going to get her in trouble.
Over at Upolu, I think Mikayla and Albert will do well, though I have reservations about both. Mikayla seems like a physically fit, put together woman who will not be hindered in any physical aspect of the game. I'm slightly worried about her mental/social game. At 22, she would be the third youngest winner (Jenna Morasca was 21 when she won Survivor: Amazon, as was Jud when he won Survivor: Nicaragua). I'm not sure Mikayla has had the life experiences necessary to manage the social dynamics of the game. If she can though, she will get far. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Albert will likely have the social dynamics of the game in hand. My only concerns for him are 1) that he's way too cocky to modulate his personality, and 2) that he is the biggest male in the game, so he will be a likely post-Merge target. Of all of his tribemates though, I think Albert has the most pluses to advance him far in the game.
Stacey and Sophie, I'm sorry, but you're not going to win. Stacey is the most boring person to ever play the game, signaling that either A) she has no desire to be there, or B) she has no idea what she is in for. Either option signals certain doom for Stacey. Sophie, for her part, certainly seems like she wants to be there. Unfortunately for her, she thinks she will school everyone else with her abilities. She doesn't seem to have th humility necessary to thrive in the game after your preferred plan is blown to smithereens. I wouldn't be surprised by a pre-Merge ouster for both of these ladies.
All in all, I like this cast, mainly for its apparent parity. Usually, just from the pregame videos, one can tell who will play a strong game, and who will be cannon fodder. In this case, one can argue that just about anyone has a chance to win. Of course, a lot will depend on which tribes Coach and Ozzy end up, and how much reverence the new players bestow on them. My initial reaction is that both veterans will stay around until the Merge, but then cut swiftly so as to avoid a Boston Rob situation; but if I had to choose someone to not make the Merge, I figure Coach will be voted out before Ozzy simply because Ozzy is a greater help in Challenges.
What do you think of the cast? Does anyone jump put at you, for good or for bad? Anyone you want to root for just based on their bio? How do you think this cast ranks compared to others? Please leave your questions and comments below. Survivor: South Pacific debuts Wednesday, September 14th at 8:00pm ET/PT on CBS for 90 minutes. I'll be back soon with my seasonal Odds to Win column (where I, of course, reserve the right to disavow everything above!). Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the weeks ahead.
Follow: twitter.com/tvovermind
Follow: twitter.com/MikeNJD
Email: michael@tvovermind.com
When will you make it a true North American Survivor and include your friendly and alley neighbor Canada. It's a large audience and deserves a chance to compete.
From what I understand, Canadians can't be included int he cast for legal reasons. Something to do with visas, winnings, and insurance. Lame, but, unfortunately, the case.