It’s back folks. Tonight Season 27 opens and we will see the start of some interesting twists. In my totally unscientific poll Hayden Moss was chosen as most peoples pick to win the season. I still disagree because I think his Big Brother win will put too much of a target on his back. I will be interested to see if others know he won Big Brother and if so will it be a shared fact.
I will be back later but I will leave you with a poll to start the season. As always feel free to discuss the show below.
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It’s been a long night but I’m on the couch and ready to recap the premiere of Survivor as Jeff sets up the opening. Each group of loved ones will be dropped off in a different part of the island to spend the night with each other in a new twist called Day Zero. They will be separated the following morning.
Gervase and his niece Marissa are first up. He says it is the original OG and is ready to win while Marissa says it is cute that Gervase thinks he will win but she is focussed on winning herself.
Hayden says that Big Brother is like Survivor in a house (I disagree) so he will be more prepared than others who have never played the game. Kat says that Hayden has one his own game and Survivor is hers.
Laura M. and Ciera believe that have what it takes to work off each other while Laura says it will be hard seeing her daughter suffer,
Rupert and his wife Laura B. This is his fourth time playing and has never made the finals while Laura wants to be the first in the family to win.
Colton and Caleb are worried about Colton’s reputation because he pissed off a lot of people when he played. He is hoping he has grown and matured enough to stay around.
Candice and John are successful outside the game and they are worried they will have targets on their backs since they are young and successful.
Monica and Brad Culpepper plan on making it all the way working together.
Tina and her daughter Katie are from a competitive family and Katie is hoping to beat her mother.
Tyson is hoping to redeem himself from his horrible game play the first two times and Rachel seems like she is just happy to be there.
Aras and Vytas have resentment toward each other but it has inspired Aras to want to beat his brother at everything.
After the introductions they get their letter that they will be spending the night alone in the jungle with their loved ones with no supplies. Everyone seems pretty lost with the shocker as they start looking for a good place to sleep and eat.
I thought we would get some more footage of Day Zero but apparently it was used just for the opening as the teams meet Jeff on the beach the next morning. Jeff instantly calls out Hayden for doing well on Big Brother. There goes that surprise.
Jeff then informs that they will be playing against their loved ones which seems to surprise (or maybe disappoint) a few people. Jeff gets about half to admit they are ready to take on their loved ones. Brad Culpepper singles himself out by saying it they were playing for a tarp he would want Monica to win it. He is not ready for this game.
We get some tears as the loved ones separate into two tribes. Rupert is happy he won’t have to write down his wife’s name but he is also unhappy he won’t get to protect her. Oh how wrong he is.
The returning players will be called Galong and Loved Ones are Tadhana. Jeff then informs them that they will be voting someone out immediately to the shock of everyone. He hands out pens and parchment to cast the votes.
Colton is worried since they will be best on first impressions. For the Loved ones it looks like there was some quick talk as Laura B (Rupert’s wife) is voted out first. She thinks that it is because she is Rupert’s wife and Rupert agrees.
On the Returning players the it is more split as the Candice gets six votes to Laura 3 and Aras vote for Gervase because he is Redskins fan and Gervase as on a Eagles shirt (I feel bad for Aras if he’s really a Redskins fan) The rest of the votes seem to be voting for who each person knows the least. Apparently it is good to get to know other Survivor alumni. Candice’s husband John says he will not forgive the other tribe for going after his wife.
Jeff then shares the next twist that they are not out of the game. They will be going to Redemption Island for a second chance at the game. Candice and Laura are the first to going to Redemption Island but first Blood vs. Water will be put to the test.
Rupert is up first and he initially jumps at the chance but has doubts. He eventually gives his wife the chance to play. Tina is pissed at Rupert. She understands the emotion but she felt they needed him on the tribe.
John talks it over with Candice and she says that she thinks she can beat Rupert so he gives her the opportunity to beat Rupert.
Rupert says that he has proven that blood is thicker than water and if he returns they will be an awesome team. On the bright side he won’t be in much of the episode. John says that it killed him to see Candice walk off but he is ready to play and they will pay for it.
We get to see the Galong tribe first and Tyson’s shirt is already off. They get down to work and the spotlight seems to be on Laura early to prove herself. Gervase quickly names her as an easy person to vote off.
Tyson proves you don’t need flint as he gets a fire going within 15 minutes and the tribe with food, water, and shelter.
Monica approaches Colton right away because she knows how he played last time and is worried about his negative attitude. He says he will work with her but she isn’t sure is a zebra can change their strips.
Over at Tadhana they are working on the shelter and Brad says he has lived Monica’s One World game. Brad is worried that that his blunder at the beginning so he gathers the tribe and says that he is doesn’t play 100% they have his blessing to vote them out.
Brad and John find a waterfall and Brad jumps out to have an initial alliance of the five guys. The others are open to it for now but they all seem conscious of the alliance and side alliances. Caleb is doubtful of the plan but jumps on board because it is better than not being involved.
A part of me thinks Brad is playing too hard to fast but he made a good point that the players like Cochran are the best players in this age of Survivor. I just see Caleb approaching the ladies and throwing that guy alliance out the window at some point. Personally I would run with it until after a few eliminations.
Tadhana are still working on their camp and are having trouble to get a fire going. It always amazes me that people don’t prepare fire building before coming to the game. Ciera tells the story about being a teen mom and Vytas shares that he was a heroin addict and spent a year in prison. This is real life.
Brad seems shocked at the stories and Vytas thinks he needed to share his past to build trust with the tribe but he isn’t worried that people will see him as a criminal. I actually think he is smart to start building these bonds early with the story of Redemption.
Back at Galong they are chilling around the fire. Colton says the first time he played he was horrible because he was insecure about himself. He wants to show that he has grown into a better person. He breaks down telling his story of trying to be accepted and gets some hugs.
Monica hopes he changes because it would be a great story but still has her doubts on him.
And now my dreams of a Rupert free episode are shattered as we go to Redemption Island. Candice is cutting a coconut and each swing is a different person who voted her out. She is out for revenge and Rupert is shocked that he is in this situation.
Candice is annoyed living alone with Rupert since he either sleeps or lays in the water while Candice does all the work around camp. He says he has killed himself in the past by doing everything at camp but this time he will be conserving his energy and letting her tire herself out so he can beat her. He says it is smart while I say it is lazy. It I was Candice I would be making food just for myself.
Tadhana checks their first tree mail and they say the game has official started. The challenge sounds like it will involve lots of physical aspects and a puzzle. Each side is ready to take out their loved ones. And with that love fest it is time for the first challenge of the season.
First up Laura B. gets her yellow buff and they celebrate having fire thanks to Tyson. Tadhana lies about having fire and Hayden says they are probably telling the truth since they have done it before.
For the challenge six members will race over obstacles to a boat. They will paddle out to a chest and bring it back. The other three members will build the puzzle to raise the flag and win the challenge. Winners are safe and Losers will go to tribal. Winning tribe will also get a flint.
For Galong Gervase, Aras, Colton, Kat, Laura B, and Tyson are in the water. For Tadhana we have Hayden, Brad, John, Marissa, Vytas, and Rachel.
Tadhana has a huge lead since Gervase is a horrible swimmer and they even catch up and then are horrible paddlers as Kat and Colton get into a shouting match about Colton’s paddling.
Tadhana has a huge lead but anything could happen on the puzzle. It is Katie, Caleb, and Ciera vs. Tina, Laura M., and Monica. On the puzzle Galong is solid on the puzzle and grab the lead. The returning players are on the third bag of the puzzle while Tadhana are still on the first part. Galong destroys the puzzle as Gervase over celebrates the victory considering he looked like a dead man walking.
The Returning players are bittersweet since they are happy to be safe but are sad to put loved ones in danger. Colton even cries. Brad says that Gervase shouldn’t have celebrated because his loved one may go home now. It’s an extra wrinkle since you also have John who will want to send someone Candice could beat as well.
Back at Tadhana and Brad and John tries to pump up the puzzle people because you have to appreciate the experience. The talk then goes to Gervase and his celebrating. Marissa throws Gervase under the bus a little to try to protect herself. Brad says that he hopes when they win a challenge they don’t celebrate like that.
The guys seem to be all on board with an alliance. Brad tosses out Marissa’s name while Caleb is split on Katie since she was doing little on the puzzle. Vytas likes the girls but at this point he says it would be foolish to go against that. Brad wants to send someone who could affect the other tribe. At this point it is looking like Marissa or Katie.
And now for our first Tribal. The Loved Ones will light their touch for the first time. Jeff throws out the first question to Hayden about the toughest thing so far and he admits to not having fire. Ciera says that hearing stories from her mom and living it is totally different. She is so hungry and Brad agrees that not having fire is killing them.
Caleb says he is worried about Colton but he has to play his own game. John is feeling guilty of not saving Candice and he hopes she doesn’t feel like he wouldn’t step up. He says that he wants to vote out whoever will make their tribe stronger because Galong won’t be pulling any punches but it would be an added advantage if Candice could beat the person going to Redemption Island.
Brad says that Blood vs. Water is interesting for the celebration they had. Marissa is surprised with how Gervase celebrated and Vytas says that unlike past seasons the other tribe will be worrying because one of their loved ones will be voted out. Marissa says she hopes that at this point of the season she hopes she will be judged on her actions and how she plays rather than on her uncle’s actions. She says that thinking like that is not needed until the merge.
Katie thinks that the puzzle is where they fall behind and she is scared because the challenge is all they have to really go off of for the eviction. Brad says that they aren’t really voting on the challenge performance alone.
Katie votes for Marissa really because it’s not her and Marissa throws her vote at Katie because that is what makes sense.
In a landslide Marissa is the first voted out but will go to Redemption Island to play against Rupert and Candice. She gives her former tribe the death stare as Jeff continues to over use the term “Blindside.” Tadhana gets flint because really there was no other way that they were getting fire without it.
I actually really loved this premiere. There are so many new avenues the Blood vs. Water twist will add to the show. I like the idea that how your Loved One acts can destroy your game because really there was no reason to send Marissa out over Katie. I thought Katie was the smarter choice to send to Redemption Island but I think Gervase was in everyone’s head.
I also liked how the idea of having the option to safe your loved one player out and am interested to see where the season goes and I hope you all stick around with me.
Next time on Survivor the old Colton is back and the first dual at Redemption Island Seems to cause some breakdowns. I’ll see you all next week.