Watching Survivor

Here’s a couple more previews to wet your whistle! Only 20 more days to go!

I can’t WAIT!

Survivor, Survivor: China, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rumors, contestants

Here’s an introduction to the new Survivors for Survivor: China!

It’s finally here! Confirmation of the contestants for the 15th season of Survivor: China! First, a preview:

Next, from TV.com - exclusive look at the Tribes, the cast and Jeff Probst’s thoughts on each:

The heat and humidity are “indescribable.” The snakes are deadly. And China is one of Survivor’s most difficult locations ever. Despite all that, host Jeff Probst — speaking by phone from the rugged camp near the vast man-made Zhelin Lake in eastern China — admits he’d like to stay longer. “Usually I want to go home,” he says. “But if somebody said, ‘You have to stay another two weeks,’ I’d say, ‘All right.’ ”
[…]
Probst says the first episode (premiering Sept. 20 at 8 pm/ET) involves a Buddhist ceremony, which a few tribe members find emotionally overwhelming. A 100-foot-tall replica of a historic temple has been built as the tribal-council set. Plus, players receive The Art of War, Sun Tzu’s sixth-century B.C. treatise on military strategy. They’re going to need it. “Survivor is a war,” Probst says. “The book deals with leadership and how you defeat the other tribe. It’s interesting how much it plays into the game all the way through.”

Man, and for some reason, I was hoping there would be FEWER snakes on this version! No such luck. Not sure why I thought that, but a girl with a massive phobia can HOPE right? Right.

Now for a look at the tribes and cast members! First the Fei Long (Flying Dragon) Tribe.

1. AARON REISBERGER
32, Venice, California; surfing instructor, bartender, restaurant manager
Jeff’s take: “Aaron is a threat. He’s a charming, good-looking guy, and he’s got a side to him that’s cold like steel. He’s a bartender and he told us that he sizes up people fast to get a bigger tip. He’d tell you one thing and there was always something else going on. He’s the guy who could be playing everybody.”

2. COURTNEY YATES
26, New York City; waitress
Jeff’s take: “Courtney’s not the kind of girl who wakes up and says, ‘Should we go catch fish?’ She’ll say, ‘I need a cup of coffee and a cigarette!’ She admits she can be a bitch with a negative attitude. At first, she is off-putting. But there’s something oddly appealing because she’s being real. She’s tiny, but she can take care of herself with her mouth alone.”

3. AMANDA KIMMEL
23, Kalispell, Montana; hiking tour guide, beauty pageant winner
Jeff’s take: “Amanda probably is the most physically fit woman this season, very strong and confident. She’s been outdoors a lot and she’s not afraid of sticks or stones. Plus, she really knows the show — she’s watched every episode — and after 15 seasons, that’s an advantage.”

4. JEAN-ROBERT BELLANDE
36; Las Vegas; professional poker player
Jeff’s take:“He’s a big guy with a big, big personality, exactly what you want a poker player on Survivor to be. Jean-Robert will tell you what he’s going to do and you don’t know if he’ll do it or not, because he’s a card player.”

5. LESLIE NEASE
38, Tega Cay, South Carolina; Christian-radio host, fitness instructor
Jeff’s take: “Being a Christian-radio host can hurt you if your religious beliefs come ahead of making decisions in this game — say, you can’t lie to somebody because of your faith. On the other hand, people might trust you and you could pull the wool over their eyes.”

6. DENISE MARTIN
40, Douglas, Massachusetts; school lunch lady, black belt in karate
Jeff’s take: “Denise is a likable, blue-collar woman with the most lovely mullet. She has it, she tells us, because it fits her life. There’s nothing pretentious about her. She’s very honest and endearing and a hard worker. I just adore Denise.”

7. TODD HERZOG
22, Pleasant Grove, Utah; flight attendant
Jeff’s take: “Todd is a Survivor superfan who’s wanted to be on since he was 14. Next to Courtney, he’s probably the smallest person here. He’s what you look for — a great personality who knows how to play this game.”

8. JAMES CLEMENT
30, Lafayette, Louisiana; burial service owner, grave digger
Jeff’s take: “He is without question the biggest guy we’ve had on this show. He’s actually a gentle giant, a very decent guy who works extremely hard. But if you rile him up, he’ll let you know what he’s thinking.”

And the Zhan Hu (Fighting Tiger) Tribe:

1. PEIH-GEE LAW
29, Marina Del Rey, California; music-video dancer turned jeweler
Jeff’s take: “Historically, Peih-Gee’s qualities don’t bode well. She’s quick with an opinion and she’s got a lot of them. But Peih-Gee is a player — she’s smart and knows how to work with people even though she may have no idea what they’re saying behind her back. She understands you can be bossy and make it work.”

2. DAVE CRUSER
37, Simi Valley, California; model/actor turned bartender
Jeff’s take: “Dave is crazy. To his credit, he’s a workaholic but sometimes to a fault. He fully embraces The Art of War from a strategic point of view — like, how to work with his tribe. Dave jumps out in the first few days and he’s a delight to watch in his zaniness. You’ll remember Dave for sure.”

3. ERIK HUFFMAN
26, Nashville, Tennessee; musician, model
Jeff’s take: “Erik is a throwback to old-school politeness. When we cast him, [Survivor: Africa winner] Ethan went through our heads. He’s humble, quiet and a nice guy. There was something refreshing about him being exactly what he said he would be.”

4. ASHLEY MASSARO
28, East Northport, New York; WWE SmackDown Diva, beauty queen, reality-show host
Jeff’s take: “Ashley is definitely fit. She told me in casting, ‘On a daily basis I get thrown from 15 feet in the air and land on my back. I think I can push some coconuts around. Put me on the show.’ She’s strong and she’s mouthy and she spends a lot of time running around in very little clothing.”

5. MICHAEL “FROSTI” ZERNOW
20, Chicago; film student, parkour expert
Jeff’s take: “He’s a good kid who brings something new. Parkour is a mix of gymnastics and martial arts. When we saw his tape, we thought he could just fly over some of our obstacle walls. We’ve never had somebody that had his kind of physical gift — he’ll do a backflip when he’s bored. And he’s a sharp kid, too. He gets it.”

6. SHEREA LLOYD
26, Atlanta; fourth-grade teacher
Jeff’s take: “Sherea is a fish out of water here, but she’s a fighter. She is another person who will tell you what she’s thinking. Sherea and a few others made me see the beauty and power of announcing who you are and being that person, because that makes you identifiable.”

7. JAIMIE DUGAN
22, Columbia, South Carolina; college student
Jeff’s take: “Jaimie is a sorority girl and she’s proud of it. The flip side is that’s she’s very bright. She speaks her mind and she actually makes some sense. She’s very flirty, and she’s good at it. I knew early on she was kind of the tribe mediator. She can hold her own — she’s definitely not wimpy.”

8. STEVE “CHICKEN” MORRIS
48, Marion, Virginia; former bouncer/fish breeder/logger turned chicken-farmer
Jeff’s take: “They don’t make a lot of guys like Chicken anymore. He’s an old-school, hardworking guy who knows what it is to build a shelter, get firewood, build a fire, try to catch fish — and then have lunch. If you put him around people who aren’t his age and don’t have his work ethic, he doesn’t understand. He’s going to have to adapt and it’s not an easy task.”

Also - The TV Guide Network will have a Survivor Preview on September 11!

Looks like the spoilers had it right on the money, as usual! And, it’s shaping up to be the best Survivor season yet!

As with last season, Watching Survivor will not be posting spoilers after the season begins, but will be the place to go for recaps, interviews, clips and other information!

Survivor, Survivor: China, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rumors, contestants

Survivor Fever DanieuBleau from Survivor Skills has also spoiled the cast, among other things. Apparently we’re going back to having a final two, and just 16 contestants for season 15. The contestants are:

Aaron Reisberger - Amanda Kimmel - Ashley Massaro - Bobby Bellande - Courtney Yates - Dave Cruser - Denise Martin - Erik Huffman - Jaime Dugan - James Clement - Leslie Nease - Mike Zernow - Peih-Gee Law - Sherea Lloyd - Steve Morris - Todd Herzog

This list will be confirmed or dismissed on Monday, August 20. As soon as I know, you’ll know!

ETA: I have been contacted and told that the actual spoiler for the cast members, etc, was DanieuBleau from Survivor Skills, and that it was credited incorrectly. My apologies to DanieuBleau, and SS, for not crediting them properly. I’m a fan - and human. Thanks for letting me know! ~L

Last time on Pirate Master…. They’ve discovered that the forever long recaps are redundant, and this one is relatively short. Considering. With 11 pirates gone, who will become Pirate Master?

We rejoin our pirates with Jay and Ben talking below deck, and Jay telling us that he doesn’t care, he didn’t come here to make friends. Ben knows he’s been playing all sides since the beginning of the game. He goes to talk to Christa about it, and how they just now figured it out, thanks to Kendra. The know he can’t be trusted, and decide they need to get rid of him.

Christa says this game is only going to be dirty because Jay made it that way. It’s his fault.

Man I’m gonna miss the scenery of Pirate Master when it’s all said and done! Laurel is extremely laid back, and keeps away from the whispering. She says not having a strategy is working for her, so she’s gonna keep with it.

Pirates to the Quarter Deck!

(more…)

Survivor Fever has done it again, as they do so often! Vern, sent pictures and information about their time spent sneaking about the Production Camps! Check it out here!

After the everlong recap, we rejoin our pirates with Jay talking to Ben about the betrayal. Ben admits that watching him with Kendra makes her nervous, as did the ousting of Nessa. Jay promises Ben that he’ll pull him into the final two which keeps Ben steadfast and strong. He admits to us that he knows Jay’s a snake, but sometimes it’s good to have a snake on your side.

Laurel is happy that Christa is captain, because she shares the food, they eat well every meal, and she’s not forcing the crew to do anything. She even gives them swim call - it’s relaxing and nice. Christa feels a happy crew will be more willing to do what she wants them too. Louie, however, and Jay say you can’t be nice all the time. Kendra eavesdrops. She’s sneaky, and that’s why she’s there.

Jay hates the thought of keeping Kendra around, because she’s horrible, but that works both ways. Kendra sneaks up on the captain and Jay, and hears them talking about Jay throwing the comp if he’s not on Christa’s crew. Jay’s using her to do his dirty work, to be his mouthpiece.

Pirates to the Quarter Deck!
They have corkscrews with a clue. This treasure was hidden by a notorious smuggler who smuggled rum. Time to pick crews!

Black Crew: Christa, Louie, Ben
Red Crew: Jay, Laurel, Kendra

The pirates have to row to the anchor on the shore and travel upriver to find the bottle with their next clue. Jay nods to Christa as he goes over the side into the longboat. He says he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Christa stays in power.

The Black Crew with Louie and Ben rowing get a big lead. Jay is already sabotaging and rowing slow to give the Captain a head start. The black crew gets to the beach first and hauls ass upriver. But they skip the smugglers den, and had to backtrack, giving the Red Crew a chance to catch up. Jay, of course, is irritated by this.

They search through the bottles to find the right one with the clue. Jay stays outside, and forces the others to search - says the means justify the end (I think he meant that the other way around. *L*) Poor Jay - the red crew finds the clue first. Writing on the clue had to be wrapped around the bottle to be read. Kendra figures it out! Ben peeked at the red crew and figured it out.

They return to the beach, find the chain, and the crate underneath the water. They have to get the crate, piece together the puzzle. Jay gives Ben the idea to go out under the water as everyone else is digging around the anchor. Ben, of course, finds the crate, and alerts the Black crew to get the longboat and go grab it. Ben and the Red Crew follows suit. Ben hooks the crate for the black crew, as Jay does the same for the Red Crew, still slowing them down.

They find a skull inside in pieces, with the map to the treasure on top of it’s head. Black crew - thanks to Jay’s sabotage of his own crew - once again takes the lead. Louie finds the treasure in the cave, and Black Crew wins!

Jay says he felt good seeing them come out with the treasure - he lost some money, but you can lose a battle and win the war.

They open the treasure and find only a note - Captain Steel, I have betrayed you. The Treasure is empty. The smuggler took the treasure, and left clues to nothing. Jay is happy though, as he got what he wanted - power.

Back at the Picton Castle, Jay continues his charade and congrats his team for working hard. Jay and Ben decide to play some High Card for some cash. Jay cheats Ben out of thousands, by maneuvering to pick up the queen every single time.

Jay makes the mistake of not checking for eavesdropping, and Kendra figures out that Jay fears Christa in a final four because she’s stronger then the other girls. Kendra feels it’s time to spread a bit of her information. Louie tells Jay to use him as a pawn to get Kendra out of there. Louie feels confident that they have his back. Unfortunately, Jay says to offer oneself up as a pawn with only 5 people left is stupid.

Christa calls in Jay to discuss the black spot possibilities. He tells Christa that Louie volunteered as a pawn, and that if they put him against Kendra, they should get rid of Louie instead. Ben says Kendra, and strategically Louie. Christa shares the decision, and rum shots with everyone. The talk with Kendra, and she says that she knows they decided she’s probably up next. She does tell Christa that Jay is worried about Christa and her strength and smarts. She says he mentioned it out loud, and Christa finds this interesting - but does she find it interesting enough to put him up?

Kendra and Louie are given black spots once again, so perhaps it’s not such a valuable piece of information after all. Louie says he trusts Jay, and he knows folks will think it’s crazy, but he does. Laurel doesn’t want to get rid of Louie, because he’s the one he trusts. She thinks he’s at risk tonight, because Jay and Ben often do things behind Christa’s back, while Kendra works Ben over for his vote and Louie appeals to Jay once again.

Pirates to midships! It’s time for Pirates Court.

Christa says she marked Kendra, because she continues to be viewed by the crew as the weakest link. Louie, he volunteered, but having learned to the concerns of the crew, she isn’t sure he’s safe. Louie admits that he did offer himself, and Cameron points out that the last five weeks, everyone who stands next to Kendra has been set adrift. Louie defends himself and says he gives what money can’t buy - loyalty, and strength and he offers it freely. Kendra says that to come back five times, there must be reasons. She’s slow in the water, but she navigates and figures out the clues fast. She’ll continue to give everything she has, she’s only slow at swimming, she doesn’t stop.

Jay says Kendra is sneaky, and hides outside and eavesdrops whenever people are talking. On the other hand, you have to decide who you want to stand against at the end. Ben says it’s about loyalty, and Kendra had never approached him until today’s conversation about the blackspot and they have no relationship. Laurel adds that she doesn’t have as many reasons to vote against her, and that Louie is very strong and she has less chance against him. Jay says volunteering for the black spot is insane. Says that Louie thinks he’s safe and he begs to differ. You can see the heartbreak in Louie’s face as he shakes his head. He says that he’s slow up the hills, he’s strong, and has their back and he thought they had his. But they’ll see when the cards hit the blade.

CUE DRAMATIC MUSIC!
Three pirates, three ballots, let’s see what you’ve done.

There are no ballots for mutiny. And there are no ballots for Louie, Kendra is cut adrift, 3-0. Kendra is proud to have made it this far, that it’s a great accomplishment. Next Week: There’s trouble in the captain’s quarters, and Jay is finally in jeopardy.

Pirates, Pirate Masters, Cameron Daddo, CBS, Mark Burnett, treasure, Picton Castle, ship Kendra, mutiny

Online sources and fans of the WWE Wrestler, Ashley Massaro, are saying that she was booted from Survivor: China sometime within the past couple of days, and that she logged onto her myspace for the first time since leaving on 8/2.

Further updates say that with 8/2 being actually August 3 in China, that the filming of Survivor: China has ended. Of course, they follow that by saying that the winner doesn’t come home right away for “some reason” though they’ve already been declared, and use that as a way to figure that Ashley Massaro didn’t win.

Those of us who watch more Survivor then Wrestling know that the winner of Survivor: China won’t be announced until the Season Finale in December, so that we can’t possibly know how Ashley faired in the actual competition. As our buddy Lynn told us - all Survivor Contestants are kept in sequester until the season is finished filming - so nothing can be gleaned from Massaro’s reappearance but that filming has been completed.

And that she Survived. Obviously. (Grin)

Survivor, Survivor: China, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rumors, contestants

If I had $300 dollars I would buy________.

What would you buy with $300? Or even $200 or $100? Now is your chance to find out! Comment on any 451 Press site during the month of August and you could win! Three comments will be chosen at random to win a cash prize of $300, $200 or $100.

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Survivor Fever - always the best and baddest resource for all our spoiler needs, has an almost complete cast listed for Survivor: China! While such leaks should be considered possible, at best, Survivor Fever has an incredible record for up to date and CORRECT information! They have 15 contestants listed of what is said to be a 16-member cast.

Aaron Reisberger: 32-year-old from Venice, CA.
Ashley Massaro: 28-year-old WWE wrestler.
Courtney Yates: 20-something model.
Dave Cruser: 37-year-old from Simi Valley, CA.
Denise Martin: Information Unknown.
Erik Huffman: 26-year-old musician/model from Nashville, TN.
Jaime Dugan: Information Unknown.
James Clement: Information Unknown.
Jean-Robert Bellande: 36-year-old professional poker player from Los Angeles, CA.
Leslie Nease: 38-year-old Christian talk radio host from Charlotte, NC.
Mike Zernow: 20-year-old street stunt performer from Chicago, IL.
Peih-Gee Law: 29-year-old in Sales from Los Angeles, CA.
Shereah Monet Lloyd: 26-year-old teacher from Stone Mountain, GA.
Steve Morris: 50-something Pasture Operator from Saltville, VA.
Todd Herzog: 22-year-old from Provo, UT.

The only two famous-ish names are the ones we spoiled a while ago, the wrestler Ashley and the poker player Jean-Robert Bellande. Looks like quite an eclectic group again, though! I’ll keep ya posted as more becomes available!

Survivor, Survivor: China, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rumors, contestants