immunity

(S16E03) We're three episodes into Survivor Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites and I still have trouble remembering who the one timid-looking fan is in this image. Oh, yeah. I know Krazy Kathy. And who could forget Joel?

I'm up to snuff on my faves tribe, though. But as I watched tonight's show, I happened to walk away from the set for a minute and it all came back to me. Jonathan Penner has totally stolen Alan Alda's voice. I remember it now from his season, but it's still evident. How did he do that? And, what does Alan Alda think about Jonathan Penner stealing his voice?

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(S16E02) "Get a hotel room," Jonathan says.

Let's keep in mind that the castaways on Survivor Micronesia have been together for four days as this episode was filmed. Now, that's plenty of time for true love, isn't it? And, the fact that it's airing on Valentine's Day makes it all so much more romantic, right? How touching, how sweet!

Well, unless it's only hot jungle sex noises under the fronds surrounded by rats, that is.

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Survivors ready? It's not just any old fans ... it's SUPERfans going up against returning castaways in the latest incarnation of Survivor. Just how super are they? After all, they're calling the returning players "all-time favorites" and we're talking Jonny Fairplay and some more obscure players. But the concept itself is different and it's sure to be fresh this year with a new dynamic.

That said, tonight was a smidgen predictable and a lot odd.

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Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor Micronesia, recently talked with media outlets. We all know how Jeff can be at Tribal Council with his "probsting" (and sometimes leading) questions.

Did he spill any beans? Did he offer fans some hints about the upcoming season? After all, this isn't the typical Survivor season starting on Thursday. It's the ballyhooed Fans vs. Favorites!

Although there are no real spoilers, some of the following is slightly spoilerish -- read at your own risk!

Survivor Micronesia will make its debut on February 7th. The official website hasn't appeared yet, but the cast list is out. Well, at least the names of those who are perceived to be "fan favorites" is certainly of interest to me because I don't know any of the fans. Remember, the upcoming season is a hybrid "all-stars" version pitting fan favorites from previous seasons with super-fans of the show.

What I don't get is their criteria for choosing the fan favorites. Jonny Fairplay? Give me a break!

The entire cast list after the jump ...

(S15E13) Well, this is it. Who's going to win it all on Survivor China -- the schemer, the lunch lady, the beauty queen, or the waitress long shot? Now, if I were a wagering woman, I could have won some money on this one. As with the first season with Richard Hatch, I picked the winner from the first episode. So, I'm two for fifteen. I guess I should ask Jean-Robert how those odds do in the real world, eh?

Ah, but I won't say a word about the winner before the jump. I know how dangerous that can be.

But I was right. 'Nuff said.

(S15E11) Is it possible for Courtney from Survivor China to lose any more weight? I think my bones are fatter than she is. Okay, I understand that she's always been a thin person, but this is getting downright skeletal. Todd isn't doing all that much better. In Todd's case, his head is too big for his body now. Well, his head is pretty big because he thinks his game play is all that, too.

You see, if you go in with a healthy weight like Denise, you remain much more substantial should you make it near the end. If I were ever to go on the show, I think I'd prefer to go in sturdy and use the show as a weight loss program. But to go in skinny is just silly.

(S15E09) Whatever you do, don't eat the apple. Eat the fried chicken, the mashed potatoes, the cheeseburgers, and the fries. You can even quaff the beer. But you know what happens when you eat the apple.

As expected, the biblical words of wisdom came from James. But to whom was he referring? A lot must be happening behind the scenes with the quasi-couplings going on. Must we be like the Letterman question?

"Was there any hanky-panky going on?"

(S15E08) Last week the tribes (Zhan Hu and Fei Long) merged on Survivor China. Jaime was voted off and became the first member of the jury. That would lead us to this week with fewer members of the weaker Zhan Hu tribe, especially since Frosti has all but become a Fei Long since he was kidnapped. Fei Long has the numbers and the strength to survive challenges.

So, that would leave us with the real question at hand going into tonight's episode ...

Will the ex-Fei Long members pick off the ex-Zhan Hu members one by one, leaving Frosti for last out of a sense of loyalty? Or, will they turn on their own numbers to eliminated a threat?

(S15E02) Oh, sure ... it looks sweet and innocent, doesn't it? But it looks like we're in for a season of rough and tumble challenges, lots of mud, and even more blurred spots covering body areas not normally seen on network television. Oh, my.

Heck, the line they used for the title of the episode is all because of those um ... blurred areas. But, I promise you -- the loyal Survivor China TV Squad readers -- there will be no nudity in this review! Wait! Where are you all going? You didn't just come here for the nudity, did you? Did you? Read on ...

(S14E11) Some of you took me to task for only giving last week's episode a 5 rating. And perhaps rightly so, after all it was easily the best tribal council of the season. But I had my hopes set on tonight's episode because the most interesting thing is often the fall-out from a big shakeup. And sometimes players that are outnumbered and cornered suddenly become brilliant strategists. Not tonight.

(S14E01) A friend and I had a debate last week on whether or not the posh pad would be a liability for the Moto tribe and for Survivor as a game. First of all, the experience shifts for the viewer, it is impossible, for me at least, to be happy for a tribe that has everything without really working for it. Often inequality happens organically over the course of a season. It often seems that the one tribe has string of wins for reasons of teamwork or brute strength. But when one team is purposely handicapped the game is a bit different and it highlights the fact that these are people being tortured for our entertainment.