Reality Check- 'Survivor' Edition by Kate Jones

Reality Check- Watching 'Survivor Redemption Island'

     Anyone who has ever been around me, ever read what I have written, ever attempted to call me on a Thursday (now Wednesday) night knows that I love Survivor. More than Survivor, I love, love, LOVE “Boston” Rob Mariano. I know I have said it before. The reason I love Rob stems from the fact that one of the first full seasons of Survivor I watched was the “All-Star” season that Rob and his future wife, Amber, completely dominated. Also, I love the way he plays the game. I love that he is too smart to fall for Jeff Probst’s way of asking questions, always giving him an honest and effective “non-answer.” I love that he evolves with the game. I love that he is lovable, and still a villainous mastermind. He is playfully arrogant, but knows at any point, his time may come.

Your 'Survivor Redemption Island' cast

"Boston" Rob & Russell

     For all of these reasons, I was so happy to hear that he was going to be back on Survivor for the fourth time this season on Redemption Island. With him, the Survivor I hate the most, Russell Hantz. When they were split up onto tribes of newbies, Russell quickly made friends with two cute little girls, which has always been his game. The tribe noticed and threw a challenge to get him the hell out of there. Rob on the other hand went in helping the tribe. He was kind and they loved him. The few that didn’t were gone quick… Rob knows when it’s their time to go. He can see it in their faces and he can hear it in their voices when they are even THINKING to get him out of there. If Rob is the slightest bit afraid of someone, he will make sure to convince the rest of the tribe that THEY should be afraid of that person. It’s what happened with Matt in episode 2 and with Matt again after he came back from Redemption Island at merge.

'Survivor' Phillip

     As Boston Rob’s tribe again turned on Matt, voting him out immediately after he returned from Redemption Island, and tricking the other team into using their immunity idol, the opposite tribe, the ones who got rid of Hantz in episode three, said “ohh, that poor kid”. When one of them said, “what happened” David, a slimy but smart player said… “Genius is what that was.” And it was. Matt could beat Rob.

Rob just couldn’t have that.

      This is a pretty good season. Besides Rob, we have former Federal Agent (?) Phillip, who says some pretty crazily awesome things and walks around in pink briefs. Ralph is a redneck who happens to have the most insanely cool body hair ever. There are two former NFL players, one young (Grant) and one older (Steve). There’s that slimey lawyer guy, David, and a firefighter lady, Julie, and the normal parade of cute 20 something females who are on the show to lose that 3 lbs. they gained in their big toes when they graduated college. There is a Marine who keeps trying to make big moves, but I think his time is limited… unless he can convince Grant to make a big move. Grant has been pretty loyal to Rob, but if Grant turns, then he has a good shot of taking this whole thing. This of course depends on being able to get rid of Matt on Redemption Island… who is a wiz at all things challenges.

'Survivor' Andrea

     I don’t know what could possibly happen with the rest of this season. I don’t know if Rob will win. There’s only so long they can keep him around, I suppose. I will enjoy it while it lasts. IF he can’t win, I am rooting for Grant, or Matt (if he can make it back to the game). If I had to choose a female, it would be Andrea, who is playing this game VERY smart and pulling her weight around the camp.

     But, I will now and always cheer for the guy that can convince a bunch of people that the word Murlonio means, from the sea…united, when it is actually just the name of one of his wife’s stuffed animals. Kind of mean, but still so adorable.

Link to Kate Jones' previous installment of 'Reality Check'