# Survivor: Philipines Starts Tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208 "2012-09-19T19:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/1 "2012-09-19T19:57:20Z")
I’m not sure what to think of this cast. They’re definitely older than usual, and they seem to lack the group of male models that have been a big part of the show recently. Maybe they got tired of seeing all the early challenges by the younger and fitter teams. I can’t spot any obvious trainwrecks, and I haven’t heard of any “super-villains” or “outrageous characters” but I haven’t read much at all in the way of previews. One thing that I am wary of is the possibility of another “God Squad” forming like we had a couple of times recently. Lisa Welchel (Facts of Life) runs some sort of ministry now, we have a seminary student, a Mormon with enormous fake boobs (I assume she is a Mormon - she is from Provo), and wasn’t Jeff Kent (baseball player) a bible-thumper? I just checked his Wikipedia page and it says he donated $15,000 to the effort to ban same-sex marriage in California. I think I’ll put my money on the track coach or Russel Swan. Blair for an early exit. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/2 "2012-09-19T20:18:26Z")
Hmm, I haven’t watched the last couple of seasons but I’ll admit that I’m curious about Welchel and Kent. I’ll probably DVR it so I can skip the boring parts, _Jeff_. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/3 "2012-09-19T20:47:44Z")
Last season was kind of a snoozer, but only because one dominant player took the game by the short hairs and crushed any opposition, of which there wasn’t much. Someday they’ll learn that if you aren’t the dominator, you have to get rid of her/him when there are seven or five left, and screw the alliances. Make a bold move, and manage the damage control. Unless Russel Hantz is the dominator. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/4 "2012-09-19T22:19:20Z")
Here is a link to the first few minutes of the show: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E5_gDHWW7E) Here is a link to the Wiki entry that lists the contestants and their ages: > **[Survivor: Philippines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Philippines)** > > Survivor: Philippines is the twenty-fifth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed March 18 – April 25, 2012, and premiered on September 19, 2012, with a special 90-minute episode. It is the first season since Survivor: All-Stars to begin with three tribes and the seventh season overall to feature returning castaways. > Participants' applications were due on October 4, 2011, with approximately 800 chosen for interviews in various states. ... Here is a link to the pictures and brief bios of each contestant: [http://www.realitynation.com/tv-shows/survivor/season-25-philippines-cast-2/19325/](http://www.realitynation.com/tv-shows/survivor/season-25-philippines-cast-2/19325/) The cast is much older than usual and I recognize at least three former contestants. I sure would not have picked any of those people to return - especially since it has been so long since they were last on. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/5 "2012-09-19T22:36:58Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > The cast is much older than usual and I recognize at least three former contestants. I sure would not have picked any of those people to return - especially since it has been so long since they were last on. They were brought back because they were all pulled from the show for medical reasons. They’re getting a second chance. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/6 "2012-09-19T22:38:46Z")
It’s exactly three- and they are folks that were medically evacuated from the game. Although in John Penner’s case he was voted off fair-and-square once and then got evacuated the second time. He’s a pretty solid player though - a good scrambler and pretty adaptable. Not a great people-person though, although he makes for good TV (I think he was actually on scripted TV at one point). I actually don’t think Russell Swan has much of a shot - he only survived the first time, IIRC, because they put a lot of emphasis on team leadership that season and he was the nominated leader. Most season making yourself the leader early on is a good way to get the ax when you lose a challenge. He wasn’t a great social player either from what I remember - although I’ll admit is was a long time ago. I have no opinion on Supkin - he played a totally different Survivor (Season 2, I think) and I didn’t watch his season. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/7 "2012-09-19T22:39:05Z")
Thanks for the heads up. I knew it was coming soon, but didn’t know it was tonight. DVR series recording set! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/8 "2012-09-19T22:55:21Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > They were brought back because they were all pulled from the show for medical reasons. They’re getting a second chance. Penner is getting a third chance! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/9 "2012-09-20T00:50:34Z")
Best line so far - “I’m beginning to see how Skupin fell in the fire.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/10 "2012-09-20T01:12:38Z")
Is that weird kid quitting? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/11 "2012-09-20T02:37:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is that weird kid quitting? Well, I don’t think he _thought_ he was, but everybody else took him at his word. 😉 Ah, the best laid plans . . . ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/12 "2012-09-20T02:38:34Z")
Worst player ever? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/13 "2012-09-20T02:50:07Z")
I guess Zane got a tattoo of Frankenstein because he looked like the Son of Frankenstein? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/14 "2012-09-20T03:19:04Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I just checked his Wikipedia page and it says he donated $15,000 to the effort to ban same-sex marriage in California. Well crap. Now I’m rooting for him to be voted out. What an asshole. I wanted to see more from Zane, too bad his plan backfired. Of course it was perhaps the _worst plan ever_! ---
**Author:** ![tsm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tsm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/15 "2012-09-20T03:20:22Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Worst player ever? I don’t think he was around long enough to call him the worst player ever but that was definitely the worst strategy ever. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/16 "2012-09-20T03:29:45Z")
Hey, he had alliances with everyone – what could possibly go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/17 "2012-09-20T03:34:08Z")
Is Probst going to post about each episode this year, anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/18 "2012-09-20T03:43:16Z")
> [@tsm](#): > > I don’t think he was around long enough to call him the worst player ever but that was definitely the worst strategy ever. 1. Give up smoking the day before the filming starts. 2. Make alliances with everyone, then _confess_ to it. 3. Suck at the challenge 4. Give up 5. Explain that this is all part of a grand plan 6. Get eliminated 5-1 He’s got to be up there. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/19 "2012-09-20T03:51:59Z")
Question about Tribal Councils: Jeff counts the votes off-camera, before we see him reveal them on camera, right? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208/20 "2012-09-20T03:57:15Z")
Correct. They stack the ballots for drama on the reveal. So far I’ve seen two heavy-duty bras on RC - the yellow one and the leopard one. Any bets on how many she has by the end of the game? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-philipines-starts-tonight/635208.md?page=2)