Carter is the second “Carter” to play US Survivor, following Carter Williams from S25: Philippines. This season’s Carter is a 24-year-old farmer from Iowa. He also drives a Snow Cone Truck and has a moving company. He dabbles in photography and videography too. Carter understands the importance of not standing out as a target and his demeanor supports that. He’s pretty subtle and understated. He’d rather be someone else’s support system than the alpha leading the way.

That’s a good game plan but he also says he’s a combination of Tony, Ozzy and Sam Phalen. That tells me he’s gonna be confused a lot because those three have very little in common aside from being aggressive. Tony thrived on capitalizing on the chaos he caused. Ozzy is a natural loner who has never been a strong strategist. And Sam was a strong strategist, but his rough social skills made it difficult for him to execute his plans. Then again, all three of them made it to the finals, so maybe Carter’s plan ain’t so bad. Carter doesn’t come off as threatening, so I don’t see him creating reasons to want him gone early on, like Tony did in his first two seasons. He doesn’t strike me as someone who could be cunning or manipulative, so maybe people will feel safe around him like Sam did. Carter will be the guy working hard on the shelter for the first few days instead of the guy disappearing on an Idol hunt.

Aaliyah is a 25-year-old chef from Rhode Island who once worked for the New England Patriots. The first thing I noticed about her was two striking scars on her right arm. One vertical scar that starts at her shoulder and a second scar that goes across her bicep. They’re both about 6 inches long and look like she was in a knife fight. I had to listen to her video multiple times because all I wanted to know was how she got those scars. I was tuning everything else out. If other players get the same impression, will they decide not to mess with her? Will the guys think she could kick their asses? Those scars distracted me from concentrating on what she was saying. I suppose those could be severe burns too, like maybe she leaned against a hot oven or something.

She got hooked on Survivor when she watched S28: Cagayan (who can blame her? Tony’s first win is a classic). Aaliyah stressed the importance of having a reliable partner. She’s a very high energy person too, who admits she talks too much, so I worry that she’ll be too annoying to be around over time. Aaliyah says she’s used to dealing with big egos and realizes the value of boosting those egos as a means of keeping herself safe. Will she need a Trish to clean up some of the messes she creates? I think she might.

Cristian is a 25-year-old from Salt Lake City who works in human resources. He prides himself on his ability to fire somebody and remain their friend. If he’s right about that, he should be pretty good at Survivor. He was an Alternate for S47, so he’s a little more familiar with the game’s machinations than most of the cast. He’s gonna drive me crazy because he doesn’t have the letter “h” in his first name, and I’ve become very used to using that “h” when writing about Christian Hubicki. Cristian has got the look of a nerdy intellectual type, so I won’t be surprised if he gets labeled the “puzzle guy” like Mr. Hubicki. He says he’s very bubbly, and his high-pitched voice enhances that image. I wonder if that will inspire players to carry his vote in their pocket or write him off? Think of Jeremiah Ing from S49 and you’ll have a good idea of the initial impression Cristian gives. Cristian even brags that he has the loudest laugh. Jeremiah said the same thing. As he is cackling, he says, “I can definitely be a heartless bitch!” but adds, “I want people to see me as their little brother.”

Most Survivor players don’t mind letting the little brother type (Jawan from S49, Mitch S48, Andy S47) hang around a while, but they also don’t want to give the million to him. Cristian is very intelligent and started college when was 15. While that’s very impressive, it also makes me wonder how socially aware he is. He doesn’t strike me as the type who’ll be able to read the other players very well. He might be able to figure out how to outwit people but won’t have the social skills to pull anything off. Cristian will need to align with someone who has a strong social game. If he can do that, he could easily make it to the end because he’s not a high priority to remove after the merge. The question for Cristian would be how does he get rid of that social butterfly partner towards the end? In his S47 interview with Mike Bloom, Cristian said he might have trouble making ethical decisions and cutting people loose. That’s a recipe for failure in Survivor.

This was the first video I came across for S51. I was scrolling through social media and didn’t know the sound was up when her video came on. I listened to the first 30 seconds or so and found myself asking “Why are they bringing Stephenie back? 25-year-old Linnea sounds exactly like Stephenie LaGrossa. She is super athletic and is also from New Jersey. Gee, do you think the Casting Dept. was looking for a specific type with Linnea? At first, I thought she even looked like Stephenie, but after further review she looks a lot more like Amanda Kimmel. Linnea was a rugby player and dislocated her hand 6 months before getting on the plane for Fiji. I wonder if that will affect her if it flares up? I found it strange that Linnea kept talking about the importance of being yourself when all I was hearing was Stephenie. Linnea and her brother run a store that sells items for adults – lingerie, sex toys etc. As she says, “I sell intimate things to uncomfortable and nervous people.” That could make for some interesting conversation, but it could also alienate some of the other players.

Linnea strikes me as someone who’ll be too aggressive. She’s got something to prove to somebody who won’t be in the game -- most likely her two brothers. She says they were all very competitive as children. Will she be competing against her brothers or the other castmates? Linnea’s aggressive personality reminded me a little of Savannah. The rough edges to Savannah’s social game in S49 got her into trouble. I could see the same thing happening to Linnea. She might have to find a Rizo to protect her with the threat of an Idol play. Savannah didn’t have that protection in S50 and got booted early. I could easily see the same happening to Linnea, who doesn’t seem to have a problem confronting people. A strong, athletic woman isn’t as valuable on a 10-person tribe as on a 6-person tribe. Her tribemates may want to keep a more passive female as an alliance partner over someone like Linnea who comes off as harder to influence. Linnea doesn’t strike me as the type who’d say, “I’ll vote however the group wants.” She’ll be the one trying to drive the vote. Linnea doesn’t strike me as a follower. She may not even want to pretend to be a follower.

Thien An (pronounced “Tin-on”) is a 24-year-old medical student from Ft. Worth, TX. She was a Boy Scout (not a Girl Scout) as a kid and learned many survival skills. She says, “I’m freaking weird. I love talking about farts. I think farts are funny.” Talking about farts might win her some friends, but if she lets some farts loose in the shelter, she could find herself at Ponderosa pretty early. Lindsey Ogle lifted her leg and farted on Tony Vlachos’ head during S28 Cagayan (in a deleted scene). Tony got rid of her pre-merge. Sarah Lacina laughed in Tony’s face after Lindsey’s fart. Sarah got blindsided two votes later. Thien An is tiny in stature but is full of energy and enthusiasm. She reminds me a little of Kamilla Karthigesu (S48 & S50). I’m sure she’ll be underestimated. She says “Being nice will make this game harder for me. People doubt I’m able to do this and stab people in the back.” I say being perceived that way will make it easier for her to pull off a blindside.

Thien-An says she’s a very competitive person and knows how that can come back to hurt her. Will she know when to pull back and let someone else grab a “leader” role? My fear with Thien An is she’ll be so concerned about being taken seriously, she’ll achieve her goal and get voted out for it. If she allows her aggressiveness to alarm other players, they’ll get rid of her, especially if she reminds them of Kamilla, who they all just recently watched. In S41, Danny and DeShawn tried to throw a challenge so they could remove Erika because they thought she was smart enough to win the game. They failed, and Erika won the game. Thien An needs a partner who knows how to keep their mouth shut and convince others she’s not a threat. Thien An needs a dependable partner who won’t see Thien An coming after them at the end. If she finds the Cody to her Jesse (S43), she could keep her profile low enough to sail into the final 5.

Brady is a 27-year-old pro wrestler from LaSalle, IL, who goes by “Body (Pronounced Boah-dee).” He’s got muscles on top of his muscles, so it’s most likely people will label him a challenge beast. He says he relates closely to Jonathan Young, who finished in second last season. They’ve actually met and posted photos of them together. Brady is as tall as Jonathan too. Brady is very proud of the fact that he shot and killed his first deer at age 7. “I ate the heart and liver and smeared its blood all over my face.” Brady hopes he’s perceived as a “big, dumb jock.” If he opens with that deer story, he’ll probably achieve his goal. He says he has earned three college degrees (adding that he’s pre-law) but didn’t mention what those degrees are. Much like Jonathan, Brady believes he’ll be able to “outwit these brodies” on his way to a win. Brady mentioned the word “Brodie” at least four times in his short video. I think we’ll see him saying it again in his Exit Comments, as in “I can’t believe I let these Brodies vote me out.” He strikes me as very overconfident. He’s used to being around cameras and doing interviews, so his confessionals should be entertaining. If he’s around a while, look to him be one of the primary confessional narrators. He’ll be playing to the cameras for sure.

Ori is a 27-year-old personal trainer and model from Spring Valley, NY who played college football – offense and defense. He holds an NCAA record for scoring a touchdown on offense and defense in the same game. He says he played pro football, but I wasn’t able to find him listed with any NFL or Canadian team. At 6 foot 3, 230 pounds, he’s probably the physically biggest player this season. He says, “I’m not playing for the experience or to make friends. I’m here to win a million dollars.” Does he realize he’ll need to pretend he’s there for the experience to reduce the chance others will vote him out? That feeling didn’t translate to me during his video. Ori says he can name every Survivor season forward and backwards. He’s a superfan and was quick to point out that 6 of the last 9 winners are women (He’s right -- Savannah, Rachel, Kenzie, Dee, Maryanne and Erika). Ori didn’t know the results of S50 when he made his video, but we know Aubry pulled out the win.

It seems like Ori is prioritizing physical dominance. He says he always swings for the fences and never settles for anything less. If that’s the attitude he takes when the game begins, he’s got no shot of winning it. He’ll run the risk of alienating the less-physical players who realize the value of not standing out so much. Those are exactly the ones who’ll team up and blindside him. Will Ori make the mistake of writing off the more diminutive players like Cristian, Thien-An and Ana? If he reaches the finals, he’s gonna have to talk to people. He won’t get their votes by flashing a smile or smashing through a wall at Tribal Council. Ori says he can’t stand people who don’t have any common sense. If he lets that attitude show, others may use him as a shield. But then they’ll convince people to vote him out because he’s condescending and insulting.

Lewis is a 28-year-old farmer originally from Ireland who now lives in Puerto Rico. That alone will get him invited into a bunch of conversations. Maybe it was his thick accent, but I swear he said “Everyone loves a cheeky Irish person. We’ve got great crack.” Thankfully there were captions included. He actually said, “We have great craic, we have the best banter.” I still don’t know what he was talking about, but the dude is charming. His wife is Puerto Rican, and they live in a school bus parked on their farm. He moved to Puerto Rico without knowing how to speak Spanish or work on a farm. Who knows how he’ll adjust to playing Survivor, but he won’t be worried about it, that’s for sure. The first TV show he saw when he moved was Survivor S44. He fell in love with Caroyln Wiger and Yam Yam Arocho. Lewis says he has been advised to lay low at the start of the game and shouldn’t talk too much. I say he doesn’t have a prayer of achieving that goal unless he’s on a tribe full of nutjobs with more energy than he has.

He proudly says, “I could bullshit a million things (he pronounced it ‘Tings’), and nobody’s gonna know any better (he pronounced it ‘Be’err’). In fact, he never pronounces the soft “t.” That’s gonna take some getting used to. Lewis adds, “They’re gonna melt when they hear my accent.” I agree with him on that point. This guy has tons of charisma and charm. He’s exactly the type who’ll get targeted for being too likable. They’ll keep him around a while because he’s so entertaining he’ll make the time go by much faster. Lewis will be the one inspiring a game of Hide and Seek like Q did in S46. But nobody will want to sit next to him in the finals. He’s much too likable. He reminds me of similarly positioned players like Elaine Stott from S39, Mitch Guerra from S48, and of course, Cirie in almost every season she has played. Lewis also says he gets bored easily, so he likes to push people’s buttons. Most Survivor players don’t like button pushers, especially when they’re sleep-deprived and starving. Lewis’s restlessness will work against him. I don’t think he’s got a good shot of winning. He’ll need an immunity streak or a high-burning fire just to get into the finals. But his confessionals will be gold –- even if you can’t understand them. If there’s anyone in this cast I think is a lock to be invited to play again, it’s Lewis. He could even return if he doesn’t make it to the merge.

Jelly is a 29-year-old Texan who is a sociology professor working in Indiana. I’m gonna call her “Jelly” because I don’t want to catch myself writing “Angelina” by mistake. My first thought is she could approach the game like S25 winner Denise Stapley, but she says she’s gonna play more like Shantel from S41. Shantel had pretty strong social skills but was a little sloppy with information. Shantel was good at executing plans thought up by her partner Ricard, but she had a habit of letting damaging information slip out. Jelly also says she relates to Katurah from S45. Katurah played a much different game than Shantel. Katurah got too focused on removing everyone’s favorite goat Bruce. Her obsession got her left out of alliances and voting plans. Nobody took Katurah as seriously as they took Shantel. Maybe Jelly could strike a balance between Katurah and Shantel which could get her to the end. However, Jelly also says she likes to be the center of attention. That’s probably the worst quality to have while playing Survivor.

Jelly is also a superfan who got hooked on Survivor as a child when she watched with her mother and grandmother. She mentions Survivor in her classes, which makes sense because Survivor was originally intended to be “The ultimate social experiment.” She sees a typical Survivor tribe like a family – somebody steps up to lead, while others follow. Jelly strikes me as a “just there for the adventure” type of player, but I’m excited at the possibility of her proving me wrong. I think her professional training will help her get an accurate read on the other players. If anyone can notice a change in someone’s behavior (like if they find an Idol, or have turned against a partner), it will be Jelly. The question is, will she know what to do with that information? And if she comes up with a good plan, will she be able to execute it? If she’s serious enough about winning the game, she’s perfectly capable of doing it.

Danny is a 30-year-old game designer from Ontario, Canada. He refers to himself as “Kilby,” (which is easily more memorable than “Danny”), and calls himself the “biggest Survivor dork.” Kilby says he had a full-time job from high school through college. I call bullshit on the high school part. Who has a full-time job while in high school? He says he loves that Survivor always has “these outrageous characters.” He adds “I love that (on Survivor) you have to stand out, or you’re cooked.” I say the opposite is true. Those who stand out usually get cooked first BECAUSE they’re standing out. Kilby attends Survivor conventions and charity events and met his girlfriend through an internet Survivor game. Kilby says, “I’m not only gonna think outside the box, I’m gonna smash it, fasten it into a weapon and shank my enemies with it.” Kilby doesn’t seem to realize he comes on so strong he’s gonna be surrounded by enemies before he can even find the box. Kilby brags that he can make anybody laugh. I wonder if he knows how quickly he can make enemies by trying too hard to do that?

Unfortunately for Kilby, he reminds me most of Jacob Derwin from S36: Ghost Island. Jacob excelled at creating reasons NOT to align with him. While his tribe was building a shelter, Jacob stood around watching them. Then he asked the tribe, “Do you think there’s an Idol?” After a few of them answered “yes,” Jacob waited a beat then said, “I’m gonna go explore the island.” Kilby seems destined to make an early exit because he’s not a reliable alliance partner. If this season repeats the opening of Tocantins or Palau and asks the players to pick their own tribes or vote after 10 minutes together, Kilby is disjointed enough to get himself booted that quickly. He seems destined to get booted for playing too hard too fast. People will know when Kilby is lying to them, but they won’t know why he’s lying. The uncertainty is while they’ll get rid of him. But his confessionals will be entertaining.

Jenna is a Survivor superfan and a wedding photographer. Her bio says she’s 30. She’s such a big fan she wrote a clause into her wedding contracts that permitted her to back out of a job if she got cast on Survivor. That tells me she might be too enthusiastic and get herself targeted for being too aggressive. She’ll disregard the danger of going on a Journey because she wants to experience everything the game has to offer. Jenna is the one who’ll brag about her challenge ability (which is never smart). She says friends describe her as energetic, empathetic, and determined. She got hooked on Survivor as a child and even created her own Immunity Challenges. She thinks she’ll come off to others as a “cutie little artist, adorable girl.”

Jenna reminds me of Stephanie Berger from S48. Stephenie greatly overestimated her ability to charm her tribemates and was shocked when she got voted out first overall. Jenna didn’t indicate any kind of plan for dealing with someone she doesn’t instantly connect with (like maybe the wedding guest who doesn’t want to flash a goofy smile for her). Jenna also reminded me a little of Angelina (S37 & S50) and RC (S25). They were both so confident in their ability to win people over they blinded themselves to the fact that they were annoying them. Most people are cooperative with a wedding photographer because they don’t want to make a scene. This may not be the case while playing Survivor. I don’t get the feeling Jenna will know when she’s being played. Others will carry Jenna’s vote in her pocket until she’s no longer needed, if they ever decide they need her at all.

Mike is a 32-year-old who works for the Yankees as Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. He’s a real-life version of Jonah Hill’s character in the movie “Moneyball.” The last time a Baseball Executive played Survivor was when David Samson (who was President of the Florida Marlins) played in S28: Cagayan. He got voted out first overall. Mike is a little lower on the power totem pole than Samson, so his wealth probably won’t work against him as much as it did with Samson. Mike is a native New Yorker, and a Survivor superfan. He says he used Survivor catch phrases when proposing to his wife. He’s used to negotiating contracts with powerful player agents, so maybe those skills will come in handy if he needs to assemble or rebuild an alliance at a swap or merge. Mike’s negotiating skills should come in handy when it comes to figuring out who to vote for during the game. Think of the arguments Q and Tiffany had during S46. Mike’s negotiations should go smoother than theirs if he’s any good at his job. Mike could be the Kenzie who rides the middle in these type of conflicts.

Mike is a superfan who made up his own Survivor challenges when he was 8 years old. He’s used to setting and achieving his goals, which included attending Princeton, marrying his high school sweetheart and of course, working for the Yankees. The question I have about Mike is how will he adjust if things don’t go his way? If his tribe loses early Immunity Challenges, or he loses his vote, will he know how to adjust or will he implode because he’s not getting his way? He can win the game if he knows how and when to make the right adjustments. Mike says, “I don’t do anything for second place.” Well Mike, the Yankees finished in second place last season, and they’re very likely to finish in second place again this season. And in 2024, they lost the World Series to the Dodgers. You’ve spent the last three years doing everything for second place. Mike isn’t as physically intimidating-looking as some of the other alpha males in this cast. That could help him early on ... if his attitude doesn’t blow his cover and create different reasons to want him gone.

Devin is a 33-year-old actor originally from Texas and now living in L.A. He’s been on Grey’s Anatomy and Queer as Folk, but says he’s not gonna reveal his occupation because “I already have a lot of bullseyes on my back. I’m charming, charismatic, tall, big and handsome.” He forgot to mention he’s full of himself. Through his very thick southern accent, Devin says, “I’m a biracial kid who was raised by hillbillies, and my grandma was in a biker gang.” If that’s true, great for him for rising above, but I think if he opens with that info, other players may probably think he’s full of shit. Coming out with a story like that might make people think they’ve got the latest version of Coach on their tribe. Devin’s accent tells me his confessionals will probably require captions too just like Lewis’s. Some of the other players might have trouble understanding him too.

Devin wants to play like Rick Devens, but also says he relates to Joe Hunter. Again, he has picked two players who couldn’t be more different, especially after we watched how much the two of them clashed last season. Devin wants to get through the game without lying. To me, that means he’s got no chance of winning. Even if he gets to the end, he’ll come off as insincere. Alliance partners want to align with someone who knows how to keep a secret. You have to lie to do that. Many jurors know when they’re being lied to, and prefer a finalist to admit when and why they lied. And if Devin reveals he’s an actor, that will only make things worse. It doesn’t look like Devin has a solid strategic approach to get to the end or win the game. He doesn’t mind if he goes out in a blaze of glory. I think that means he’ll play too big of a game to win it. He can’t help but stand out. He craves the spotlight.

33-year-old Patt is a federal prosecutor who says she’s not gonna lie about her profession. She’s a Navy lawyer for the Judge Advocate General and says she wants to play like S47 winner Rachel LaMont. Patt describes herself as homeschooled and nerdy and is the first woman in her family to enter the military following her father, brother and husband. She admits she’s not a superfan and decided to apply after watching one season during the pandemic but didn’t apply for five years. Patt says she’s used to being underestimated because that’s how she’s treated in the courtroom as a blonde woman. Her high voice and bubbly demeanor tend to support her opinion here. She’s drop dead gorgeous too. I can easily see how others could write her off early. I think she’d be best not to advertise her intelligence until after the merge. She says, “I hope Survivor is as fun as boot camp was.” I LOVE that statement.

If that’s her attitude, she should have no problem hanging around for a while. If she can learn the game’s dynamics fast enough and know when NOT to share information, I could easily see her winning the game too. She absolutely loved S50 and feels an obligation to match that energy. I doubt she’ll reach that goal, but I admire her for wanting to. I just hope she doesn’t start playing to the cameras and focuses more on playing the game. If she does that, she should have no trouble sailing deep into the merge if a twist doesn’t handcuff her. She doesn’t come off as threatening at all.

Alexis is a 34-year-old criminal defense lawyer who says she’s gonna tell people she’s a Health Care Coordinator at a treatment center, which is one of her former jobs. She got hooked on Survivor while doing a Covid binge watch. The first season she saw was Cook Islands. She’s very proud of the fact that she’s been sober for 10 years. She also calls herself a social butterfly. Interestingly, she says, “People shouldn’t be judged by their worst moments ... but on Survivor, if I can exploit someone’s worst moment, I might do it.” She adds “Survivor has had women who’ve been cunning, manipulative and savage, but not one who was all of those things. That’s me.” I have to disagree with her on this one. Off the top of my head, I know Sandra, Dee, Kim, Cirie, Natalie Anderson and Sophie Clark check all of those boxes.

Alexis didn’t strike me as being as aggressive or enthusiastic as some of the other women in the cast. I think that’s a good thing. She’s less likely to play to the cameras. She’ll be more than happy to let someone else go on a Journey, find a Beware Advantage or put her foot in her mouth. I’m thinking she’ll be that person’s partner. She’ll earn trust from player C by telling them player A has an Idol. Then she’ll convince player A to give her that Idol to make sure player D can’t take it with a Knowledge is Power Advantage. She takes pride in her ability to remain calm under pressure, which is a great quality to have in Survivor. She won’t be the one to crack if facing a possible rock draw at a tie vote. Alexis is subtle and smart enough to play like Jesse Lopez from S43. And like Jesse, she left a young child at home play Survivor. This will help keep her focused on the game and why she’s playing it.

34-year-old Ana is close to my heart because like me, she’s a voiceover performer. She has done commercials, audio books, animation and video games (I wonder if her Eddie Murphy is as good as mine)? Ana was the voice of Strawberry Shortcake and also worked on My Little Pony. If she’s good at impersonations, she could use her skill to imitate a fellow contestant to either save herself or put the heat on someone else. The first Survivor season she watched was S8: All-Stars (which isn’t a strategic standout if you ask me) when she was 9. Ana is one of two Canadian players in the cast (along with Kilby). She’s inspired by her late mother who battled cancer for 18 years until succumbing in 2020. Much like Kamilla, she can’t wait to lie to and manipulate people. She says she’s gonna win because she’s not afraid to take risks and “no one’s gonna see it coming because I’m cutesy.”

Ana prides herself on her ability to bounce back when something goes wrong. That’s a strong asset to have as an actor and it might help her in Survivor too if she loses her vote or an alliance partner. Most voiceover jobs have you alone in a sound booth where directors talk to you on the other side of the glass, or sometimes only through headphones. Occasionally an animation job will have a group of actors in a room (I got to sit next to Dana Delaney on one of my jobs) Survivor requires you to be around people a lot more. Ana will have to make an adjustment here. She strikes me as the type who greatly overestimates her ability to play the game. She’ll likely play too hard too fast, take a risk, expose her strategy and find herself gone long before the merge.

Eric is a 34-year-old mental health counselor from Rhode Island (even though his bio says he’s from Connecticut). He openly admits he carries abandonment and rejection wounds from his aggressive, Italian American father who takes himself very seriously. Eric will be affected if he finds himself on the wrong side of a blindside but at least he’s aware of it and might know how to keep it from hurting his game. Eric says, “I want to make friends with these people, however if any of them cross me, the fangs will come out, I’m gonna bite their necks, suck their blood and toss them in the ocean.” That could be tough to do if they cross him and he goes straight to the Ponderosa. Eric says “To be a great therapist you have to build a rapport in a quick amount of time. I want them to feel I’m aiding them in their game.” That’s an excellent approach, but he’ll also have to know when to put those people on the Jury. Otherwise, he’ll end up like Charlie in S46 with a Jury full of people wondering “What did you do?”

Most therapists are good listeners. Being a good listener is a very valuable trait to have in Survivor if you know what to do with the information people give you. In S25: Philippines, winner Denise Stapley was able to read her partner Malcolm so well she instantly knew when he was moving against her at Final 4. She promptly made a deal to get herself into the finals. Who knows if Eric is as perceptive as Denise? Eric claims he can read body language effectively. Ponderosa is littered with the corpses of players who’ve made the same claim. He thinks his therapist experience will help him in Survivor. I think Eric is forgetting his patients are incentivized to be honest with him. Survivor players are incentivized to lie. Will his professional instincts screw up his bullshit detector? Eric says he used to be a competitive swimmer. If he can sandbag that ability for a while, he might be able to sneak up on some of the more physically intimidating-looking players. With good people skills, Eric could easily find himself in the final 5 with the smallest target on his back.

Sharonda is a 34-year-old OBGYN from Kentucky who moved to Haiti for a while to help disaster victims. She says she’s a very giving person who wants to encourage young black boys and girls to rise above their circumstances. Hopefully she won’t give away too much information that will be used against her in the game. She’s the youngest in a family with four daughters. She realized she’d spent most of her life doing things for others and is making Survivor something she wants to do for herself. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we heard the same thing from Kristina Mills in her preseason video for S49. Kristina didn’t handle pressure well and was a horrible liar. Will Sharonda be in for a similar fate?

Sharonda is on a journey of self-discovery. I think that will end her journey to win the million because she should be on a journey to win the million. She doesn’t come off as threatening at all, but that should help her make a deep run. However, I didn’t get the feeling that she’ll have the guts to make a power-shifting move when she really needs to. I don’t see her coming up with the strategic move to do it either. I don’t think she’ll create any reasons to want to vote her out, but I also think she won’t create any reasons to want her to win. People will like her but won’t think she’ll outplay any of them. If her tribe wins early Immunity Challenges or she joins a strong alliance, there’s no reason to want her gone early at all.

Maggie is a 40-year-old farmer from West Virginia (the first player from that state), who describes herself as a “redneck” with great hunting and fishing skills. She hopes to catch a shark during the game. I’m not sure what Maggie will be able to hunt in Fiji when armed with only a pot and flint, but she’ll probably be the most comfortable living in the jungle. I’d stay on her good side if she gets her hands on a machete. Then again, she has only been a farmer for three years. That’s good and bad. It’s good because she’s used to throwing herself into unfamiliar situations. It’s bad because the other farmers in the cast may doubt her if she comes clean about her experience. She’s at a slight disadvantage since she’s older than most of the players but I also think her survival skills will help her get past that.

Maggie has a degree in Therapy that will help her work her castmates. Maggie’s high-pitched voice was tough to listen to in a 2-minute video. If she doesn’t instantly hit it off with people, I can easily see people getting tired of her quickly. Unfortunately for Maggie, she reminds me a lot of Wendy DeSmidt-Kohlhoff from S21: Nicaragua. Wendy said her husband was sure she’d talk herself out of the game first overall. To prove him wrong, she didn’t speak much at all at the start and didn’t join an alliance. She chose to speak up at Tribal Council ... and wouldn’t shut up. Wendy got voted out first overall. To me, Maggie comes off like a fish out of water. It will be difficult for her to create reasons to keep her around unless she puts her vote in someone else’s pocket.

40-year-old Rob is an airline gate agent from Rhode Island who calls himself a “Reality TV junkie.” He also describes himself as a “lasagna” with many layers. He says people look at him and assume “I’m sports jock guy. But I’m a caring, competitive guy.” Uhh, Rob, aren’t “sports jock guys” very competitive? He says, “I’ll kick my kids’ asses at board games. My wife says, ‘Just let ‘em win.’ No! Bullshit!” He says he wanted to be on Survivor when he was in his 20s but realizes “I was way too cocky back then.” He strikes me as very cocky today when he says he’s here on a business trip. He’s got his own podcast and is very active on social media. I suspect Rob’s motivations is to use his time on Survivor to enhance his media profile. He’s not playing to win he’s playing to make himself famous.

I think Rob doesn’t have a strong read on who he is as a person, and that will work against him during the game when he tries to be something he’s not. He strikes me as someone out to prove he can still do what he could do when he was 24. Rob will put himself in the early spotlight roles in challenges. If he does well, he’ll just create a reason for others to want him gone. If the younger, stronger players like Carter, Devin, Brady and Ori realize Rob can beat them, they won’t give a father of three the chance to prove it after the merge. They’ll see Jeremy Collins in Rob and won’t want to sit next to him in the finals. If Rob performs well in the physical challenges, he’ll be very proud of the fact that “This 40-year- old has still got it.” That’s when those in their 20s will vote him out.

Kristin works in crisis management. She’s originally from Idaho, and currently lives in Santa Barbara, CA. At 49, she’s the oldest member of this cast by nine years. Kristin prides herself on her ability to stay cool under pressure. That will serve her well during challenges, or maybe when someone questions her about a lie she may have told. Kristin went to Law School but realized that’s not what she wanted to do. She’s proud of the fact that she’s been working for the LGBTQ community as long as she’s been applying to be on Survivor – 25 years. Her first application came after watching S1: Borneo. She knows persistence pays off for sure. She realizes the challenge of reading the other players and the game changes are as important as how she reads herself. Most players don’t think in those terms, so that should work in her favor. Kristin carries rocks in her bra which makes me wonder exactly how she manages any crisis she encounters. It also makes me wonder WHY she carries rocks in her bra. I’m not sure if that will help or hurt her in Survivor, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Kristin says Rachel LaMont is the first one she has seen who played Survivor the way she thinks it should be played. Rachel played a solid game but definitely needed a couple of well-timed breaks (like Sol anonymously handing her a Safety Without Power Advantage). Rachel also got a bad initial read on her tribe when her partner Anika was blindsided. But Rachel adjusted well. If Kristin has the same ability to adjust, she could easily make up for the age difference between her and the rest of the cast. She presents herself as much younger than 49. That might give her a good chance of surviving early Tribal Councils if her tribe loses Immunity. Kristin seems level-headed and dependable enough to come off as a reliable alliance partner. I don’t see why she can’t win the game, but I do wonder how she’ll finagle her way past unpredictable twists.

Damnbueno got his nickname in 8th grade Spanish class when his friend shouted out "You're pretty damn good at Spanish." The teacher insisted he say it in Spanish, so the friend said "Esto es damn bueno en Espanol." The nickname stuck. These days, when he's not forgetting his 8th grade Spanish, Damnbueno is indulging his obsession with all things Survivor. Reach him in the comments section here at True Dork Times.