Five Drinks Into Reality TV: Survivor Season 28 BBB Episode 1 "A Hot Girl With A Grudge"

Tom's Take:

What an amazing premiere of this season of Survivor. I absolutely love how this episode gave us a strong introduction to all the characters of the season, at least touching on all of the different characters so that we can recognize each of them, and also giving us the basic strategic situations with each of the three tribes, while also having time for some moments of pure comedy.

And some cool challenges, with an amazing comeback in the second one!



Beauty Tribe: +15 for one 1st place, and 1 2nd place. And an amazing comeback in that 2nd Immunity Challenge. I think this episode was probably misleading in the strategic department, but I'm hopeful because I rather like the trio they set up in this episode. 

1. Morgan: 24 points. 

Even though Morgan was chosen as the weak link of her tribe and has LJ coming after her, she seems to have enough social savvy to bounce back from it, and she is a part of the trio that this episode set up as a thing. She has a clue to the hidden immunity idol, and is hot, so I really hope the producers manipulate the game so she ends up managing to find it.

Pre Prediction: Late Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Late Juror



2. Alexis: 19 points

In all honesty Alexis seems fine, and I think there's a decent chance she forms a four some with Jeffra, Jeremiah, and LJ, but I'm going to bite on the current trio the producers fed us, which means Alexis will be the first boot from her tribe.

Pre Prediction: Early Boot
1st Episode Prediction: Early Boot




3. Jeffra: 19 Points

Jeffra had the really weird and funny bathroom humor line, but otherwise she's in the same boat as Alexis.

Pre Prediction: Late Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Early Boot


4. Brice: 24 Points

Brice was the most positive surprise of this episode, and I think Brice is easily a strong contender to win this season, but I'm betting on someone else, and I think the Beauties will fall short.

Pre-Prediction: Pre-Merge
1st Episode Prediction: Late Juror



5. LJ: 25 Points

LJ was the leader just like I thought, and he performed really really well. I think with Jeremiah LJ is in the driver Seat of the game, and though it was suggested that he'd like to vote out Morgan, I'm hoping he goes with the Morgan and Brice duo to form a core Beauty Four. Ultimately though, I think they are broken down at the merge, and he goes early.

Pre-Prediction: Early Juror
1st Prediction: Early Juror



6. Jeremiah: 17 Points

I said he would be LJ's sidekick, and I stick with that.

Pre-Prediction: Early Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Early Juror



Brawn Tribe: +15 Points for the 1st and 2nd Place finishes. They had a good outing, and I seriously doubt they lose a challenge before there is some kind of mixup. Then the question will be whether the collective which seems fairly easy going, or well Tony the hardcore player will emerge on top. I'm voting with the collective, but we'll see. 


7. Cliff: 22 Points

Cliff steps into a really good role, and I think he will serve my favorite of the season quite well, by being the figurehead to hide behind.

Pre-Prediction: Early Boot
1st Episode Prediction: Early Juror


8. Woo: 16 Points

Woo!

Pre-Prediction: Late Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Early Juror


9. Tony: 25 Points

Tony is great TV. Comedy gold, but man I am afraid that I have to take him seriously as a player. I don't want to. I don't want that idol to be a ticket to the final three, so for the sake of maintaining him as comic relief who also invents the crazy Spy Shack, and not Hantz 2.0, he needs to go before the merge.

Pre-Prediction: Pre-Merge
1st Episode Prediction: Pre-Merge


10. Sarah: 35 Points

I really really like Sarah. I actually have more of a crush on her then on Morgan. She seems like a bad ass, and I love that she calls Tony's BS. I'd make her my winner pick, but I just don't see her threesome right now. Maybe with Trish and Tony? But that's a recipe for disaster. I dunno, I kind of hope she hooks up with some of the Brains, but I think she'll be the Malcolm of the season, where she is the competition that makes the winner look like a great player.

Pre-Prediction: Early Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Early Juror


11. Trish: 18 Points

Meh. Not a Trish Fan at all. I hope she goes soon.

Pre Prediction: Early Juror
1st Episode Prediction: Pre-Merge



12. Lindsey: 21 Points

I like Lindsey. Maybe she and Sarah do some damage together? Hmmm. She's a possible runner up candidate, if thinks change so I can go with my heart and pick Sarah to win.

Pre-Prediction: Early Boot
1st Episode Prediction: Early Juror



Brains Tribe: The worst tribe in the history of Survivor? Seriously, it was like everyone on this tribe was trying to one up each other in how to NOT play this game. 

13. Spencer: 18 Points

One of two decent players on a tribe of idiots, Spencer is in a terrible situation thanks to his original alliance with Garret, but I see him turning the ship around by using J'Tia's insanity and going deep into this game. The editing really helped him out by distancing him from the idiotic moves made in this episode. I have to call him as my winner pick as of right now.

Pre-Prediction: Runner Up
1st Episode Prediction: Winner


14. Garrett: 28 Points

After J'Tia destroyed the camp's rice, Garrett was still voted out instead of her. That should tell you everything you need to know about one of the worst players Survivor has ever seen.

Pre-Prediction: Early Boot
1st Episode: 2nd boot



15. David: 5 Point

Ah poor David. He got made the leader, which was bad luck, and he made one mistake by targeting Garrett and it cost him dearly. Still it was bad gameplay that set the whole tone for this tribe.

Pre-Prediction: Pre-Merge
1st Episode: 1st Boot



16. Latasha: 10 Points

Tasha's only sin is being on such a terrible tribe, but she is currently in the driver's seat. She turned Cass on Garrett, or maybe he did that himself, and now can choose who she wants to play with. I think Spencer is a better player, and will end up outdoing her, especially after Cass forces her to cut J'Tia due to her instability, but I think she'll be a contender this season.

Pre-Prediction: Winner
1st Episode Prediction: Runner Up


17. J'Tia: 23 Points

Don't do any work around camp. Check. Be bossy. Check. Suck at the first challenge. Check. Suck at the second. Check. Single handedly blow a huge lead. Check. Throw out all the rice in a Hantz Rage. Check. How the hell is J'Tia still in the game? Oh right, Garrett was her opponent. J'Tia is too unstable for even Latasha to count her as a reliable number, and Kass will turn on her next time, so I think she'll be out of the game next week, but if not.....That would be something.

Pre-Prediction: Runner Up
1st Episode Prediction: Early Boot


18. Kass: 14 Points

Kass killed David's game, by telling J'Tia that she was going to vote her out, giving J'Tia time to scramble. That's just dumb. Then she turned on her new alliance. Wild Card Bitches! I think she's Latasha's number two right now, and with my current vision of the way this game playing out she's there with Spencer and Latasha at the end, but this season could shake out any number of ways. And this Brains tribe is really terrible, so I have no idea why I'm betting on them.

Pre-Prediction: Early Boot
1st Episode Prediction: Runner Up