Hello Veruca, it's really nice to read your early take on these players.

As for me, I was lucky enough to be invited to participate as one of the bloggers on Rob Cesternino's website and I had a roundtable with the other bloggers there on the players.
I'd like to share with you what I wrote:

Looking back at the first version of Fan versus Favorites, we can remember two main Themes: “The Fans are Dumb” and “The Favorites will have to Improve their Game to Win.”

The first theme, introduced by Fairplay in the very title of the first episode, was reinforced in the way the Fans were presented: The two shelters, the division, Joel’s powerplay and their reaction when they finally received the favorites’ help with their shelter after the switch. The Fans were portrayed as negatively as any tribe with the possible exception of Fang. It was easy to see that they would be annihilated.

The favorites’ theme was introduced in a confessional by Alexis: “…we have the favorites…they’re coming in here with the experience but at the same time you have us and we know their game, we know, not only their strengths but their weaknesses too.”

From there, we knew to look for players that would show improvement over their original season, that would be more than what the fans expected.

That soon led us to Parvati. She introduced herself by saying: “Coming back, I’m playing really aggressively and it’s pretty much no holds barred for me… I have to win this time, it’s my second time. I’m not coming back here to starve and be miserable. I was a flirt on Cook Islands and that’s it.”

She had mostly floated by during Cook Islands but we soon saw that she had become a schemer. When the locals came as part of a reward, we saw Parvati learning their tricks and becoming more of a Survivor than the girl who couldn’t clean a fish without cutting her fingers. More telling, when the rain came and the new Airai was miserable, we saw that Parvati wasn’t complaining, instead she was shown laughing. She truly hadn’t come back to be miserable.

Even if this season has the same format, we can expect new themes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more talk about mingling with the other side. The first time, the players probably expected that Malakal and Airai would stay the same until the merge but they will now know that there could be more power to gain by making an alliance with the other side. It certainly is something that will require our attention.

The Favorites(?) don’t have a single true leader or at least one that played the role of leader in their orginal tribes. That is a first because, when we have a tribe full of returning players, we usually have too many leaders. For example, Mogo Mogo had Lex, Hatch, Colby and Kathy making it difficult to function as a united tribe. Whatching the Favorites’(?) dynamics will be very interesting and we should keep an eye on how the eventual leaders are portrayed. Will we have 1 leader shown to make all the right decisions like Tom in Koror? Will we have a fractured tribe like the Villains which was mostly about Rob versus Russell? My hypothesis, like always, is that the leader’s pre-merge portrayal is a function of how well he or she and the tribe did post-merge.

Erik: I don’t know if Erik can redeem himself. In THIS group, he isn’t that bad but well before his idiotic decision, we knew that Erik was a Dumb Player: In Airai, he chose to empower Joel in his quest to destroy Mikey instead of trying to repair the tribe’s fracture. In challenges, he threw sand all over the Favorites during their very first encounter and later he flipped Amanda on her “friggin’ head.”

That would have been reason enough for the Favorites to seek revenge, but then Erik stopped trying to compete against Ozzy and started acting like his puppy. It led to one of Cirie’s marvelous confessionals: “Erik and Ozzy are like ‘The Lion King.’ The father, when he was teaching the cub and you can just see, like, stars. Whenever he says Ozzy’s name, like stardust comes out of his mouth. It’s like ‘Aaahzzy!’ I think that if Ozzy were to propose marriage to Erik right now; done deal!”

Erik’s obedience earned him a reprieve and he wound up being the Fan with the best shot at winning. We soon saw that James was right, though, that there was indeed something wrong with that kid when he gave up the immunity necklace.

The first time, Erik’s goal was simply to beat Ozzy in challenges and he seemed happy just to have met Probst. He wasn’t ready to play Survivor at all. Now, being a former fan himself, Erik has a natural connection to the other tribe. Will he be smart enough to use it? We should know early on if he is still edited as the Dumb Player or not.

Brandon: When will CBS get over its morbid fascination for the Hantz clan? Brandon already received somewhat of a redemption arc in the South Pacific, going from TalibHantz to the loyal kid who gave up his game because of his friendship with Albert. What more do we need to see? Absolutely nothing.
If he is as loyal as before, he could be a good ally because you always want to align with the dumb ones. I wouldn’t risk it, though, because it could all have been an act like that whole reunion scene with RussHell disowning him from the family.

Malcolm was the best player in the Philippines and he is far ahead of any guys in this tribe so I think he’ll easily navigate his way to the merge. The lack of downtime should hit him after a few weeks but his social game should keep him out of trouble.

Seeing how Malcolm needed to align with both Denise and Lisa, we can predict that he’ll gravitate towards Dawn who could become the Mom of that tribe. I don’t see Andrea risking her game again on a showmance though! They could align but there shouldn’t be any cuddling. These “Favorites” don’t know that Malcolm can make fire so it should give him some instant value.
Malcolm’s presence here raises the question of leadership on the Favorites’ tribe. Malcolm wisely deflected that role in Matsing: “Day 1, we got the fire. Russell made it, which worked out well because he wants to be the leader so bad! A target went off my back because I am not a threat to him.”
Who will step up this time? It almost has to be Phillip!! If Malcolm props him up like he did with Swan then he could have a good alliance.

Corinne: Corinne could do well judging by how she got into the Onions’ alliance:
Marcus and Charlie were talking about adding layers to their alliance.
After Marcus told Charlie that Jacquie was a really cool girl, Charlie said: “And I think Corinne. I actually really like her.”
Marcus (solo) “At this point, it’s looking like the large onion alliance, as I like to call it, is going to be myself, Charlie, Jacquie and Corinne. It’s what we are shooting for. Jacquie’s an awesome girl and I think she’s also very intelligent and I think Corinne is probably the smartest woman around. I’m gonna talk to Corinne and get a vibe from her because no one has made an official pitch at this point.”
Corinne was able to impress Marcus and Charlie enough to earn inclusion so she could do the same here.

I feel Corinne “owes” us one because of her very first confessional: “I’m gonna be a total b*tch and I’m gonna get rid of who I need to get rid of and I’m gonna hurt people’s feelings and I’m gonna laugh when people cry and I’m gonna own it.”
That would have been quite interesting to see but instead Corinne was the one that got the boot.

That being said, Gabon has a bad track record with Sugar and Randy being the first two boots on HvV so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Corinne going out first. She is alone from Gabon and that season is far removed from most of the others. She probably didn’t attend the same parties, and that counts in seasons like this.

Phillip: He was quite a piece of work. I’m certainly not happy to see him play again, but he was good for some laughs. Between talking to his dead ancestor, his trouble with names and CBS putting his former job in question (!) we were never sure if Phillip was completely there… or if he was with or against Rob. He started out targeting Rob: “I like to think we are two male lions that are checking each other out…” so Phillip could have, should have, been voted out first, but then we wouldn’t have heard this marvelous description of Stealth-R-Us: “I am known as the Specialist. My principal responsibilities: Infiltrate and supplant inceptions in the Zapatera tribe. We have here Boston Rob: The Mentalist. He develops strategies for challenges and to develop strategic alliances that are impervious. Where is Grant? He is The Destroyer of Aspirations, better known as The Assassin. Principal responsibilities: Go out and compete, destroying any competitor. And I forgot to mention the Three Degrees who are highly effective, formidable, agile and have supreme abilities to focus their mind like they did today.”

In the end, Phillip never came up with the argument to destroy Rob and win over the jury’s vote but that wasn’t surprising.
Phillip needs to improve his physical, mental and social game and stop parading in his fuchsia underwear. While the first promos indicate that he is in much better physical shape, we see that he hasn’t changed underwear…

Francesca: The only reason I can think for casting her is to see if Phillip will still call her Franceskwaw. I’m hoping for Fransaskatchewan myself. We knew she was in trouble as soon as she opened her mouth and commented on the returning players: “Two of the most famous trouble-makers in the history of Survivor.” The inability to stay quiet is often the mark of a dumb player. Redemption Island enabled her to get sympathy from the viewers but I want to see if she has learned to talk less and listen more. Casting her opens the door to a real humiliation: Being booted first twice!!!! I’d do it just to call her the Anti-Sandra.

Andrea: Being a farm girl helped her become the fans’ favorite of the 3 Degrees. She had a down to earth personality and a knowledge of the game that was a welcomed contrast to most of the other rookies in Ometepe. However, her whole season was summed up in this confessional: “I talked to Rob and he assured me that I’m still part of their five even though I’m probably in a very sticky position. Right now, strategically, it’s smart to stay with them and make sure they don’t think that I’m scheming but I just don’t believe them. So, I need some way I can mix things up because, deep down, I am still really pissed about what they did…”

She was never able to mix things up so, instead, Andrea decided to play the same game as the other two girls: Impress Rob and hope to become the second “Amber,” the one that would beat him in front of the jury. Rob had his goats all lined up, though. Her physical and social games were fairly good so I will be looking for an improved mental game from Andrea. She trusted people too much so she will need to play more aggressively.

Brenda: It didn’t take long for Brenda to make an impression in Nicaragua: She immediately told us that she was single and would flirt and then she went on to win the first challenge: The quest for the Medallion of Power. While her physical and mental abilities were adequate it was, surprisingly, her social game that was weak, that was too passive. She found it funny, even saying: “I have people on my side without doing anything.” While that was true at first (Chase told her that she had a target on her back and he eventually saved her – Sash brought her into his minority alliance) it became a liability when she couldn’t do anything to bring people back to her side. She was so secretive that people didn’t trust her.

To improve her game, Brenda needs to make bonds with others instead of waiting for them to come to her. She needs a proactive social game, to be more open with the others.

Dawn’s story had a rough start: “I had a really tough day 1 and day 2 but I came back strong and I think I can contribute.” Indeed, Dawn showed that she was a strong woman and her social game was clearly above average. We can certainly question her strategic acumen, though, especially when she didn’t say anything about Cochran’s plans.

Will she be more successful this time? It’s a good possibility because her main problem was Savaii’s composition: It had too many alpha males. As Dawn said: “It seems like the tribe is forming bonds but, coming here, I had these hopes that we would really be organized…When I don’t see the shelter up by day one, it worries me…I have 6 kids, I’m used to being in charge…We should have a leader and Ozzy is a little like Bob Marley. I’m a planner and I’m not sure Bob Marley is.”

Dawn had more of a leader’s mentality than a follower’s and the Favorites’ tribe could offer her a chance to bloom because there is no automatic male leader. However, she could clash with Corinne or Brenda who are two head strong women…or Phillip who could clash with anyone for any reason! Brandon, Cochran, Erik and Malcolm give her a good start at an alliance.

Cochran: In So Pathetic, Cochran had three stories, which is pretty rare. It showed how much the editors liked him even if many viewers couldn’t stand his whining.

1) Cochran was completely out of his element: “Ozzy’s suggestion was to just have fun in the ocean. The only option was to get out there in our underwear and I was really opposed to doing this. I have this really pale skin…I wasn’t crazy about the idea of going in the water; it’s only going to make me more like the pathetic twerp that I am with my clothes on.”
2) He couldn’t fit in with his tribe and we heard that they didn’t treat him fairly: “I will have to turn on the cool, mellow Cochran instead of the antsy, paranoid nerd kid that I have been for the last few days… I already have this reputation as the nervous, neurotic scrambler.”
3) Cochran knew the game: “I am the most Survivor savvy player to ever play the game. I’ve never missed an episode…” That story didn’t work out because he was charmed by Coach and he forgot a key lesson: You can’t be the only one to flip on a whole tribe. It’s better to have someone to share the blame because jurors don’t give much credit! Cochran should never have flipped without Dawn. That was his mistake.

Since there shouldn’t be a problem with the elements the second time around and he should be able to fit in with this group then Cochran can be very dangerous: With an alliance, Cochran suddenly becomes…Todd! If he can make it work (and I doubt he’d make a stupid mistake like Yau Man in Micronesia), if he can form that alliance, then he could go far indeed.

The Fans:

Eddie: Since he is a firefighter, I believe Eddie when he says that he’s in shape and will be good in challenges. I have to wonder if he really understood Boston Rob’s game when he says that he wants to play like him because he made friends with all the right people!? That’s certainly not how I would describe Rob’s game!
This is a fan that could go far with the only red flag being his age. 23 is young to compete against returning players.

Julia: Speaking of being too young, Julia is 21 and she even dares say: “As a racecar driver I’m the center of my team, so it’s my job to lead and motivate everyone to be their best.” I hope she’s aiming for cheerleader instead of tribal leader because, otherwise, she’ll be sent to the scrap yard pretty quickly. Maybe, after this season, we will ask Julia who?

Hope: Is there hope for Hope? Well, some beauty queens have done well in the past (Danni and Amanda) but most have been really, really bad (“Cookie” and Cathy just last season). Somehow, seeing her list Brenda and Andrea (along with, you guessed it, Parvati…) as her favorite Survivors, I see a trap lurking for Hope. If she gushes over the two returning players then her tribe won’t take a chance: Boot her before she has a chance to become Hopelessly starstruck and attaches herself to those two like Cindy did with StepheMe. Take those bikini shots early guys because we won’t be seeing her parading for long.

Reynold: On the one hand. Reynold seems to have everything going for him: Young but not too young, physically fit and used to living outdoors. He should be the natural but, on Survivor, the naturals often become insufferably arrogant. That’s what I get from him especially when he lists Tom Brady as his inspiration in life, Colby, Parvati (even guys have the disease now?!) and Todd as his inspirations for Survivor. I see him taking the lead on Gota and then being cut down by the Favorites as soon as they have the chance.

Sherri: Another one of those lame fans that lists Parvati as the player they want to emulate. I’d like it if for once the interviewer would point out that Parvati gets voted out first if Fairplay doesn’t quit or if Randy hadn’t been so lame. Anyway, Sherri thinks she is a flirt but, at 41, she has quite a challenge competing against the girls in her tribe. She isn’t in Espada.

That being said, I give Sherry a good shot at lasting if she avoids that early elimination because she is fit and she could connect with the Favorites. Swaps were disastrous for Margaret, Amy, Tracy, Monica, Yve and Jill but were real lifelines for outsiders like Teresa, Holly and Jane. On which side will she be? The editing could give us an early hint: Except for Amy, those that were eliminated after a swap didn’t get a big story line and we knew little about their alliances in their original tribes while the ones that lasted long into the game had been clearly established as likable outsiders. Look for that to determine how Sherri will fare in the game, especially after a swap. Considering how many viewers liked seeing Tracy and Monica on Survivor, she could become a fan favorite herself. She could even make it to the end with a shot at the win like Holly.

Laura: Another Pervati-wannabe! Do I need to add anything? Well she shows some originality by adding Brenda and Jenna but I want to point out she was 13 when Amazon aired (sorry Rob!) so I wonder what she understood in Jenna’s “strategy”? Then again, she may have watched Amazon not too long ago. That would imply she is truly a die-hard fan and not a recruit disguised as fans like most of them in Micronesia. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt but still Gota isn’t Jaburu and the challenges will probably be much more physical than in a Women versus Men season. Will Laura have what it takes to survive the first few Councils?

She seems like a smart girl and since not everyone can be voted out first then maybe Laura has a chance. She promises to work hard around camp so her early edit should tell us a lot about her chances: Will we see her work or will we see her relaxing in the ocean? You know she will do both but which scene will be shown?

Allie: Of the four young women on Gota, I give the most chances to Allie. Why? Because she is one of the few smart enough to say that she needs to know everyone before forming a solid plan. That’s what everyone should be doing but so many start playing too hard too fast. Also, I am intrigued reading that she liked Jenna’s game and describing it quite nicely. Maybe we do have a real fan here, someone that could use their knowledge of the game to their advantage. She describes herself as “Hilarious, cunning and observant”. To me, those are the three qualities I want most in a player. Especially the hilarious part.

Matt: I can’t help but think of Ralph when I see him. Ralph…or a ZZ Top reject! Ralph didn’t do too well in Survivor so I wonder if Matt will be more successful. Gota is a young, good-looking tribe so he’ll really need a superb social game to fit in. He could use his own life experience to become a substitute dad to some of the younger members of the tribe but the initial reaction will be to treat him like the weird uncle that you hope doesn’t visit too often. It’s tough to recover from a bad first impression especially in a game where everyone is looking for an excuse not to be the first one voted out. Peter Harkey sounded weird and that was enough to send him packing. I think Gota’s first vote will be between Matt and one of the blondes.

Shamar: He said: “My motivation for being on the show is to bring awareness to economical/social injustices and to bring honor and respect back to my community while inspiring the forgotten."

To me, that is either the most arrogant statement ever or the most clueless. The guy obviously doesn’t know this game and its objective. You’d think that a military man would be able to concentrate on the job at hand but, then again, you look at the messes the army creates at times and you understand the confusion.

His best hope would be to run across someone like Chris who knew how to manipulate an army Sergeant but Shamar seems much too entrenched in his own convictions to understand that this isn’t his show. Sarge knew his strength was in building a team but he was humble enough to see that he needed Chris to tell him how to proceed with the votes. I feel Shamar will be more like: “It’s my way or the highway” so that he’ll be hitting the road as soon as his muscles aren’t needed.

Michael: He enters the game with two strkes against him: First, he is the oldest guy on a tribe that is quite young. Nothing in the history of the game has divided people more than age. Second, he says that: “I don’t like “crazy.” If you can’t think rationally stay away from me.” If he makes it to a swap, will he even give himself a chance to form alliances with the crazy train that is the Favorites’ tribe?
It’s interesting that he notes Cirie and Rob as his favorite players but I doubt he will have a chance to put the lessons to good use.