I like your thoughts and I feel the same way, these aren't horrible choices. Not all the best choices but none that will make me HONESTLY change the channel.
In fact, I'm over the moon that a couple of them are back.
Not to mention the 10 other castaways who will not be familiar to us but will build instant status through their relatives.Tina was an amazing behind the scenes strategist, whom made many allies, allowed for the decisions to seemingly be run through others Or at least the blame laid at others feet. she was booted first during AllStars because she was a serious threat AND she was a previous winner, which is exactly how AllStars progressed, getting rid of the previous winners first.
She could do great things, it's been long enough and so many other openly strategic winners have emerged that she becomes a non-threat.
Gervase was the lazy guy during his first stint waaay back in season 1. I seriously doubt he'll be any different one and two the game has drastically changed since he first played.
Laura was a victim of one of her own forging off on his own. Had no cracks opened, Samoa would have turned out DRASTICALLY different. She was "in control" of her alliance up to John changing his vote after the tie.
Monica was simply placed on the wrong tribe. No, the wrong season. She is strong, strategic and survivor saavy. If she hadn't been so judgmental of Colton, Kat and Christina, she could very well have slipped under the radar of Kim and Sabrina during the boot choosing process.
Kat and Colton. The One World Brats. I hope and pray that both have either grown up a smidge or perhaps are playing with someone that will help even them out a bit. Kat is incapable of playing under the radar, so she's gonna have to really try to keep her alliances tighter. Listen more, talk less. And as for Colton, well, he deserves to be pointed at as the guy no one wants to trust. If he has learned a thing or two in the past year or so, let's hope he uses those lessons. Again... more listening, less talking.
Tyson, during HvV, ended up getting himself voted off. He was told how to vote and had he stuck to it he would have stayed and guess what...Russell would have been voted out! Bet he won't make that mistake again.
RC got effed by befriending Abi. Who knew the b1tch was gonna become a b@t-sh1t crazy paranoid?! And obviously, everyone learned not to be friends with Abi. Artis? Pete? Lisa?
Honestly, RC played hard and from the very beginning too. I think she'll be saavy enough to turn her game around this time.
Rupert is a character and stands ZERO chance of winning. He has shown that he remains completely unaware of how "annoying" he can be. Like Phillip, he will be delusional right up to his demise. However, it should be noted that during All-Stars, it was him with Jenna, Amber and B'Rob in the F4. And had Jenna not really thought he could win, she would not have chosen to go with the Marianos. I also credit B'Rob for talking her into believing she had a chance against him and Amber versus against Rupert. But whatever.
and finally...
Aras, to me, was a great winner. He managed to somehow keep together crazy Shane, demented Danielle and crazy Cirie.
Those 3 were VERY strong players and keeping their 3 strategies focused was a mountainous job. Good for him listening to Cirie, great on him for keeping Danielle for trust and good on him for keeping Shane as the target/goat.
It's gonna be interesting with the family/loved ones twist. Going into this game (or any game) as a pair instantly creates a target for 1 of them. And that strategy will never disappear even when the game turns individual.
Overall, I think the returnees will be the first targets of each couple. I also predict that there will be some initial One World targeting.