Please post all the articles and videos in this thread.

I was rooting for him to win over JT during his season. I'm glad he is doing a blog this season.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/12/stephens-survivor-strategy-blog-beware-that-southern-charm/

The rulers who have done great things are those who have set little store by keeping their word, being skillful rather in cunningly deceiving men; they have got the better of those who relied on being trustworthy.” — Machiavelli, The Prince
Wow. Now you see why they call them All Stars. Thirty minutes in and we’d already seen broken bones, bruised egos, and blurred boobs. Tom, Russell, JT, Sandra, Cirie and Boston Rob all entered the game with their phasers set on kill, and by the end of Day 1, both camps were divided in a series of overlapping alliances. But there can be only one Fishy Award winner, and I have to give this episode’s prize to JT. Is there some favoritism here? Sure, of course. But in an episode where there was no one great strategic move, JT brilliantly used his on-screen reputation for honesty to trap his self-consciously heroic tribe. Congratulations, JT. You win the season’s first Fishy!
Until last night, nobody believed me that JT could cut throats. During the 39 days we were actually in Brazil, JT was ready to backstab our allies before I was. But when the Tocantins season aired, he came off looking like a Disney character — all aw-shucks demeanor and fighting spirit. He even took the duplicitous Stephen (er, me) to the finals with him to honor our alliance and our friendship.
But JT 2.0 — or, as I like to call him, “JT” — is willing to use that fairy tale reputation for Machiavellian purposes. “People are expecting me to be that guy they saw on Tocantins, you know, that guy who stuck by his word,” he says. “To win this game of Survivor, you have to have a dark side somewhere. I’m not looking to save my hero name. I’m here to do what I have to do to win this game.”
To that end, he schemes with Colby, makes an anti-“flower power” alliance with James that he plans on breaking, and builds trust with Tom as the tribe’s two former winners. “My strategy is to keep everyone on my side,” he says.
As the Heroes pair up and square off — Tom and Stephenie vs. Amanda, Cirie and James vs. Candice and Colby vs. Rupert and his toe — JT seems to be a part of every group. When Sugar suggests they vote out Amanda, JT nods in agreement. He then heads straight to Colby and tells him to wring Sugar’s neck like he just wrung that chicken’s. Tom makes some great points about voting out super-threat Cirie while they still have the chance, but ultimately it’s Sugar who goes home.
Meanwhile, in Camp Villain, that other Southern Charmer — Russell Hantz, Puppetmaster — is up to his old tricks. I bet the villains’ beach is already pockmarked by the holes he’s dug looking for hidden idols. Perhaps having flashbacks to Samoa, Russell immediately makes final two alliances with Parvati and Danielle. “This is when it happens — the first day. This is when it happens,” he tells Danielle. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is almost verbatim what he said to Ashley in Samoa. “We can look back at this moment right now and say we did it from the beginning, from day one,” he had told her in Season 19.
What’s brilliant about Russell’s strategy is the way he plays to people’s expectations. Everybody knows that everybody else is out for blood. If you admit you’re willing to break your word, you paradoxically seem a lot more honest. “I will stab people in the back,” he tells Danielle. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get to the top. But what I’m telling you is, I want to get to the top with you.”
Russell and JT seem to play mirror-opposite games. Russell imposes his will on those around him; JT tries to listen to his allies and work with their biases. Dueling Southerners, both with chipped teeth? In Survivor, as in Highlander, there can be only one. My money’s on my friend. – Stephen Fishbach

Thanks catty. I enjoyed reading Stephen's blog.

Here's a short article about Boston Rob, Amber and their new baby Lucia. There are also a few pictures at the blog.

http://celebrity-babies.com/2010/02/12/exclusive-meet-lucia-rose-mariano/
Exclusive: Meet Lucia Rose Mariano!



Tags:
Babies, Dads, Exclusive, Parenting, Reality TV


Considering Mom and Dad fell in love in Panama while filming Survivor: All-Stars, married in the Bahamas and traveled around the world together twice on the Amazing Race, it’s no surprise that little Lucia Rose Mariano is at ease in multiple time zones.
“It’s funny,” says reality TV veteran Rob Mariano, 34, currently appearing on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,
the series’ 20th season. “Lucia’s only 7 months old and she’s already
been to Pittsburgh, Vegas, Boston and Atlanta! We’re lucky she’s so
good on flights.”
Before Amber, 31, won the $1 million prize on Survivor: All-Stars
in 2004, Rob, the first runner-up, proposed at the show’s live finale.
Since then the couple set up house in Pensacola, Fla., while Rob has
tried his hand at professional poker.
A baby wasn’t in the cards at first: After a whirlwind on-air
romance, “We wanted to enjoy each other for a little while before we
added another person to our family,” says Amber.
When it came time to pick a baby name, Amber once more had to
outwit, outplay and outlast her husband. “I really liked Lucy, but Rob
wasn’t crazy about it.” Amber says. “So I kept trying to find a name
that was similar, and Rob said that he kind of liked Lucia, so…”
Once again, Amber won. “When she was born,
I got a little teary-eyed,” Rob recalls. Amber adds, “Then he looked at
me and said, ‘I think her name is Lucia.’ And I started crying too.”

Hi Seba! It's been a long time. How are you?

Hi Moody! While I haven't posted in a while I'm always lurking around. I'm doing as well as can be expected I think. Busy watching the Olympics this weekend. How about you?

You're welcome Mappy. I enjoyed reading it too.

Thanks seba. Cute pictures of Lucia too

Thanks Seba. I'll always be an Amber and Rob fan and Lucia is beautiful.

just to let people know this is not a All - Stars Season

http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/15/survivor-heroes-vs-villains-sugar-it-was-really-really-tough/
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains‘ Sugar: “It Was Really, Really Tough”
Somebody has to go first on Survivor and this season that somebody was 29-year-old Jessica “Sugar” Kiper, a Gabon veteran, model and actress known as much for her emotional antics as her animal prints. The first fallen Hero chatted with PEOPLE.com about second chances, tricky puzzles, and dashing sans her dainties. — Carrie Bell
Is it less embarrassing to be voted out first from an all-star season than from a regular Survivor season?
Yeah. Surely that’s true. It was an honor to have been asked to go at all. These are all-star players and many of them were winners so it felt good that CBS wanted me back, but I was scared to death of them. I threw myself a death-day party last night to celebrate. I was kind of glad to go because it was really, really rough.
At least, thanks to the topless point you earned in the reward challenge and the double bird you flipped, you won’t be forgotten.
Thank you, Sandra, for that extra airtime! I felt her unhooking it and said, “Don’t undo my bra, bitch!” And she was like, “I’m a villain. Ha.” She thought she had me, so I rolled out and ran. She didn’t see that coming. I had a momentary lapse of insanity and I double-flipped and shook my boobs. Then I thought I was going to throw up because the adrenaline rush hit me, like, ‘What did I just do?’
In your closing interview, you said the Heroes probably made the right decision. Why?
Well, ’cause had I stuck around, I might have done some damage. What? No, not really. I could have made it to the end because you never know what’ll happen in this game but probably not. I was on the chopping block and they needed to get rid of somebody. I figured I’d be out in the first three from the time I signed up.
The Heroes had a great breakfast, an early win and a big advantage in the boat section of the immunity challenge. Was the puzzle really that hard?
Definitely too many cooks in the kitchen. A lot of the time, I was looking on the ground because I thought we must be missing a piece. It was a tricky puzzle. The thing that looked like the bottom was supposed to be the top and it was upside down or something like that so we failed.
Why come back to play this game again?
I’m obviously not all together. I’m pretty sure that anyone who plays more than once is half insane. I learned my lesson. There will be no third time for Sugar. I have seen both ends of the rainbow. I have been almost a winner and the biggest loser in a really cool season.
How was it different the second time?
You have no idea what to physically prepare yourself for and the elements were a million times worse this time. I knew I was up against giants in terms of the players. I went in this time trying to win, which didn’t help me, and I wanted to prove I could play in the challenges and that I’m helpful in camp so they’d think there was a reason to keep me around. That didn’t work either.
You certainly stayed true to form by crying and by looking for a big strong “protector.”
I can’t control my emotions despite trying hard. When we lost immunity, I thought, “One of us is dying and I’m pretty sure it’s me.” It’s funny they made it look like I was chasing Colby. I’m not even attracted to him. I actually had a crush on JT, which they showed none of.
What about the flirting between [b]Jerri and Coach?[/b]
I Twittered a couple hours ago that I got my invitation to Coach and Jerri’s wedding and my Twitter blew up with questions.
You brought your dad’s ashes to Samoa. Why?
Every time my siblings or I go on a trip we take a little bit of dad with us. He was a sailor who liked to travel so we drop a little bit of him everywhere we go.
What’s going on in your real life?
I have a band, She Loves Betty White. I play the drums and sing. I got cast as Magenta in [an upcoming LA run of] The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I’m in a video game coming out this summer. [Working title is LA Noir.] I’m auditioning and back to square one. People know who I am, but I still drive the crappiest car.

Parvati was told about Russell pre-HvV, Sugar says; Stephenie’s injury didn’t occur as shown
Survivor Heroes vs Villains »
February 16, 2010, 9:33 AM
comment »
In a post-boot interview, Jessica “Sugar” Kiper suggested that her fellow Survivor Heroes vs. Villains cast member Parvati Shallow had information about Russell Hantz’s game play or strategy, despite the fact that his season hadn’t even begun to air. Meanwhile, someone on location during the first episode has detailed the ways in which the editing on the first episode’s first challenge was distorted, including faking the way Stephenie dislocated her shoulder.

Asked about what she and others knew about Russell before the game, Sugar told Zap2it.com, “Certain people might have inside people who might know more about what’s really going on and they’re best friends with people… It’s life, it’s ‘Survivor,’ it’s Hollywood. People did know certain things [coughsParvaticoughs].”

That echoes conversations in the Survivor community that Parvati received information about Russell’s game play from someone in casting and/or mutual friends before the game began. During the first episode, Parvati actually says that Russell was “telling everyone the same thing” but said, “I want the devil on my side,” which takes on new meaning in light of Sugar’s statement.

If Parvati was told about Russell before the game, that’d be pretty damning, but is the reverse true? In his CBS.com pre-game interview with Jenna Morasca, which is inexplicably shown in its entirety on EW.com, Russell says he wants Boston Rob out because he’s “a very strategic player,” but later says, “who I would like to align with, if she was there, was definitely Parvati. … I think that she would be somebody, believe it or not, that I could trust.” For a self-professed student of the game like Russell to say he could trust one of the most strategic and cunning players in recent memory seems, well, odd.

Speaking of Sugar, she wrote on Twitter that the editing distorted her real-life crushes: “I was never attracted to Colby,and J.T.slept with me pregame and told me we’d stick together.That edit really confused my friends & fam.,” adding, “No,seriously,I wasn’t attracted to the tall cowboy,I really DID want the one with the underbite,beer belly, and marbles in his mouth…” (Sugar elaborated on her pre-season romance with JT during our pre-game conversation.)

Meanwhile, in his first episode recap, Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross offers “some bonus intel from being out there” during the first three days, which is a nice change. Most significantly, he details how the first challenge actually played out versus the way it was edited, and repeatedly calls the differences between the two “confusing.”

He points out that the game wasn’t won by the first team to three points, but the first team to five, and at one point, the Heroes were up 4 to 0, until Coach dragged Colby across the finish line. (That the challenge was out of order was somewhat noticeable on TV, because they kept moving to different lanes in the sand, and not in order.) Most damningly, Dalton writes this:

“The first-round match-up you saw with Stephenie and Cirie vs. Parvati and Danielle was actually round six and got the Villains back to being down only 4-2. But wait, it gets even more confusing.

Remember how you saw Stephenie dislocate her shoulder and Probst remarked how she injured herself in the very first round of the very first challenge? Well, that was true, but it wasn’t the round you saw. The actual first round (that you did not see) featured the exact same match-up (Stephenie and Cirie vs. Parvati and Danielle) and it was actually a Heroes victory.

Not only that, but the injury appeared to occur while Stephenie was slapping the mat with her extended arm to give her team the win. So, the round you saw presented as the first match-up was actually a rematch that Stephenie was participating in after she had already dislocated her shoulder! (How tough is she?) So, the injury happened in one place, but was edited into another.”


He’s careful to point out that “There is no monkeying around” in terms of the results, which I agree with, and chalks this up to “not enough time,” which is bullshit. I absolutely believe that the challenges are fair and straightforward when they’re played—there’s even a CBS standards and practices person there to make sure of that—but while the challenges are edited to be as dramatic as possible (which makes sense), this one was clearly edited to get drama from a fake version of reality (which doesn’t).

While I am unforgiving of that kind of manipulative editing, I do understand that compressing hundreds of hours of footage into 44-minute episodes is exceptionally challenging. (The first immunity challenge in Samoa alone was a half-hour, so there’s no way it could have been shown in its entirety, and the immunity challenges I observed in Gabon and Tocantins both included elements that were edited out.) But why pretend Stephenie was injured in a brawl when she wasn’t? The editing even made it look like Courtney suggested that one her Villain teammates “break her shoulder,” but since that injury happened earlier, that’s not accurate or fair.

Survivor ratings up, Amazing Race down, Undercover Boss Hooters ep outperforms both
Survivor Marquesas » The Amazing Race 16 »
February 16, 2010, 9:14 AM
comment »
CBS found success with two of its trio of reality shows, with one of its two veteran shows improving and the other slipping, and its newest show performing better than either one, even against the Olympics.

Survivor Heroes vs. Villains’ two-hour premiere last Thursday gave the show “its largest audience since 2007,” CBS said in a press release, as it was watched by 14.15 million viewers, and placed first among viewers 18 to 49. That’s up 25 percent in adults 18 to 49, and an increase of 2.47 million viewers over the premiere of Survivor Samoa, and 520,000 more viewers than the premiere of Survivor Tocantins a year ago.

On Sunday night, The Amazing Race 16’s dummy-filled first episode had 9.1 million viewers, down again from the 9.42 million who watched season 14’s premiere a year ago.

Finally, the second episode of Undercover Boss, on which the CEO of Hooters unbelievably (or disingenuously) expressed shock that one of its managers was treating women like objects and people on the street thought his restaurant is degrading to women and not family-friendly despite having a corporate logo with breasts in it, did well despite not having the Super Bowl as a lead-in. In fact, it performed much better than The Amazing Race: 15.28 million people watched.

TV By the Numbers notes that “ABC did not have a typical lineup and didn’t air Desperate Housewives at 9pm, but, Boss came in second place to NBC between 9p-10p with both adults 18-49 and total viewers, and outside of the Olympics it was the highest-rated hour of the night.”

Thanks Heidi.
I found it interesting that Parvati had inside info about Russell and his gameplay.

Wow at the ratings for TAR. I thought they would be up because of Jeff and Jordan. So that's a bit of a surprise.

wait...what sugar and JT...wait what????

Deleted/Posted in wrong thread....

sugarkiper




Going to audition later...then buying superglue...for my mouth.


38 minutes ago

from web

Sorry about that...... Too much multi tasking this A.M.......

at rallen and Sugar.

Like rallen, I had no idea about JT and Sugar.

Survivor 21, 22 may film in Nicaragua, followed by Caramoan in the Philippines
Survivor 21 »
February 17, 2010, 3:11 PM
comment »
If early location reports are correct, Survivor may return to Central America for its 21st and 22nd seasons, followed by seasons 23 and 24 in the Philippines in 2011. The series will be filming back-to-back, same-location seasons for the near future, if not forever.

For production this summer, the show may go to Nicaragua, according to online chatter. That traces back to a Television Without Pity post, which cited its writers’ parents conversation with a crew member while on vacation. That’s obviously a flimsy source, though the geography in Nicaragua—which is now tourist-friendly, unlike in the 1980s—makes it seem probable, as does its camera-friendly environment. And after two back-to-back island locations, I’d also expect that the show will move to an inland, non-island location for the next two seasons, and then back to islands again.

There’s more concrete reporting about the filming location that would be used for the seasons filmed in 2011, which is Caramoan, in the the Camarines Sur province of the Philippines. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that “A top executive of the provincial government, who asked not to be named because negotiation was still ongoing, revealed that ‘Survivor USA’ would also be filmed here next year until 2012. Its production crew searched many areas in the Philippines and found Caramoan the most ideal place for filming because of its unique geographical features and available facilities that meet production standards.”

The report’s mention of “next year” would seem to mean 2011, though “until 2012” doesn’t quite make sense. The same location was used for French, Israeli, Bulgarian, and Serbian versions of the show (it’s where a Bulgarian contestant died last summer), so it already has the infrastructure to support the show, never mind that Caramoan is a visually stunning location. The Israeli version is currently filming there until this summer.

Of course, it filming there or anywhere depends upon the show being renewed for another year, but with all-stars generating higher-than-usual ratings, and the potential for one (at least partial) all-star season a year, I don’t think cancellation is anywhere in its future.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/18/ultimate-survivor-quiz-heroes-villains/
There are some videos at the link. You can follow the videos and take the quiz.
The contestants of Survivor test themselves each and every episode. They test their endurance. They test their physical limits. They test their strategy and social skills. And they always test their knowledge of the game. Well, now the tables have been turned, my friend, and they are ready to test YOU! That’s right, we have host Jeff Probst and the contestants of Heroes vs. Villains (19 of them, at least — see if you can tell who’s missing) ready to administer our own little EW.com Survivor exam covering the first 19 seasons of the show. Think you’re a big fan? Then see how you do with our Ultimate Survivor Quiz, with questions and answers provided by actual season 20 cast members. Probst and each contestant will ask a question and you’ll be given four possible answers. You’ll then be given a few seconds to choose, but don’t worry, you can pause the video if you need more time. (Also note that you’ll have to keep score yourself: No cheating!) Just click on the video below to take the 3-part quiz. See how you measure up and then let us know if you have what it takes to be considered a Survivor Grand Master.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/02/the_survivor_injury_report_its.html
The 'Survivor' Injury Report: All Fun And Games Until Someone Loses An Eye
"Injuries threaten to send two castaways home." That's the episode description for last week's season premiere of Survivor as it is listed on my DVR. Not "The reality competition's 20th season begins" or "Previous seasons' 'heroes' and 'villains' duke it out on opposing tribes" or even "Extreme summer camp and corporate-retreat games combine for million-dollar prize." Just a straightforward dangling of the prospect of people getting hurt as enticement to watch the show.
It's an unfortunate trend on Survivor and one that only seems to be getting worse every season. Somewhere along the way, injuring yourself on the show stopped being a sign that you were stupid or clumsy or just plain doing something wrong and turned into a badge of honor.
And as with most things that make me cringe whenever I watch Survivor, I blame show host Jeff Probst.
But first, let's take a look at the incidents in question.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, after the jump.
The first injury took place 17 minutes into the season, during the very first round of the very first challenge. In what was basically a variation of Capture The Sandbag Because A Flag Would Be Too Easy, 'Hero' Stephenie LaGrossa's shoulder was dislocated while grappling with her competitors. The challenge required participants to work in pairs to obtain and then get control of the sandbag and return across the finish line with it, meaning that it sometimes encouraged two people to use just about any means necessary to tackle and then take a sandbag away from someone else. No pads, no gear, very few apparent guidelines for safe contact -- which isn't even the case with highly trained wrestlers and football players. It is a great way to injure people, and people were injured.
In addition to providing a fascinating lesson in human anatomy -- what seemed to be LaGrossa's agonizing pain vanished instantly once the show's medical crew snapped her shoulder back into place with an audible pop that nearly made me lose my lunch -- it also laid out the show's priorities unmistakably. Probst announced "We have our first injury" with a visible grin, and the game continued on with enough physicality for Rupert Boneham to break his toe before it was over.
True, Probst called out "Play fair down there!" when, at another point during the challenge, Russell Hantz (representing the "villains") pried himself from Tom Westman's grip by pushing down hard on Westman's neck, then put Westman on the ground, grabbed his leg, and twisted it at the knee to immobilize him as Westman shouted in pain. But the challenge ended with the host gleefully giving a tally of the injuries suffered before the players even set foot on their home beaches.
Survivor contestants have been hurting themselves ever since the second season, when Mike Skupin fell into a fire and had to be taken out of the game to receive immediate medical attention. But there's a big difference between then and now: that was an accident. LaGrossa's and Boneham's injuries both happened on the show's watch, as a result of a show-mandated activity. The same thing happened on Survivor: Fans Vs. Favorites when Jonathan Penner punctured his leg with a stick during a challenge on a course the show built, resulting in an infection so severe that the medical crew had to evacuate him or risk him losing his leg entirely.
More distressing, though, is the show's increasingly cavalier attitude towards such things, especially so soon after last season, when Russell Swan blacked out in the middle of a challenge (the result of overworking himself back at camp without regard to hunger, dehydration or fatigue). Probst admitted that it was the scariest thing he'd ever witnessed in all his time on the show, but he eventually saluted Swan's never-say-die gumption.

And that's exactly the problem. These contestants who are being encouraged to never say die? They could die. And whatever attention it might attract in the short term, the last thing Survivor wants in the long term is a death or even a permanent injury on its record. But still Probst greets bruises, scrapes or worse with some variation of "Glad that everybody's fighting hard for this one!" or "Good to see that everybody brought their A game!" It's an attitude that views Survivor as a noble, almost spiritual endeavor requiring actual physical sacrifice, rather than what it actually is: an incredibly stupid reason to hurt yourself, million dollars or no.
You know the people who object to reality television on principle? This is the principle to which many of them object, precisely this creepy and voyeuristic disregard for the safety of participants. We're being asked to watch people actually injure themselves for the chance at a million dollars, with nary a word of discouragement on behalf of the show.
Oh, and in case you missed them, the previews for this week's episode consisted of a series of scenes that show noted "villain" Rob Mariano passing out in the forest and being unresponsive when the medical crew shines a flashlight in his eyes. Happy viewing!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/18/survivor-heroes-vs-villains-tribal-council-mayhem/
video at link
When it comes to Survivor, the only thing better than a blindside is blind hatred, and that’s exactly what was served up at tonight’s Tribal Council. And the only thing better than blind hatred at a Tribal Council is when that blind hatred extends even after Tribal Council is over! It was truly a delicious scene to take in, as another contestant was sent home. But do not read after the jump unless you already saw who that contestant was.

(Okay, all good? Because names are about to be dropped. Good.) Stephenie LaGrossa (of Palau and Guatemala) was the season’s second casualty, after engaging in a heated exchange with James that also manged to ensnare Colby and Tom, who rushed to her defense after James berated her for approximately the 1,267th time. Was Stephenie guilty of not following directions at the challenge? Yes. Did James go overboard with his ceaseless bitching and moaning about her? Absolutely. The pissed-off piéce de résistance occurred when Steph, after having her torch snuffed, turned to James and said, “Some advice. Next time y’all lose a challenge, a little less cursing off your tribe might help.” To which James eloquently replied, “Keep your mouth shut.” No matter whose side you’re on, you have to love fireworks like that. Oh, and this just in: Boston Rob survived his jungle collapse. Not only did he survive, but he led his team from behind (again!) to victory in the immunity challenge. How impressive was Rob’s resurrection? And are you on Team James or Team Stephenie? Let us know on the message boards below. And be sure to check back in a few hours for my full recap as well as Jeff Probst’s blog. In the meantime, be sure to take our Ultimate Survivor Quiz and enjoy the little pep talk below that Stephenie recorded for herself before the game began to cheer herself up in the event that she got voted out. And for all the Survivor scoop sent right to ya, follow me on Twitter @EWDaltonRoss. Now, a little pick me up for Stephenie from…Stephenie.

Survivor Heroes v. Villains - Episode 3 Preview

Survivor: Heroes vs Villains - Secret Scene: Stephenie

Survivor Insider: It Kinda Sucks to Be a Hero
Today 7:09 PM PST by Drusilla Moorhouse


Monty Brinton/CBS

Note to Jeff Probst: You may want to change your intro on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, because tonight's episode proved that it is so not the Villains with the "ruthless cunning and backstabbing!"

In another electrifying hour, we witnessed the Heroes tribe disintegrate while the Villains (OK, one Villain and his minions) again triumphed over adversity.

Here's what you need to know...

WHAT WENT DOWN

"Get Help!" Did Rob actually say these words—about himself? Thanks to the previews, at least we had time to prepare for the felling of the Robfather, who passed out from dehydration/disgust with his tribe. More shocking than "Get help!" was this dazed declaration to Jeff Probst: "I'm sorry. I feel like it's getting the best of me." Fortunately for us (and face it, the Villains), the tribe's "bright shining star" (per Courtney) quickly recovered his sparkle.

Crybabyitis: "When I finally came to," said Rob, "I had a moment of clarity, And that was stop trying to be the good guy. Because I'm trying to be so good, I physically made myself sick. Just do what everybody wants you to do and be the villain. The doctors checked me out, basically told me I have the flu and a little bitty case of crybabyitis. [But now] I gotta start smacking 'em into shape." Atta boy!

Puzzled, Again: Despite their hefty lead in the Immunity and Reward Challenge's physical first half (come on, Colby, James, Tom and J.T. against everyone not named Rob?), the Heroes were stymied again trying to solve the building-block puzzle. While Rob (surprise!) barked orders to his obedient tribe, the Heroes were "talking trash to each other—not a good sign," proclaimed Probst, who later added, "The group of misfit Villains [took] the Heroes to the cleaners." Aw.



Monty Brinton/CBS
Meanwhile, Back at the Happy Heroes Ranch: Yeah, not so much. While J.T. was orchestrating his alliances--"One thing I do know," he said, "I'm gonna piss people off"--James (aka Mr. Nice Guy) seemed possessed after the Heroes' defeat, ranting incoherently about "one voice" and yelling things like "Individuals shut the f--k up." The honorable Tom was not pleased. "I'd love to tell him what a winner is and what a loser is and where he fits into that equation."

Tribal Council, Y'All: The sparks done flew tonight, and they weren't coming from the campfire. Probst, did you really have to go there with James? Amid another "one voice" diatribe and blaming Stephenie for violating his STFU challenge policy, James created additional confusion with the identity of "y'all"—but I guess it's not Stephenie. "Darling," James told Miss Kryptonite, "your name is not y'all. I'll be damned if anybody named y'all in here." But after Colby defended Stephenie, James responded, "The two of y'all. Is that good enough?" With that the firefighter joined the rescue/fracas: "Make it three of 'em all!" Tom said. "You're bullying Stephenie…You said her name. That doesn't mean y'all. That means Stephenie." And with that, those not named Y'All wrote Stephenie's name down. But even her elimination could not snuff those flames, as she offered some parting advice. "Next time y'all lose a challenge, a little less cursing off your tribe might help." To which James replied, "Keep your mouth shut." Oh, those Heroes and their sweet charity!

Mr. Craftsman: The "Heroes" were so busy hogging the airtime with their bickering and scheming that we didn't get to see the shelter Rob built with the nails, tarp and rope the tribe earned as Reward Challenge winners. The Villains are probably kicking back in a two-story cabin with a swing set out front for when Amber visits with Baby Mariano.

SURVIVOR INSIDER

Enough with the drama, mamas. As promised last week, some inside scoop you might not know! So riddle me this: What's a poor Castaway to do without her razor and makeup kit when she doesn't want to look too "wild" on TV? As I hinted last week, some Survivor contestants resort to permanent makeup! I can report that Laura (Samoa) and Becky (Cook Islands), among others, had their eyebrows tattooed before coming on the show, and Erinn (Tocantins) is one of many Survivors who dyed her eyelashes: "I'm a natural blonde," she told me, "and they are invisible." Erinn even braved the wild with hair extensions! Still, she said, "My hair looked like a dried-up bramble bush!"

Although some razor-deprived Castaways are fine with Euro-style armpits (cough, Monica, cough), other bikini babes opt for waxing or even permanent laser hair removal. Parvati, dished one of her castmates, "had her entire body lasered," as did Tocantins' Carolina. And the girls aren't the only ones: Tyson, revealed Erinn (his Tocantins tribemate), "totally waxed before our season too...nearly everything." Why aren't we surprised?

Come back next week—if you dare—to find out which female Samoa Survivor habitually paraded around camp buck naked!

WHO WILL GET VOTED OFF NEXT

We're placing our bets on another Hero Tribal Council next week—the question is, will they vote with one voice?

Whose torch do you think Jeff will snuff next week? Cast your vote in our Heroes vs. Villains exit poll!

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Poll
Who will be eliminated next?


Heroes
14.2% Amanda
5.5% Candice
12.0% Cirie
5.5% Colby
2.7% J.T.
37.2% James
10.4% Rupert
12.6% Tom
Villians
3.4% Boston Rob
6.2% Coach
18.6% Courtney
10.3% Danielle
2.1% Jerri
4.1% Parvati
30.3% Randy
9.7% Russell
9.7% Sandra
5.5% Tyson

http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem/2919-survivor-heroes-vs-villains-episode-2-recap
Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains - Episode 2 Recap
Tonight, on Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains, the villains decide it's probably time to figure out a sturdy shelter. If by figure out, you mean argue the entire time and get nothing done, then that's exactly what they did. Meanwhile, at the heroes camp, things are actually getting done but there's also some plotting taking place. Stephenie has a target on her back, for not only being a strong physical player but a strong social player. She's gonna have to do something to shift the focus onto someone else quickly.

Back on the villains' side, Jerri sees Boston Rob collapse in the woods and he tells her to get help. Jeff and the medical staff hurry in to get a look at him. They feel that he looks worse than he is, which is promising. I know his tribe would be heartbroken if he left but I'm pretty sure I'd be right there with him. Final diagnosis? "A little bit of the flu and cry baby-itis." He's staying in... thank god!

Tonight's challenge is both for reward and immunity. The prize is rope , tarp, and nails - should be helpful at camp. Two members of each tribe will race to roll a large tribe colored crate back to the platform and repeat that until six are retrieved. Those crates are stacked into a staircase and the first tribe to make it to the top wins. History lesson: JT, Coach, and Tyson did this challenge during their season. The villains need to sit two people (Courtney and Randy) while the heroes bench Rupert. It's amazing that Rob is staying in the challenge, given his health issues this week!

More at the above link

http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/survivor-recap-boston-rob-mariano-wins-the-gold-mettle-2010192
Survivor Recap: "Boston" Rob Mariano Wins the Gold Mettle
Judging by the CBS promos for the second episode of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, it seemed a distinct possibility that "Boston" Rob Mariano was in serious danger of leaving the game due to medical reasons. When he fainted in his camp and laid unconscious just 10 minutes into the show, the exit threat was raised to level red.
Wake up, Rob! Don't leave us with Randy and Jerri!
Yet one bottled water and a pep talk from Jeff Probst later, he was fully alert, mumbling something about winning the game and blaming his condition on "cry baby-itis." Red Sox caps for everyone! Make no mistake: Rob needs to go far. Not only is the guy a scheming mastermind (as he proved in Survivor: Marquesas and All-Stars), he's wicked awesome in challenges. Sure enough, during too-complicated-to-explain-on-a-Web-post immunity challenge, he led his Villains team to a second-straight victory. If Rob were an Olympian, he'd be Shaun White.
Which means Heroes tribe member Stephenie LaGrossa is Lindsey Jacobellis. Yes, she's a serious competitor -- but it takes more than talent to get the gold. Now she's out of the game. (Thus concludes the end of my Olympics analogy. Thanks for playing). It's not a terrible surprise; after all, the tough-talking Steph has always had a problem reining in her emotions and being a team player. Plus, her allies Tom Westman and Colby Donaldson didn't exactly make a strong case for her to stay. That said...ousting her over Amanda Kimmel? Really?! Amanda may be cute, she may be unassuming, but wearing chic eyeglasses to Tribal Council doesn't make her a smart Survivor.
But if she ever aligns with Rob, she will be.

From Ethan's twitter:

http://www.tonic.com/article/top-reasons-ethan-zohn-glad-not-survivor/

Ethan Zohn: Top 10 Reasons I'm Glad NOT to be on 'Survivor'

miss the competition, but there's something to be said for playing Survivor in the comfort of your own home.

The 20th season of Survivor has started off with a bang. Everyone always asks if I still watch the show. Of course, I’m watching it! I love the game of Survivor and I played Survivor All-Stars with half the people on this season of Heroes vs. Villains. Every week I kickback on my couch and yell, laugh, coach and get annoyed with everyone. It’s the best way to play this game. It was a little bitter sweet watching last night's episode because I always want to play and I had to pass when CBS offered me a spot.

However, I thought it would be fun to provide a list of all the reasons I’m happy NOT to be on this season's Survivor.

1. Carrying around tissues and a pacifier for Boston Rob would get annoying. Apparently all you have to do to get some fresh water is cry in front of Jeff Probst.

2. Having no hair, I would burn pretty easily.

3. I didn’t want to make James and Sugar look bad when I took my shirt off.

4. I’d have to choose between watching the Olympics and watching the Heroes tribe make complete fools out of themselves.

5. With the economy so bad, it would be difficult to invest the $1 million I'd win.

6. Lets be honest, you never see a nice Jewish boy camping in the middle of the rainforest.

7. It’s very difficult to Tweet from Samoa.

8. I’m still constipated from when I filmed Survivor Africa in 2001.

9. Rupert’s tie die shirt gives me flashbacks from college.

10. Xanax just won't cut it as a luxury item.

Heroes become villains as James rips Stephenie, Rob falls ill but rallies his tribe
Survivor Heroes vs Villains »
February 19, 2010, 10:00 AM
comment »
What a weird but good episode of Survivor Heroes vs. Villains: the shift of heroes becoming villains has already begun, Tom Westman stands up to a strangely belligerent and reputation-destroying James, and Boston Rob has a medical crisis that warrants bottled water from medical but recovers fast enough to single-handedly hold a massive wooden cube on his back.

Stephenie LaGrossa was the second Hero to be voted out, and the reason everyone decided to vote with the still isn’t quite clear, because all we heard was James berating her after the challenge, which the Heroes lost once again because they were disorganized when it came to putting together the puzzle. (Once again, we had a Survivor episode with a combined reward/immunity challenge, which is annoying.)

Back at camp, James said, “shut the fuck up and listen to the guy who’s done the challenge,” referring to their plan to let JT lead. “I ain’t never lost this much in my life,” James ranted, which led to Tom venting in his confessional interview, “I’d love to tell him what a winner is and what a loser is, and where he fits into that equation.”

Tom spoke up at Tribal, where James went on a spectacular rampage against Stephenie while everyone else sat by, turning her previous success against her by saying “she’s nullified her whole tribe” in Palau, when she outlasted everyone else. Colby first outed himself as her ally and defended her, and also told Probst that he was surprised at the “shift from that team menality to self-preservation [came] so early.” And then Tom said, “make it three,” and told James he was “bullying people.”

But they weren’t able to convince anyone to vote with them (for Amanda), so on her way out of Tribal, Stephenie told everyone, “Next time ya’ll lose a challenge, a little less cursing off your tribe might help.” She meant it as a dig against James because he used the term “ya’ll” to refer to her earlier, and James said, “Keep your mouth shut.” Tom Westman looked like he was going to get up and walk away, but he instead said, “Come on.”

All of this leaves some wreckage in its wake: James’ reputation seems tarnished, at least among viewers, and perhaps among his fellow Heroes. Colby and Tom are the minority alliance in the tribe, and will go next unless they figure something out soon (and that’s distressing, because I like both of them, and it’d suck to lose the non-Micronesia people so fast). The Villains may have a suckier camp, but they have the momentum—and now, a tarp. And although he declared, “I am king Russell from Samoa,” Russell is now officially not the focus of an episode of Survivor. Finally.
Realityblurred

http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/19/stephens-survivor-strategy-blog-tom-douses-jamess-fire/

“A ruler who wishes to maintain his power must be prepared to act immorally when this becomes necessary.” –Machiavelli, The Prince
Survivor is about a lot more than strategy. Russell’s loss last season showed that you can pull immunity idols from behind Jeff Probst’s ear and still not win the game. Even beyond the aphorism “It’s a social game,” there’s something epic about pitting ordinary people against each other in extreme conditions. Yes, the contestants assembled multi-colored blocks into a giant staircase to win a hunk of wood carved by CBS on Thursday’s episode. But because of the high stakes and the bleak surroundings, what could have been a contrived scenario turned into a test of strength, will, savvy and character. That’s not just jargon — that’s how juries make their decisions.
That’s why this week’s Fishy goes to Tom Westman. Sometimes in Survivor, you get on the wrong side of the numbers, and there’s nothing you can do. Tom’s alliance with Stephenie and Colby was outgunned by an irate James and a frustrated Rupert. But Tom’s game smarts combined with his solid character to make him a beacon of reason in the disintegrating Heroes tribe.
Pre-game, I wasn’t sure how Tom would do if the numbers turned against him. In his first season in Palau, he was the dominant figure in one of the most dominant tribes in Survivor history. So he never had to scramble. His foxiness last night impressed me. “If I can get Cirie and Candice to switch over with our threesome and send Amanda home, then we’re controlling this game,” he assessed.
Tom’s major problem may be that he’s too much of a mensch. “I’m not even going to ask you what you’re going to do,” he told Candice. “You and Cirie are going to have to decide if this is a move that makes sense to you.”
That’s a generous, manly thing to say. Unfortunately, this is Survivor, not a Western. As Russell proved last season, fear and intimidation are far more reliable tools than strong-jawed decency. Tom should hit Candice hard with rumors and innuendo. “They’re trying to vote you out tonight” he should say. Instead, he appealed to her reason: “I imagine the boot order is Stephenie tonight, then either you or Cirie if we have to go another Tribal Council.” That may be true, but in the Survivor scramble, three days of safety sounds like a lifetime.
I wished we had heard a little more of the other group’s arguments, which were drowned out by James’s camera-friendly outrage. Clearly Cirie is not going to base her vote on James’s recaps of the Palau season or who makes the better coconut popcorn. Still, the result is the same. Somehow the battlecry “One voice!” rallied JT, Cirie and Candice, and sent Stephenie home.
Tom may not have been able to save his ally, but he cemented his Fishy win when he stood by her at Tribal Council and up against James’s anger. Being loyal and decent may not have won votes last night. But those qualities could earn him valuable alliances later on — and might even be worth another million dollars if he can make it to the showdown.
Back at the Villains camp, Boston Rob managed to charm the entire tribe. “Boston Rob is the bright shining star,” said the effervescent Courtney Yates. Coach kept gazing at him with puppy dog eyes you’d think he’d save for Jerri. Even Russell sounded a little smitten. “Even though I’m the villain, I still worry a little bit,” he said. The puppetmaster, who imposed his will so effortlessly on the Samoans, has finally found a challenge. “I didn’t know his personality was that strong.” Only a day after passing out in the middle of the jungle, Rob led the ragtag Villains tribe of miscreants to an immunity win. Who would have guessed, going in, that the Villains would win back to back immunities?
It’s been fun watching the Heroes tribe of supermen self-destruct. Now that the alleged “kryptonite” is gone, can they battle back? –Stephen Fishbach