Survivor Worlds Apart - Season Preview
Blue Collar Tribe
By Jim Van Nest, Survivor Analyst
February 24, 2015
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The Blue Collar Tribe is called Escameca and will wear, wait for it, Blue buffs to start the season. Here is where you'll find your hard workers, tough guys and chicks who won't take your crap! Well, mostly. It's the only tribe that doesn't have a player from California on it. And considering there are nine folks from Cali on the show this season, that's pretty impressive. My takeaway on that is that there must not be any hard-working, follow the rules types on our left coast. I kid, I kid.
Like I did with White Collar, I'm going to talk about each member of this tribe in the order I think they'll finish in the game. So let's get to it!
1) Maybe it's because I just watched Jaclyn go to the final three last season, but I'm putting Sierra Dawn Thomas as my #1 from the Blue Collar tribe. Sierra reminds me of Jaclyn, so maybe that's why they're linked in my mind. Anyway, Sierra may sport pageant girl looks, but she is pretty far from that. She's actually a barrel racer. No, she doesn't race barrels. It's a rodeo competition akin to a slalom race, but on horseback. She rains horses and is, quite literally, a cowgirl. If these guys, or the other girls for that matter, skim over her because of her looks, I have a feeling they'll be in trouble. On the rodeo circuit, she claims she often gets little sleep or food, so she's not concerned too much about the elements at all. She's more worried about her tendency to be a little too trusting with people. She says people will get a different opinion of her when she's kicking the boys' butts out there. The negative on Sierra is that she says she's most like Parvati. STOP IT already! No you're not!! But, on this tribe, I don't think she has to be Parvati to go the farthest. Without a shadow of a doubt, Sierra Dawn - you're definitely datable!
2) I'm gonna go against my normal grain here and put Mike Holloway, an oil driller from Texas, all the way up at #2 on this tribe. It's against the grain because Mike is the textbook definition of the alpha male who has been getting run out of the game early in recent seasons. But something about him tells me he'll stick. He's already saying that he's left his regular persona behind so he can be whoever he needs to be to win this game. If he has to be the villain, he's more than ready to do that. He wants to play a cutthroat game and with an opening day target on his back, he'll probably have to. He is a happily married family man, but will have no problem using any of the girls on his tribe to get farther in the game. I just have an inkling about him. He'll be a challenge beast and a workhorse around camp. I'd expect him to be a provider, of sorts, for his tribe. The biggest downfall for Mike is that he's another Ozzy/Boston Rob. UGH! A lot of these people are fans of the show; they have to know more than just five players, right? Anyhoo, I think Mike is poised to make a deep run into the game, definitely to the jury. Then it'll depend on whether or not he can win enough challenges to stay alive. Prognosis - datable!
3) I find myself putting the same type of person at third place. In this tribe, it's New York police trooper, Kelly Remington. Maybe it's the accent, but I put her in the same order as Carolyn on White Collar. I do, however, have a higher upside to Kelly's game. She gave me almost nothing to work with, with the shortest bio in the history of ever. Seriously, this paragraph will end up longer than her bio. I liked her video though. In it, she tells us that she's good at reading and relating to people. She's most worried about keeping her guard up and never losing track of the game. Growing complacent, I guess you could say. It doesn't sound like she wants to tell anyone she's a cop and after #teamtv, I might actually have to agree with her on this.
This tribe seems stocked with characters and a couple people I'm pretty certain will leave the game before her, which means she could potentially get a strong foothold in the game. As a 44-year-old woman, she'll be well out of the cross-hairs when the alpha males go after each other. She could be one of those people that really benefits from a tribe switch. If she can relate to people as quickly as she says, she'll be able to form alliances in any tribe and that could carry her far. She'll be a threat, but likely never the biggest threat. She'll make the merge and come out of this game as datable.
4) Here is where this tribe gets really interesting. The bottom three on this list have the potential to be absolutely insane, starting with Dan Foley. Dan is the fanboy-est fanboy I've seen on the show. Like Max, he's been devoted to this game from the beginning. But he doesn't come across like a student of the game (which Max does). He comes across like the ultimate superfan of the game. He estimates he's traveled over 25,000 miles to go to open casting calls for the show and has sent in over 100 tapes beginning with Season Two. I think this guy is going to be great TV, I just don't think he'll be 13 episodes worth of great TV. I worry for him that he might be too geeked out at everything to really focus on the game. He says he wants the title more than anything (his wife can have the money)...but I think when the reality of this thing hits, Dan could find himself a little starstruck and overwhelmed out there. Also, as the older, less fit guy on the tribe, he could be the weak link in challenges. And early game strategy usually dictates that you have to dump the dead weight early. I'm rooting for Dan because he is insanely likable, but when all is said and done, it's a good thing Dan's married, because he'll leave Survivor - un-datable.
5) Here we go; coming in fifth on this tribe is the person who could be my favorite potential train wreck, Lindsey Cascadden. Lindsey of the face tat and spider web swimming suit is very likely to be WAY overmatched out here. Her plan is to come in and flirt her way to the end, though thankfully, she does NOT list Parvati as the Survivor she is most like. She identified with Ciera Eastin from the first Blood vs Water, probably because they're both young moms. Lindsey is only 24.
I just don't think flirting is a viable strategy to win the game. People think that's all Parvati did to win her season and almost win Heroes vs Villains, but she is much more than that. I worry that this game will just be too much for her, especially when the elements are added in. The lack of food will be an issue and she may alienate herself right away. I do think that if she's able to get any traction in the game, we could be looking at an epic meltdown later in the season. As pretty as she is and as provocative as her swim attire is, Lindsey will sadly not be datable.
6) This brings us to Rodney. Oh my goodness, where to go with this chucklenut. Well, let's see, he's a contractor from Boston - sound familiar? Yeah, well, that and the accent is pretty much where those comparisons will end. This dude's bio and video are incredible. Let's run it down: captain of the high school football team, graduated from college with a - get this - bachelor's degree, lists Tom Brady as his hero (look at his wife, man), considers himself to be a hustler and may just go down as the greatest player to ever come out of Boston. And no, he didn't say that as a jab at Rob. He meant it. Which means he's either delusional or has never watched an episode of the show. Either way, he's dead man walking. He's a big, strong guy, but I don't think even that will overcome the potential douche factor. Besides, Mike looks every bit as strong and will be useful around camp. I don't think the Blue Collars will lose the first challenge, but if they did, I'd lay odds Boston Rod will be first to go. Epically not datable!
Whoa! Is that all? I guess it is. Two tribes down, only one left to go. Thanks a ton for coming back and checking out Part Two of our Survivor Worlds Apart preview. Be sure to show up again tomorrow as I break down the No Collar Tribe. And then on Thursday, look for the recap of the super duper 90 minute premiere!! As always, you can reach me on Twitter @vannestjc or via email at vannestjc(at)gmail(dot)com! Love to hear your impressions and thoughts!! 'Til tomorrow, take care!