What to Expect When We're Expecting a Lot
Honestly, I think this season's pre-merge game has been fantastically satisfying. There has not been that many real blindsides or anything like that, but it has set the stage tremendously for what I suspect to be a very thrilling merge for sure. In the early episodes, some power players were immediately identified. Over on Limici, it was clear that Becky was one of the most experienced players of the bunch, and definitely one of the most intelligent. Right away she "started big" by laying low, which has prevented her from ever being a target. I think she's learned a lot since she's played last, but I think the biggest thing standing in her way is the fact that everyone is starting to see that she really does know what she's doing. I don't think she will be a target in the early merge at all though, and I think we could actually be looking at the future winner of Stranded in Portugal.
The next person I think that has a great chance of actually winning this game is surprisingly Katie. In the beginning I thought she would just be a puppet, but it turns out she has one of the best social games around here and is just killing it in terms of not being TOO recognized, while also being looked at a bit. I don't think she'll be targeted very quick at all and so I think she'll have time to plan her moves carefully and if she's good enough at the game, she'll pick a nice and shiny goat to take to the end with her so that she winds effortlessly. I love her friendship with Becky and I love the fact that she has a dang immunity idol! This girl is absolutely amazing, and I hope if she doesn't end up making it all the way she at least makes it far enough to get on the jury (which shouldn't be too hard since there is only one person not making it).
And now we come next to my favorite little firecracker named Semhar. I don't know why, but I feel like she is going to be making it very far in this game. I haven't seen anyone really discuss her as a merge boot yet, and I just love the game that she is playing and I feel like this time she is much less naive and much MORE aware of what is going on. She may not have a partner or a friend left, but she does happen to have a "Wild-Card" personality which someone could definitely use and she could end up in a very powerful alliance or even duo. I am hoping she doesn't get robbed of jury again, because if she does I will honestly cry. She came in to this game swinging, and I know she'll go out doing so anyway.
Coby has to be the person that came in here with the most determination to get a vengeance in this game. He has played this two times before and never made it to the merge, and this season I think he has honestly done tremendously well even if he HAS only attended tribal council once. His attitude is very relaxed, but you can tell he's someone that constantly is thinking about the next move, and is itching to move forward as well. The one thing I think missing from his game is a little bit of a kick that would give the jury an incentive to give him the win, but since there is so much time left in this adventure....I definitely think he can accomplish that easily. He's good friends with Becky, and due to that he will probably be in a good spot with Ibrehem and Katie (of course) as well. I don't think he'd be the absolute best winner, but I do think he'd be one that everyone is content with. However, it's way too early to judge whether or not a winner will be good or not, so at this point the only thing I want to be chanting is #GoCoby!
Vytas is going to have a tough time in this merge. This guy is a nutjob, but in an extremely good way. I don't know what his deal is and why he is constantly drunk, but clearly it is working for him since in the early stages of this game he was in a good spot with practically everyone on his tribe. I do believe that he'll be picked off very in the merge, and we may even see him bite the dust on Sunday and not even make it to the jury. However, I hope that's not the case at all since I think he's the most entertaining person around and definitely is the person that doesn't give a damn about "keeping calm." If he has something to say, he says it, and that's what makes me root for Vytas.
Caryn is a freaking nutjob, but is one of the biggest characters in this game. She isn't going to have an "arc" or anything like that, because that is not why she is here at all. She's here for the sole reason of fucking with people, and so far, she has been doing it PERFECTLY since I don't think anyone expected her to make it this far at all. She's here, and she may be here for a while actually. She has connections with Ibrehem and although she hates Rachel, I think those two won't be going after each other until they pick off some other ones beforehand. I don't think she has a chance of winning this game, but I do think she could easily find her way in the Final 5 or even in the Final 2 as a goat. I am rooting for her so much, because I love the characters and she and Vytas are some of the greatest ones I've ever seen.
Ibrehem is one of my favorite people that I've met in games, and I think in this game he proves why. He's likable, he's easy to talk to, and he's just a really great guy. His relationship with Becky is fantastic, and I feel like them in the Final 2 would be the greatest outcome to watch for this season (but many others would as well). They've been in this since the beginning, and Ibrehem has proven that he has great social prowess. Over on Limici he was on the outside of the quickly fading four person alliance, and now seemed to have been put in a great spot on Tapoli. He's survived two eliminations over there, and has even voted out allies to get himself further with a chance of winning the game. I think right now he is being too quiet so I really want to see more from him once this merge hits. I know he can be a great strategist and physical beast. If he shows those things JUST late enough, we may be looking at the next winner of Stranded. I do think that he'd lose to Becky in the end handily, so if he is in a position to choose someone to sit next to him, he hopefully will pick the other person and show some true stones within him.
Marissa has no real connections in this game, but I can't help but root for her to win the big prize. She was my winner pick since I wanted to pick a wildcard, and unfortunately I still think that she has no real chance of winning the game. I can't really say she has great social game or great strategy, but I do think she'll make jury and could even get far enough to be competing in the Final immunity challenge. Her and Cochran I am hoping realize that if they team up they could easily get far, and although that'd be more beneficial to Cochran, I think she could definitely benefit slightly as well. I'm not rooting for her as much as Katie, Becky, or Ibe, but I am still rooting for her to at least make the Final 7 of this game. YOU GO GURL!
I don't care what anyone else says, Rachel is a god damn goddess. She's a rockstar, and although she has had some definitely terrible moments, she made it to the merge and still has a chance at moving forward and winning <3 She's been a huge monster-cunt since the beginning, and how can you not root for that to do well? She voted out one of her best friends last night and one of her only allies, and although I see that as a bad move when she could have possibly prevented it, it just shows that she is willing to do crazy shit like that. Her feuds with Caryn and Semhar are amazing, and I'm hoping to god that more blowups happen from her AND she makes jury.
Cochran is one of the main focal points of this season and in the beginning I honestly thought he would be the surefire winner of the game. But now that I am looking at his game and the things he has done, I don't think he has a shot. It's unfortunate to say, but I believe he's trying to be too much like a Russell Hantz and isn't really trying to have the good blend of a strategic powerhouse but also a very kind social player. I think he can definitely make it to the final five with ease, since he does have connections with Katie and also with Vytas (even though he tried to vote him out lol). I'm not rooting for him nearly as much as I was in the beginning, but it'd still be great to see him make it very far. The Cochtrain has been chugging since the season started, and as long as he keeps turning players in to steam, he'll be making it all the way to the final three.
Honestly, I think this season's pre-merge game has been fantastically satisfying. There has not been that many real blindsides or anything like that, but it has set the stage tremendously for what I suspect to be a very thrilling merge for sure. In the early episodes, some power players were immediately identified. Over on Limici, it was clear that Becky was one of the most experienced players of the bunch, and definitely one of the most intelligent. Right away she "started big" by laying low, which has prevented her from ever being a target. I think she's learned a lot since she's played last, but I think the biggest thing standing in her way is the fact that everyone is starting to see that she really does know what she's doing. I don't think she will be a target in the early merge at all though, and I think we could actually be looking at the future winner of Stranded in Portugal.
The next person I think that has a great chance of actually winning this game is surprisingly Katie. In the beginning I thought she would just be a puppet, but it turns out she has one of the best social games around here and is just killing it in terms of not being TOO recognized, while also being looked at a bit. I don't think she'll be targeted very quick at all and so I think she'll have time to plan her moves carefully and if she's good enough at the game, she'll pick a nice and shiny goat to take to the end with her so that she winds effortlessly. I love her friendship with Becky and I love the fact that she has a dang immunity idol! This girl is absolutely amazing, and I hope if she doesn't end up making it all the way she at least makes it far enough to get on the jury (which shouldn't be too hard since there is only one person not making it).
And now we come next to my favorite little firecracker named Semhar. I don't know why, but I feel like she is going to be making it very far in this game. I haven't seen anyone really discuss her as a merge boot yet, and I just love the game that she is playing and I feel like this time she is much less naive and much MORE aware of what is going on. She may not have a partner or a friend left, but she does happen to have a "Wild-Card" personality which someone could definitely use and she could end up in a very powerful alliance or even duo. I am hoping she doesn't get robbed of jury again, because if she does I will honestly cry. She came in to this game swinging, and I know she'll go out doing so anyway.
Coby has to be the person that came in here with the most determination to get a vengeance in this game. He has played this two times before and never made it to the merge, and this season I think he has honestly done tremendously well even if he HAS only attended tribal council once. His attitude is very relaxed, but you can tell he's someone that constantly is thinking about the next move, and is itching to move forward as well. The one thing I think missing from his game is a little bit of a kick that would give the jury an incentive to give him the win, but since there is so much time left in this adventure....I definitely think he can accomplish that easily. He's good friends with Becky, and due to that he will probably be in a good spot with Ibrehem and Katie (of course) as well. I don't think he'd be the absolute best winner, but I do think he'd be one that everyone is content with. However, it's way too early to judge whether or not a winner will be good or not, so at this point the only thing I want to be chanting is #GoCoby!
Vytas is going to have a tough time in this merge. This guy is a nutjob, but in an extremely good way. I don't know what his deal is and why he is constantly drunk, but clearly it is working for him since in the early stages of this game he was in a good spot with practically everyone on his tribe. I do believe that he'll be picked off very in the merge, and we may even see him bite the dust on Sunday and not even make it to the jury. However, I hope that's not the case at all since I think he's the most entertaining person around and definitely is the person that doesn't give a damn about "keeping calm." If he has something to say, he says it, and that's what makes me root for Vytas.
Caryn is a freaking nutjob, but is one of the biggest characters in this game. She isn't going to have an "arc" or anything like that, because that is not why she is here at all. She's here for the sole reason of fucking with people, and so far, she has been doing it PERFECTLY since I don't think anyone expected her to make it this far at all. She's here, and she may be here for a while actually. She has connections with Ibrehem and although she hates Rachel, I think those two won't be going after each other until they pick off some other ones beforehand. I don't think she has a chance of winning this game, but I do think she could easily find her way in the Final 5 or even in the Final 2 as a goat. I am rooting for her so much, because I love the characters and she and Vytas are some of the greatest ones I've ever seen.
Ibrehem is one of my favorite people that I've met in games, and I think in this game he proves why. He's likable, he's easy to talk to, and he's just a really great guy. His relationship with Becky is fantastic, and I feel like them in the Final 2 would be the greatest outcome to watch for this season (but many others would as well). They've been in this since the beginning, and Ibrehem has proven that he has great social prowess. Over on Limici he was on the outside of the quickly fading four person alliance, and now seemed to have been put in a great spot on Tapoli. He's survived two eliminations over there, and has even voted out allies to get himself further with a chance of winning the game. I think right now he is being too quiet so I really want to see more from him once this merge hits. I know he can be a great strategist and physical beast. If he shows those things JUST late enough, we may be looking at the next winner of Stranded. I do think that he'd lose to Becky in the end handily, so if he is in a position to choose someone to sit next to him, he hopefully will pick the other person and show some true stones within him.
Marissa has no real connections in this game, but I can't help but root for her to win the big prize. She was my winner pick since I wanted to pick a wildcard, and unfortunately I still think that she has no real chance of winning the game. I can't really say she has great social game or great strategy, but I do think she'll make jury and could even get far enough to be competing in the Final immunity challenge. Her and Cochran I am hoping realize that if they team up they could easily get far, and although that'd be more beneficial to Cochran, I think she could definitely benefit slightly as well. I'm not rooting for her as much as Katie, Becky, or Ibe, but I am still rooting for her to at least make the Final 7 of this game. YOU GO GURL!
I don't care what anyone else says, Rachel is a god damn goddess. She's a rockstar, and although she has had some definitely terrible moments, she made it to the merge and still has a chance at moving forward and winning <3 She's been a huge monster-cunt since the beginning, and how can you not root for that to do well? She voted out one of her best friends last night and one of her only allies, and although I see that as a bad move when she could have possibly prevented it, it just shows that she is willing to do crazy shit like that. Her feuds with Caryn and Semhar are amazing, and I'm hoping to god that more blowups happen from her AND she makes jury.
Cochran is one of the main focal points of this season and in the beginning I honestly thought he would be the surefire winner of the game. But now that I am looking at his game and the things he has done, I don't think he has a shot. It's unfortunate to say, but I believe he's trying to be too much like a Russell Hantz and isn't really trying to have the good blend of a strategic powerhouse but also a very kind social player. I think he can definitely make it to the final five with ease, since he does have connections with Katie and also with Vytas (even though he tried to vote him out lol). I'm not rooting for him nearly as much as I was in the beginning, but it'd still be great to see him make it very far. The Cochtrain has been chugging since the season started, and as long as he keeps turning players in to steam, he'll be making it all the way to the final three.
Shawn has zero chance of winning this game. I just think he's one of the dullest players left in Portugal, and I think everyone else sees it too. He'll either be gone soon and quickly forgotten, or making it far as someone such as Becky or Ralph's goat. It's great that he is a new player and has managed to make it this far, but he has a long way to go and zero chance of winning this game. He could become a very good pawn or something, I just am not interested enough in him yet to find out at all.
This ranking of course HAS to end with the one and only Ralph. This guy is amazing, and I truly believe that he is the most polarizing and entertaining player left in this season. He's just a lovable guy, and all around a great entertainer. He ended up making a lot of mistakes last season and although many people liked him, I truly believe he was one of the worst players in the merge last season. THIS season however, despite his not so acute mind, he is making much more social impressions on people later in the game. I think if he gets to the end, he could even beat someone like Katie or BEcky since he is just so dang adorable! [/center]
