This Is Us is getting weird in season two. Or at least that's what it sounds like based on the cast's appearance on NBC's Red Nose Day special. They all gathered together to...
They don't call him a superhero for nothing. Arrow star Stephen Amell just competed on the celebrity edition of American Ninja Warrior as part of NBC's Red Nose Day broadcast ,...
Romeo and Juliet was just the beginning. Literally. Still Star-Crossed debuts in just a few days, picking up right where the classic Shakespearean tale leaves off, after teenage lovers...
Sophia Bush is hanging up her badge and gun and packing up that winter parka. In other words, Bush is leaving Chicago PD after four seasons, according to Deadline. The season four finale...
If you watched The Keepers, the Netflix documentary series from Ryan White that examines the death of Sister Cathy Cesnik and the alleged abuse former students of hers said they suffered at the...A season of Survivor called “Game Changers” had a lot to live up to, but it delivered on all accounts. Wednesday night saw Season 34 come to a close with four Tribal Councils that whittled down the remaining six contestants to just one…the Sole Survivor and winner of the million dollar prize.
It was a dramatic ending to what has been a crazy season, and I had the chance to speak with all six of the Final Six players in the game heading into the Finale, including the winner. But before we proceed, you know the drill: Make sure only to read on if you have seen this week’s episode, as spoilers are to follow! Turn back now! If you want to get caught up, be sure to check out the Finale Episode Recap here.
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE, AND THIS IS YOUR LAST *SPOILER* WARNING!
First out was the fan-favorite and front-runner to win it all, Cirie Fields. She went to the jury in dramatic fashion, when a record three Idols were played…and in combination with Sarah‘s Legacy Advantage and the fact that Brad Culpepper won Immunity, Cirie was the ONLY person at Tribal Council who was not immune. It was the first-ever time this has happened in the game and Cirie was given a heroic send-off from Probst, the jury, and her fellow contestants. This was not her first rodeo (it was her fourth), and Cirie has cemented her legacy as one of the greatest, nicest people ever to play the game. She famously rose “off the couch” to represent the average Survivor fan, and went on to become a 2nd ballot Survivor Hall of Famer. Having played 121 days in the game, she holds the record for female contestants and is third overall (behind Ozzy and Boston Rob). Impressively, Cirie became only the sixth player in history to make it through the entire game without ever having her name written down once (save for quits and evacuated players).
Behind Cirie, Aubry Bracco was the next member of the jury. Aubry is a zany, comic-relief on the island, and might be best known for her “highs and lows” in the game…it seems every time something positive happens to Aubry, it’s followed by something negative. She made it the full 39 days her last time out, losing the Final Vote to Michele Fitzgerald, so getting her torch snuffed this season gave her the “full experience,” as she told Probst on her way out. Aubry was given a pretty quiet edit overall, and never really factored too heavily into much of the drama. Still, she made it 37 days this time around before exiting, when she wasn’t able to convince Sarah and Tai to keep her around instead of Troyzan.
Speaking of Troyzan, let’s face it: He’s a lovable dude but has no chance of winning Survivor this or any other season. He found an Idol early in the game and finally played it to save himself during the Finale, but mostly he was seen as a “floater” or a “passenger,” and a close ally to Brad Culpepper. He was almost completely ignored during the Final Tribal and received no winning votes. He simply didn’t do enough of anything – socially, physically, or strategically – to factor into the game. Still, he was there on Day 39 despite being on the bottom for most of the game.
Brad Culpepper nearly willed himself to victory, but let his frustrations with Tai get the best of him. Culpepper played one heck of a game, and not just considering that he tied the all-time record for Individual Immunity Challenge wins with five. He dominated the game early on too and was in complete control of his tribe and alliance. Interestingly enough, this former NFL player did not fall into the “Alpha Male” stereotype (until, sadly, the finale). He was seen as being very emotional and centered, and even in moments where others like Deb got in his face and challenged him, he was able to maintain his calm and collected demeanor. Surely he was a threat all the way through, and his Challenge dominance down the stretch should act as a reminder as to why big physical guys like him are usually taken out prior to the merge. Brad though, decided that he could win against Sarah over Tai, and that ended up being a million dollar mistake…the Live Reunion Show proved that Brad would have ultimately won the game had he brought Tai. Still, he earned three total votes to win up against Sarah (he received votes from Ozzy, Deb, and Sierra).
Then of course there is the winner and Sole Survivor of Survivor: Game Changers, Sarah Lacina. She started this season as one of the few contestants – like Hali and Sierra – where many fans were questioning why she was even asked back to play. She was memorable her original season for being able to sniff out the fact that Tony Vlachos was a cop, but she didn’t really do much else that would hint at her potential during a “Game Changers” season. Well, she proved the critics wrong.
Sarah came out of the gates swinging, hell-bent on playing a game that was closer to “criminal” than it was “cop.” She forged real personal relationships early in the game, and she found herself being the deciding vote time and time again. As we saw in her confessionals, she wasn’t always convinced that her moves were the “right” ones, but she executed them with bravado. Her game was almost up-ended, ironically, by her closest ally Cirie, when her extra-vote advantage was pretty much wasted when it didn’t have to be, but in a strange way, that whole debacle actually saved Sarah, because she might have been the unsuspecting target of Tai‘s treachery otherwise. She played hard, played to win, and got it done, getting seven votes to secure her victory (received from Zeke, Michaela, Cirie, Tai, Aubry, Hali, and Andrea).
I spoke with all six of these players: Cirie, Aubry, Tai, Troyzan, Brad and Sarah, and my full interviews with each one of them can be found in my super-sized edition of the FilmSurvivor Podcast here, or below.
Later, be sure to check back for my updated season-end rankings for both “Best Seasons” and “Best Winners.” And as always, the easiest way to get all of my Survivor coverage and movie reviews is to follow me on Twitter – @tomsantilli – or on Facebook.
TELL US – WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME? WHERE SHOULD SARAH RANK ON THE ALL-TIME WINNERS LIST? WHERE SHOULD SEASON 34 RANK ALL-TIME?
Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira
The post Survivor: Game Changers Final Exit Interviews – Spoilers! appeared first on Reality Tea.
UPDATE: NBC has delayed Bye Bye Birdie until 2018. Originally set to air in December 2017, the network's live musical event was postponed due to Jennifer Lopez's busy schedule, with her...After this week’s Little Women: LA, everyone and their brother has seen the 2012 of Christy McGinity Gibel’s video. And the drama that surrounds the video seems to be more about how Terra Jole used it against Christy than the contents of the video itself. But Terra is still feigning outrage over its contents, to be sure! In her blog, she claims to be “appalled” and “disgusted” by Christy lip syncing to a spoof song that utilized the word “midget” – a slur to the little people community.
First, Terra justifies why most of the episode centered on her book deal, and what the mission of her memoir will be. “This book basically takes you on a journey of my struggles, my experiences and how I turned out to be Terra. We talk about my childhood, crazy job experiences, Little Women, family and even Dancing with the Stars! Not everyone is going to like it, but some are hopefully going to love it.”
CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR MORE!
Terra’s now-titled book, Fierce at Four Foot Two, is currently available for pre-order. She writes in her People blog, “My goal is to share a version of life that is different from a 4’2″ perspective. Fingers crossed that my book makes you think, cry, laugh, drop your jaw, and even dry heave. That’s right, dry heave! You’ll have to read it to understand.”
“Speaking of dry-heaving, that’s what Christy’s M$&get video did to me,” continues Terra. “I was appalled that someone who preaches about how hurtful and disgusting the M-word is could do a video like this. Was it the smartest thing to bring up before she signed my book release? No way! It was a dumb reaction to being flabbergasted by the crude video.”
Question one: Didn’t Terra initially float the idea by her publisher of using the “M” word in her book title? Question two: Why is Terra suddenly SO interested in this video, which Christy frankly admits she only did for the money back in the day, even though its contents were questionable?
RELATED: Terra Jole On Elena Gant’s Baptism Party & Her Cancer Scare
Terra would rather stand on ceremony than address these points, however, continuing to berate Christy as the WORLD’S WORST LITTLE PERSON. She preaches, “Words have the ability to stab you and this word, amongst others, did just that growing up. It makes you feel alienated and there are few words like that in our society referring to a disability that people use regularly.”
“Bottom line … MIDGET is offensive to me as well as most of the little people community. When you’re drinking, people say ‘drink responsibly.’ Well I’d like to personally say ‘talk responsibly,'” demands Terra.
Yes, these sentiments are true. But Terra seems to be missing the point that she used the video as ammunition in order to gain Christy’s compliance in signing a release for her book.
So on that note, I’d like to add to Terra: How about you act responsibly?
TELL US: DID CHRISTY’S VIDEO DISGUST YOU? IS TERRA USING IT AS A BARGAINING TOOL?
Photo Credit: Lifetime
The post Little Women: LA’s Terra Jole Disgusted By Christy McGinity Gibel Using “M” Word In Video appeared first on Reality Tea.
Going through Scandal withdrawals? Dear White People is here to help with Defamation, the Netflix series' spoof of the popular Shonda Rhimes series. Get a taste of it in the exclusive clip...
It's a House Stark reunion! The actors playing the four surviving members of the Stark family--Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and...Hashtag Cool Stepmom Meghan Edmonds spent the weekend in Cabo whooping it up with Vicki Gunvalson attending her stepdaughter’s wedding.
No it wasn’t Hayley who got married, but her sister Lauren. Hayley was featured on Meghan’s first season of Real Housewives Of Orange County as Meghan struggled with how to step-parent a teenager closer in her age than she was to her husband Jim Edmonds. Meghan is Jim’s third wife. Hayley and Lauren have a close relationship with Meghan – their mother LeeAnn passed away from cancer during filming of RHOC, which prompted Meghan to suspect Brooks Ayers of faking his own diagnosis.
CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR THE PHOTOS!
RELATED – Meghan King’s First Marriage Revealed
Jim’s youngest daughter Aspen was also at the beach-side nuptials. Thankfully Meghan didn’t add any #CoolStepmom hats to her wedding attire. Anyone else surprised?
Below, you’ll find pictires of Jim, Meghan, Hayley and Lauren at the wedding. Congratulations!
RELATED – Meghan Promotes Hashtag Hats For Cancer
CONGRATULATIONS TO LAUREN, JIM, AND THE WHOLE FAMILY!
[Main Photo Credit: Instagram]
The post Meghan Edmonds Attends Step-Daughter’s Wedding – Photos appeared first on Reality Tea.
Cyrus Vs. Cyrus: Design and Conquer will feature Tish Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus and even Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus, but don't expect a Cyrus family reality show--this is an interior design...
Even though Andy Cohen was in California for the Watch What Happens Live episodes this week, he still had to get a New York Housewife on the show to follow the newest episode. Bethenny Frankel came all the way from the Big Apple to join him and her sometimes rumored flame Eric Stonestreet.
Eric and Bethenny maintained that they are “just friends,” which we all expected them to do, but Bethenny did admit to dating another famous New Yorker. Thankfully the man I’m alluding to isn’t Tom D’Agostino, but anything is possible at this point.
CLICK “CONTINUE READING” FOR MORE!
Bethenny was asked to play a game where she guessed the viewers answers to a poll to prove whether or not she really “knows it all” as she infamously claimed on Real Housewives of New York. The nice part about this game is that Bethenny could say whatever she genuinely thought, but shift the blame to say she’s “responding from the audience’s perspective.” Bethenny never claimed to do either, but if anyone gets offended, she could very easily get out of the situation.
To be honest, most of the questions were pretty boring, but without hesitation Bethenny named Luann de Lesseps when she was asked “which housewife is the biggest liar?” Was she answering the question for herself or did she just have an accurate perception of what the viewers were thinking? I guess we will never know, but she name dropped the Countess in one second flat.
After the obligatory “Are you dating? Did you ever date?” questions for Bethenny and Eric, the Skinnygirl founder admitted that she dated former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. And by “dated” I have to say that I may be exaggerating since Bethenny clarified, “I was out with him twice. I went out with him on two dates.”
Of course that prompted Andy to ask, “Was he a good kisser?” And unfortunately Bethenny did not spill any tea on this one. All she said was, “I don’t honestly remember.” I was hoping for a little more, but Bethenny really doesn’t share much about her love life these days.
RELATED: Andy Cohen Confirms Phaedra Parks Won’t Return To RHOA
Since the show was taping in California, Kyle Richards and Erika Jayne stopped by to play some games. Bethenny had to guess who “had sex on a playground jungle gym” and she correctly guessed that it was Erika. Erika even responded with, “Hell yes.” I just want to know when this happened and with who, but no one ever asked.
Off topic (but still Housewives-related), I’m still reeling from the Phaedra Parks shadiness toward Kandi Burruss and clearly I’m not the only one since Bethenny was asked what she would have done if she was in Kandi’s position.
Bethenny admitted, “I think she contained herself, I really do. I would have needed to hire Phaedra to represent me as a lawyer. I would have beat her ass.” She continued, “That was insane. She’s a lawyer and she tried to ruin someone’s brand and career and she has a kid. It was despicable.” Completely. No matter how many Bible verses or motivational quotes Phaedra posts on social media, there’s really no coming back from that horrid behavior.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED BETHENNY DATED A-ROD? DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD MAKE A GUEST APPEARANCE ON RHOA?
Photo Credit: Bravo
The post Bethenny Frankel Says She Would Have Beat Phaedra Parks If She Was Kandi Burruss; Admits She Dated Alex Rodriguez appeared first on Reality Tea.
Jenelle Evans was back in court with her mom Barbara Evans to sort out custody of her oldest son Jace, 7. According to sources, the Teen Mom 2 star was unsuccessful in her latest attempt to get full custody, but they were able to work out a co-parenting like arrangement.
Jenelle and Barbara have been fighting in and out of court (and on and off TV) for Jace’s lifetime the last year over Jenelle’s latest desire to be a full-time mom to Jace, now that she’s engaged to David Eason and swears she’s temporarily definitely gotten her act together. David believes he and Jenelle are far more competent parents than Barbara.
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Jenelle and Barbara were one day away from trial, according to insiders, when a last-minute mediation took place instead.
RELATED – Reality Stars Celebrate Mother’s Day – Photos
A North Carolina judge decided Jace should remain predominantly in Barbara’s care, but did increase Jenelle’s visitation rights.
According to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup Barbara offered to split joint custody with Jenelle, and they are currently working out a schedule which consistently gives Jenelle certain days with Jace, therefore avoiding her constant arguments and accusations with Barbara.
The agreement isn’t set in stone and Jenelle will have the option to revisit the agreement and pursue full custody in the future. You know, in that mythical time when she finally, for real, becomes more stable. Apparently that’s Jenlle’s plan … for now.
Interestingly on twitter, a fan asked Jenelle about the custody hearing, writing “Custody??” and she replied “Yes ma’am.” Not quite…
Jenelle clarified the arrangement to E! News: “I’m not restricted to when my mom says I can have my son anymore and at the moment that’s all I care about. [I] just want to spend time with my son. He will be home one day but today wasn’t the day, sadly.”
Immature as ever, Jenelle still blames Barbara for the situation. “I’m really happy we could [come] to a decision for Jace but it doesn’t change my feelings towards my mom. She still isn’t giving up my son to me but I will fight again in the future when the time is right.” Jenelle also claims the judge lectured Barbara to put Jace first, and stop making custody about herself…OH, really!? (Filed under: THINGS I DO NOT BELIEVE HAPPENED)
RELATED – Barbara Not Invited To Jenelle & David’s Wedding
Obviously MTV was present to film the whole thing, and witnesses report that Jenelle was seen crying in front of the courthouse moments before she and Barbara went inside, then again afterwards.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR JENELLE? WILL SHE EVER GET FULL CUSTODY OF JACE?
[Photo Credit: Instagram]
The post Jenelle Evans Custody Update – Teen Mom 2 Star Did Not Win Full Custody Of Jace appeared first on Reality Tea.
Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay is paying tribute to her crew. The star and executive producer of NBC's long-running police drama took to Instagram to mark the end of season 18...
If you're James Corden and you've got Lionel Richie on your show, chances are you're going to end up on the ceiling. On the Late Late Show Wednesday, the host and the pop...Real Housewives of Potomac has taken a turn for the better this season, in my humble opinion. Some of the cast are showing us more vulnerability and depth, which makes for a deeper viewer investment in their storylines. Then of course we have Gizelle Bryant – who hasn’t changed a bit! Being the resident diva/sh*t stirrer has become her calling card, so she’s taking that schtick all the way to the bank.
Gizelle reflects on the confrontation she and Robyn Dixon took straight to Ashley Darby’s workplace. Though she regrets the location, Gizelle maintains Ashley had every word coming. She offers some backstory: “First, it was Karen Huger that thought Ashley was a rude, inconsiderate humping banshee. Then she said highly inappropriate things to Charrisse Jackson Jordan causing her to feel like Ashley was immature and ignorant. Then the Robyn Dixon/Juan accusations just brought Ashley to a new level of hot fish frying messiness.”
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Initially, Gizelle says she was Ashley’s biggest fan. “Now when all these things are happening I am defending Ashley, being her biggest cheerleader. I’m VOUCHING for her, telling all the other ladies that Ashley means well, she really doesn’t want to be messy, she just can’t help it sometimes. I’m saying, ‘ladies come on, I mean… she’s cute, and she smells fresh and her hair makes her like a cuddly chia pet.’ How can you NOT like a chia pet? So yes, I needed to look at Ashley in the eyeballs and tell her that she had crossed the line and has gone way too far.”
So, what are some pissed off women to do? In Gizelle and Robyn’s case, they took their beef to the restaurant – Ashley’s restaurant!
Gizelle admits she was shocked that Robyn went from zero to finger-in-your-face outrage in ten seconds, but argues that Ashley pretty much deserved it. “There is an old saying, ‘DON’T POKE THE BEAR’, because if the bear wakes up from its comfortable, calm, laid back sleep then everybody needs to run for cover. I had no idea that Robyn was as angry as she was. If I knew that in advance I would not have suggested that we go to OZ and confront Ashley.”
RELATED: Gizelle Would Pay Good Money To See A Showdown Between Ashley And Charrisse
Gizelle does concede that blowing up on Ashley in her place of business was probably not the classiest move, however. She explains in her blog, “Now you know I love a good confrontation, however, that was not a conversation that should have taken place at anybody’s business let alone Ashley’s. Ashley deserved to hear everything we said in the way we said it but she didn’t need to be ambushed…my bad!”
Although she’s upset at Ashley on behalf of her friends, Gizelle claims not to care what Ashley says about her own failed marriage. She jokes, “I don’t have an issue or concern with anyone making comments about my marriage. My marriage is old, fossil-like, very crusty news…where are the dinosaurs?”
One housewife who stood out this week was Karen, who shared the painful story of being raped (during her college years) in order to raise awareness at a charity event for Pave. Gizelle acknowledges, “Karen telling her story was the bravest thing that I’ve seen any of my friends do in a long time. I was happy that she allowed us to be a part of that night with her. She made us all very proud and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking off all the people that she is going to help by just telling HER story. Bravo, Karen!” I couldn’t agree more.
Moving back to trivial matters, Gizelle stands firm in not giving her number to newcomer, Monique Samuels. She snarks, “To calling me all kinds of terrible names, to asking me for my number so we can be besties…NOT TODAY!”
TELL US: DID ASHLEY DESERVE TO BE CONFRONTED? IN HER OWN RESTAURANT?
Photo Credit: Bravo
The post Gizelle Bryant Thinks Ashley Darby Deserved To Be Confronted; Proud Of Karen Huger’s Courage appeared first on Reality Tea.
For some reason the women of The Real Housewives of New York City decided to return to the Berkshires. Yes, after last year's meltdown of epic proportions, Dorinda Medley hosted Ramona Singer,...Welcome to Intervention In The Berkshires, a Real Housewives Of New York production. Although Luann de Lesseps is the recipient of last night’s intervention, it really should have been Ramona Singer because – well, the reasons could fill an A-Z encyclopedia set – or Sonja Morgan because she is getting waaaaaaay too intense with her tortured houseguest, Tinsley Mortimer.
Before anyone can get their panties in a Berkshires twist, we begin in NY with Bethenny Frankel and Fredrik Eklund discussing the sale of her current apartment – and prepping us, yet again, for their imminent spinoff. When Fredrik suggests that Bethenny remove the clutter from her home, she sees Skinnygirl Red, barking that she DOES NOT DO CLUTTER! And really, what is he talking about with this imaginary clutter issue? Homegirl is about as spartan as they come with her style. They can agree on a price though – as long as Fredrik agrees with Bethenny.
CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR MORE!
Ramona visits Carole Radziwill and her house of many Babies who aren’t babies to discuss Dorinda’s party, where a certain guest named Barbara dished some serious dirt on Tom D’Agostino. Carole is concerned that Luann doesn’t see the “real Tom,” not understanding that maybe she does, but simply doesn’t care.
Ramona has dirt of her own though! A woman, who she’ll call “Ann,” claims that Tom recently tried to stick his tongue down her throat. “Ann” dated Tom in the past, but knows he’s with Luann now. Ramona interprets this piece of intel as Tom “basically attacking” a woman against her will, which isn’t quite getting into the Phaedra Parks territory of slander, but is feeling uncomfortably close to it, no?
Carole wonders if they’re bad friends if they tell Luann, or bad friends if they don’t tell her? Ramona is all about telling Luann everything she possibly can to keep her on the ropes, so she suggests passing the info on to Dorinda Medley, who will do the dirty work. Dorinda’s eyes are also decidedly less darty and shifty when confronting other humans. So, solid plan, Crazy Eyes Killah!
While Carole and Ramona dish about Tom, the man himself and his betrothed take a lap around the park with their dog. Luann loves being in relationships because she can watch TV in the middle of the night. Alrighty, then. Tom loves how his dog marks his territory with urine. A good move for man and beast, he thinks. He also loves his own shapely legs, which are made for running away.
In the Berkshires, Dorinda is making it nice. Since the horror show of last year, Dorinda has implemented some ground rules: There will be staggered entries of different “teams” arriving at her home in a calm and orderly fashion, for one. These teams will be offered a Benadryl and a poison pill just in case anyone needs to suddenly pass out or off themselves, for two. (Kidding! But they should be.) There will also be a real life Sonja here this time, so Dorinda won’t have to hear her squawking about being left out for another 365 days.
Tinsley is back in the city meeting her mom for lunch, and to receive the news that her dad’s ashes are being transported to Florida. Her mother relays this info in an off the cuff way one might mention taking a duvet cover along on vacation. Tinsley seems taken aback, but moves on quickly, reminiscing with her mom on her childhood. These memories include being judged for weight gain and not wearing enough makeup in fourth grade. Ahh, Tinsley’s fear of Sonja is becoming clearer by the minute! She’s got mommy issues. Damn.
But Tinsley’s also got Sonja issues these days, and she complains about them to mom. Her mother’s suggestion? Bring her treats and cookies! Tinsley looks at her as if to say, I am dealing with a woman whose ice is brown, Ma. You have no idea. Tinley’s mother does suggest she move out though. Oh – and have a baby STAT too, mmmkay? No pressure though. Really.
In the Berkshires, Dorinda micromanages the decorating of her Christmas tree while Sonja tries to navigate the complicated job of finding a hook – a job she usually delegates to one of thirty-five interns. Because if that doesn’t say “college credit,” I don’t know what does.
In another mom outing back in NYC, Carole and Adam’s parents are out shopping. Carole says she’s good with parents, but she’s not good with baby making. So she won’t be giving these people grandkids anytime, ever. Um, does she assume Adam’s parents don’t have their glasses on straight? Or that they don’t know how to work the Google machine? Because they are obviously not waiting around for that particular scenario to happen.
The staggered arrival continues at Dorinda’s home, with Tinsley showing up next. She’s prepared for a fun weekend ahead, but will be undergoing a ritual hazing via Sonja’s forthcoming meltdown, so she’d better not totally unpack those bags yet. Dorinda encourages her to make herself comfortable, but Tinsley can’t even admire a single porcelain Santa before Sonja starts ragging on her for having lunch with HER friends – who, incidentally, are Tinsley’s mom’s friends as well. And who invited her out to lunch – NOT Sonja.
The next morning, tragedy befalls Dorinda’s abode when she discovers her “Make It Nice” birthday cake has been crushed in its box. Noooooooo! There’s no time to mourn its loss, however, because in marches the next team. Enter Bethenny and Carole, who are greeted by a bouquet of flowers Dennis Shields sent Bethenny for “moral support.” Unless these flowers have some sort of magic sedative in them, there’s really no point.
Upstairs, Carole tells Bethenny about the tea Ramona served up on Tom. Given her own “whirlwind romance” (as she dubs it) with her ex, followed by a whirlwind 4-year garbage pile of a divorce and litigation, Bethenny claims that she sees Luann potentially heading down the same dangerous path. She also thinks that Dorinda should be the one who reveals the news to Luann because she is the only one “in” with Luann these days. Carole agrees.
Downstairs, the ladies are trying to light Dorinda’s house on fire with their obvious lack of Girl Scout fire building skills. Maybe open the flue next time, Mensa candidates? Wine is uncorked, and toasts are made, followed by Bethenny and Carole floating loaded, awkward questions out there like, Is Luann going through with it? to the group. Ramona finally speaks up to say that she has information that needs to be passed on to Luann, period.
After Ramona tells Dorinda the deets, Dorinda wonders if the “text-zes” Ramona’s reading are on the up and up. She does agree to pass the information on, even though she doesn’t believe all of what she’s hearing is true. For her part, Sonja just sighs, knowing there is ZERO chance of Luann changing her mind about Tom – no matter how many throats he’s stuck his tongue down. Allegedly.
Thus, this is the scene Luann walks into. After she kisses everyone hello, the group is forced to decorate cakes and cookies, much like my first grade daughter and her friends are when I need to keep the group under control. Dorinda is wise, grasshopper.
Sonja is a fool, however, for getting into the next dumb as sh*t argument with Tinsley. It goes something like this: Tinsley wanted Sonja’s assistant, Connor, to answer the door if the bell rang and receive the hats she was having delivered. Sonja took royal offense to this breach of roommate contract, barking at Tinsley that Connor is not HER assistant – he’s SONJA’s!!! I mean, Sonja is running a BUSINESS out of her house, people! She needs professional boundaries at all times!
This, from a woman whose hoo-ha pops out wantonly at parties, and whose undergarments are likely floating on a hearty layer of scum in her nonworking toilet. Tinsley’s like: You. Are. An. Insane. Person. Which is lost on Sonja, of course. She partied with John John! (And in her mind, still is.)
Okay, here’s my assessment of the Sonja/Tinsley dynamic at this juncture: Sonja sees the ghost of possibilities gone by when she looks at Tinsley, and it frightens the loose tooth right out of her. Tinsley is kind of where Sonja was at just after her divorce, but she still has money, her sanity, and a fighting chance at reinventing her image. For Sonja, that ship has done sailed. And so, like Ebenezer Scrooge on his jaunt to the past with ghost number one, Sonja is railing against her younger, stupid self for not making wiser decisions about the direction of her life. And poor Tinsley is the unwitting target of these rage-releases.
Upstairs, Bethenny tells Carole that she has no plans of talking to Ramona. She wants no part of Ramona’s fakery, so until further notice, they are in a North/South Korea situation, as far as she’s concerned.
Downstairs, Dorinda carefully broaches the subject of Tom with Luann. She spills the information (although not in detail) about Ramona’s text story, asking Luann point blank, “Do you trust him?” Luann totally trusts Tom, one hundred percent. She knows about his past, and doesn’t want to be the wife who checks his cell phone and emails constantly to assure herself that he’s changed. She loves him and can’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him. So for her, the rest of these harpies can go scratch.
“Do they not have anything better to do?” wonders Luann for the thousandth time this year. No, Luann. Apparently, they do not.
To be continued…
TELL US: IS SONJA JEALOUS OF TINSLEY? SHOULD THE LADIES BACK OFF OF LUANN AND TOM’S RELATIONSHIP, OR ARE THEY TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT HER WELL BEING?
Photo Credit: Bravo
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Well that just happened! The 34th Season of Survivor just came to a close, living up to its “Game Changers” title right up until the end. We entered the night with six players remaining in the game and ended with just one…the Sole Survivor…which was announced live in front of a studio audience in Los Angeles. But wow was it an explosive (or implosive, for some) Finale Episode!
I’m here to discuss and process what we just saw, so sit back and get ready to take a deep dive into the Finale and the pretty well-ran (for a change) Live Reunion Show that followed. Spoilers aplenty after the break, so proceed with caution!
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE, AND THIS IS YOUR LAST *SPOILER* WARNING!
Well congratulations are in order! But before we get to that, am I alone in thinking that this was a pretty great finish? There were several huge moments, twists, and even a “historic” Tribal Council, the first of the night, that sent Cirie out of the game. Poor Cirie! I had thought for sure that she was primed and ready to win this game, but her move last week – where she tried to play Sarah‘s advantage – ended up being more than she could overcome. I can’t believe that my crazy prediction in my article Preview came true! Well, sorta…I had dreamed up a scenario where five of the six players could be Immune at Tribal, and although it didn’t exactly go down the way I had guessed it would, that scenario ended up coming true!
My guess was that Tai was going to use his Idols on himself and Brad, then Troyzan might play his Idol. Sarah was safe with her Legacy Advantage, which left Aubry and Cirie as the only two that could have earned votes. I surmised that Aubry would maybe win Immunity (to possibly show off again to win the love of Cochran?), which would leave Cirie as the only person left. Woohoo! I love it when I am sorta right! It doesn’t happen all that often…predicting the outcome on Survivor is not normally a thing me or anyone is all that good at. And although this end result did come to fruition, it happened a bit differently because I had no idea that a huge riff between Tai and Brad was on the agenda for tonight. When Brad won Immunity for himself (on his way to a record-tying five individual wins), Tai did play one of his Idols on himself, but elected to play the second on Aubry. I don’t think Troyzan had planned to play his Idol, but when he saw how things were going down, he too pulled out his hidden Idol and played it. This indeed led to a few Survivor firsts: It was the most Idols (three) ever played at one Tribal, it was the most people ever (five) that were Immune at a Tribal and it was the first time ever that a player (Cirie) went home being the only possible option.
For me, what made this Tribal special was not only that it was a huge, dramatic, emotional one…but I just found it to be incredibly special how they collectively chose to send off Cirie. Jeff instantly felt the weight of the game coming down, when everybody realized that this was the way that Cirie was going to meet her end…an end that could possibly spell the end of her four-season-long journey and story. The “every-woman” player who famously “got off the couch” to play a game she never dreamed of playing…here she was getting applause on her way out of the game, and getting to react to the moment of her elimination in that moment. Not everybody gets asked questions and gets to talk about what they learned from their experience while still sitting in the game…usually it’s just “The Tribe Has Spoken” and Jeff nudges his boot on your backside as you are shown the dark path towards Ponderosa. But Cirie even got to utter those famous words herself. Cirie: She’s a true legend of the game and I think it’s good that maybe some of the younger fans – or those that have only followed recent seasons – got to see Cirie play the game, so that her legacy could live on.
And Cirie was so close too. Last week, overthinking a crazy plan to get Tai out of the game, back-fired and not only ruined her game, it ruined Tai’s game. There’s no question that things are different if Cirie didn’t push so hard, and who knows? It could have been Cirie’s million-dollar mistake. Surely it ended Michaela‘s game, but let’s not forget, nobody was going to vote for Michaela to win (it’s also crazy-funny-ironic to me that Michaela was the person who was trying to call out Brad at Final Tribal, for not creating deep relationships with people, when Michaela herself had bonded very little with pretty much everyone on the show this season). But Cirie’s downfall can also be credited to Sarah…if Cirie doesn’t feel so loyal and bonded with Sarah, she doesn’t do what she did to try to save her.
But I digress…Congratulations to Sarah Lacina! The Winner of Survivor: Game Changers and the 33rd person to ever be named Sole Survivor. She played a masterful, thought-out game while forming real relationships along the way. This cop turned “criminal” on the show, she found herself driving nearly every vote, yet somehow never managed to be the real target. She’s a strong winner, and that’s saying a lot on a season full of returnee “game changers.” Sarah too, was one of the few contestants this year that many were surprised to see at all, yet she quickly proved to the world why she belonged.
After Cirie was sent to jury in crazy fashion, the next to bite the dust was Aubry. She tried making a compelling argument to Tai and Sarah, that they should keep her and vote out Troyzan, but let’s face it, nobody was going to vote out Troyzan knowing they could all win against him in the end (Troyzan hilariously claimed that he could beat anyone left in the game…perhaps he meant like Yahtzee or Parcheesi? Surely he couldn’t have been talking about the game of Survivor…). This was the first time in two seasons that Aubry had her torch snuffed, and while she is a quirky, fun personality (I love Aubry!), I think an objective fan would have to say that this season was a bit of a let-down when it comes to Aubry. She was invisible through most of the game and never really factored into much of what we saw.
Tai was next to go, also the first time in two seasons he was voted out. For Sarah, this was a no-brainer (nice try CBS and Survivor, trying to create potential “fire-making” drama when there was none). But this was the huge mistake – the million dollar mistake – for Brad Culpepper. Let’s face it, Brad was a force to be reckoned with, and played a real great game this season. Yes, he won the five Individual Immunity Challenges, but much more than that, Brad was running the show early on at his tribe. He correctly pointed out at Final Tribal that it was him, not Sierra – who was seen as the “brains of the operation” by the jury – that had built a relationship with JT…this relationship is what ultimately saved Sierra during that insane “whispers” Tribal Council. Brad also played against type most of the season, showing a sensitive side and constantly reminding us of his love for his wife, former Survivor contestant, Monica. It’s too bad that Brad’s story ended the way it did: As a bully towards Tai and as somewhat of an arrogant Alpha Male. It’s the image he’s fought against all season, yet he played into it at the end. And even though it pained him to even consider it at the Live Reunion Show, it was shown that had he taken Tai to the end instead of Sarah, Brad Culpepper would have been the Sole Survivor. Ouch. Sometimes it’s easier not to know something than to realize what might have been.
Let’s not forget either, that two of the three Finalists this season – Brad and Troyzan – were both involved in the fan vote for the “Second Chance” season a few seasons back…neither of them earned the fan vote necessary to be chosen, but they’re both clearly liked by production. And while their faith in Brad clearly paid dividends for them, it’s hard not to love Troyzan despite the fact that he didn’t factor into much of anything this season. He may be a “passenger” and not a “driver” as Ozzy stated, but he’s always good company.
Right when you thought this season was out of twists, we were all given one last shake-up when Probst announced that they were going to be doing Final Tribal Council a bit differently than ever before. And while I miss the “one question” each from the jury members, I think I’m a fan of what they were trying to do. It was more of an open forum and group discussion, and Probst – by framing the Council with the words “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast” – managed to make these jury members hone in on what they’re supposed to be rewarding with their votes. I like that the game won’t come down to a bitter juror asking them to “pick a number between 1 and 100,” to decide a game of a million dollars.
And ultimately I think the jury got it right. Sarah is a deserved winner and truly played the “biggest” game. Brad underestimated her, but he’s not the only one. A large part of Survivor is being able to have great self-awareness and knowing where you stand in the game, and Sarah knew coming in that she wasn’t one of the players that everyone else would be gunning for right out of the gate. She used her “why is she even here?” status to blend in early and form real connections, and then she was able to play the game so well that she earned the trust of all of these “better known” players. Some people do like the “loyal” and “honest” game-play, like a Brad or an Ozzy, and while Brad clearly had a strong enough resume to win, Sarah’s social game was much more effective…and if the history of Survivor has proven anything, it’s that of all the styles of game-play that have been tried, having a strong social game is almost always the winning strategy above all else.
Episode and Season Take-Away: I thought it was a strong finish to a strong – if uneven – season. And speaking of the “history” of the game, I love that we know have entered into an era where Survivor statistics have made their way into the actual game. How cool is it that Probst is now mentioning to players “Survivor all-time challenge records” or who played the most days in the game? This show has now built such a strong legacy, it’s just fun to watch and realize just how special this “social experiment” really is. That 34 seasons into a game that has basically had the same ingredients from the very start, that we can still witness “Survivor firsts” on a pretty regular basis. That players whom in our head are dominant “masters” of the game – like Tony Vlachos or Sandra Diaz-Twine – can succumb much earlier than anyone expects when they try to play the game again. That “regular” people like Cirie can get up and finish a challenge, overcoming her fears, and that people’s human instincts – even those humans in a game competing against her – could rise up and help and support her through it. That issues like race, class and transgender rights can be raised and discussed, affecting real change and heightening awareness. And that a person like Sarah Lacina, who many questioned why she was even asked to play again, could dominate and win the game, cementing herself as a great winner. Yes I love me some Survivor. And even though from season to season, episode to episode, it may not always be amazing, it is consistently the most compelling and entertaining show on TV. I am so proud and honored to get to write and cover the show for a living, and I thank all of you for reading and supporting me throughout this season and past seasons! I enjoy every minute of it…yes even the long, late nights following a two-hour Finale and Reunion Show…and I look forward to what Survivor has to offer moving forward!
Live Reunion Show. Speaking of “moving forward,” what are all of your thoughts on Season 35, officially titled “Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers“? My first take? Damn that’s a long title to have to type out over and over again! So let me start the campaign…Season 35 from this word forward shall only be referred to as “Survivor: HHH.” Does that work for everyone?
Of course the sneak-peek of next season wasn’t the only highlight from the Reunion Show…not only was Sarah crowned winner and given her check, but Culpepper made things awkward by not wanting to play along with Jeff‘s game of “what if?” As it should have, a large chunk dealt with the whole Zeke/Varner situation, where pretty much a negative was turned into a huge positive for all involved. We learned that Malcolm “cried for a few days” after his massive blindside, and that Michaela has learned a lot about herself now after watching herself play two straight seasons. Queen Sandra was on-hand – wearing a diamond tiara! – to discuss how Survivor is her job…she just goes to work and gets her money. Aubry may not be the only one with a crush on Cochran (I see how you look at him Jeff Probst!), and Sarah shockingly admitted that Tony Vlachos – the winner of her previous season – was basically her mentor as to how she needed to approach this season. Oh yeah, and I’m curious to see how my right-wing conservative female friends reacted to Ozzy‘s thinly-veiled political statement…he is an outspoken anti-Trumper and showed it tonight. Does this change your opinion of sexy-hunky-Ozzy?
But as a fan of strategy and Survivor rules, the biggest take-away for me was when Jeff explained how a Final Tie-Vote would work: In the event of a tie-vote for the Winner of Survivor, the person with the lowest votes out of the Final Three (in this case Troyzan) would become a member of the jury and would cast the winning vote. Probst took a show of hands and we found that had Brad took Tai, there would have been a 5-5 vote between Tai and Brad…which Troyzan would have then broke by voting for Brad to win. Now THAT would have been a great way to end a “Game Changers” season.
Wait Don’t Go Yet! The show may have ended, but my coverage has not…in fact it’s just getting started. I urge you to check out my FilmSurvivor Podcast coming later today – which will post right here on Reality Tea – as I will be speaking to ALL SIX of the Final Six players: Sarah, Brad, Tai, Cirie, Troyzan and Aubry. It will be a super-sized edition of the Podcast that you won’t want to miss.
I want you to then realize that the FilmSurvivor Podcast lives on! Yes just because the season is ending, I hope it becomes habit for you to check in, follow and listen to the Podcast as we go through the Summer. As the national film critic for AXS.com and a TV personality in the Detroit area, I have a bunch of stuff lined up over the Summer, including celebrity interviews with actors and directors, other film critics and much more…in addition to my ongoing movie reviews. Next week’s episode, I will be interviewing the Director of the upcoming Film Festival “Cinetopia,” which begins June 1. But don’t think for a minute that my Survivor coverage is done, because mixed in will be some Survivor-centric Podcasts, and I’ll be covering all of the latest Survivor news leading up to next season’s “Survivor: HHH.” I appreciate your support and hope you give us a listen! You can download and subscribe to the Podcast on both Podbean and on iTunes.
In addition to the big Podcast later, please also be on the look for my updated rankings of both “Best Seasons” and “Best Winners” of Survivor. Where do you think “Game Changers” and Sarah Lacina should rank on the all-time lists? Comment below, this is your last chance to sway me!
Thanks again everybody for a great season! As always, the easiest way to get all of my Survivor coverage and movie reviews is to follow me on Twitter – @tomsantilli – or on Facebook.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FINALE? ARE YOU EXCITED FOR SEASON 35? AND WHERE WOULD YOU RANK SARAH LACINA ON THE ALL-TIME WINNERS LIST?
Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira
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