Ian Somerhalder knows what you're thinking about his new vampire show V-Wars, if what you're thinking is "Vampires? Again?" Even after eight seasons of playing the 100+...Animal Planet has bizarrely repackaged old episodes as a new “season” of Whale Wars. But there is a new Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd-focused documentary coming soon.
Real Housewives of Orange County star Kelly Dodd is in engagement bliss. The reality star and her fiancé, Fox News correspondent Rick Leventhal, announced their engagement in...
I hate to say you told me so, but you told me so. Yep, it sounds like Southern Charm is in ICU and the prognosis isn’t looking too great. It might be time to call friends and family members and get out your favorite black outfit. By all accounts, the show is in trouble. I’ll say it, the current cast is circling the drain because Thomas Ravenel departed. We don’t have a lot of people bringing interest to the table these days. No one seemed fascinated by Austen Kroll’s journey in trying to be a boy toy and Shep Rose has less personality and dignity than Naomie Olindo’s cat.
If the truth hurts, this will too. The ladies of the cast are leaving fans high and dry. Cameran Eubanks was the voice of reason when the show began, now she is the voice of judgment and often glosses over her friends’ shitty behavior. Chelsea Meissner is lovely but dang, she lacks a life. Since her “love interest” is some dude on a boat at sea, there are no relationship storylines for her. Kathryn Dennis is drama personified but not legally able to speak about certain things. Quite frankly her moods were so strange last season, fans constantly wondered if she was either on something or just checked out. Now we are hearing production has delayed filming through January, and you know what that usually means. Are we watching one of Bravo’s old favorites taking it’s last few breaths?
It might be safe to say the Southern Charm crew are becoming concerned about their paychecks. By now, filming for the show is usually underway and it hasn’t even started yet. Even cast members have little idea about their future. Word on the street says Bravo is frantically searching for some new people to bring in for a shot of adrenaline.
Season 6 didn’t hold up without Thomas carrying it, much to the dismay of those who find him unpleasant. Even Cameran teased a possible return of T-Rav, but it is highly unlikely seeing as he has a lawsuit against Bravo.
According to Radar Online, we are facing desperate times! An insider shared, “The producers of Southern Charm put the show on hold until they can find fresh faces.” Apparently, the addition of recent college graduate Eliza Limehouse didn’t stoke the flames of drama as hoped. Yes, she brought her bad extensions Ashley Jacobs back from the dead, but did nothing for viewers.
The source then confirmed the show is down until January while the search for new cast members is on. “Filming usually starts in the fall but nothing is happening until January, without Thomas [Ravenel] they need the drama to come back.” Sounds like everyone is missing the drug induced volatile dinner party speeches and disturbing outbursts, but hey, ratings are ratings.
Now it appears producers are scrambling to pull it together. Some of Thomas’ relatives were approached about being on the next season. This is how desperate they are, “Thomas’ first cousin, Lee Ravenel, was approached to be on the show, but he declined.”
“They want stories about Thomas and his children from a family point of view,” the insider spilled. “But this seemed like a stretch and people are saying no.” And for the love of all things good and holy, please do not film Kathryn for content whilst she is driving in the car with her children.
Should the program be put out of its misery? None of the existing cast has storylines interesting enough to be filmed. Thomas is gone and the desire to watch unemployed people complaining about their lives just isn’t there. If the show revolved around Patricia Altschul with her animal army and Michael the Butler, there would be no need to pester T-Rav’s 3rd cousin once removed from a 5th marriage.
But alas, we could be heading into the final season of Southern Charm. While the show is on a ventilator and production is taking every measure to salvage its life. Perhaps, it’s time to say goodbye.
TELL US- IS THE SHOW DONE WITHOUT THOMAS? WILL BRAVO DECIDE TO CANCEL SOUTHERN CHARM? WOULD YOU WATCH IF THOMAS RETURNED?
[Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia/Bravo]
The post Filming Delayed For New Season Of Southern Charm While Search For New Cast Is On appeared first on Reality Tea.
Baby Yoda, you know, the baby that looks like Yoda but isn't really Yoda, has been shrouded in mystery since its debut at the end of The Mandalorian series premiere. Who and what the character...
During the Real Housewives of Orange County cast trip in Arizona, Kelly Dodd slammed Gina Kirschenheiter as an “unaccomplished woman.” Truth be told, most of us know nothing about Gina other than her propensity for ratchet hair extensions and overdone eye makeup. I have no clue how accomplished Gina is. In all fairness, I’ve never heard of any of the RHOC ladies until they joined the show. So, I only know the background information that they choose to provide.
Needless to say, Gina did not take too kindly to Kelly’s diss, especially since Kelly said this after she hit Gina on the head. And this was right after Kelly hit that bowl on Shannon Beador’s head. Neither of those actions enhanced Kelly’s credibility, but she stood by her statement about Gina.
During Kelly’s most recent appearance on the Watch What Happens Live After Show, a caller asked Kelly, “Who do you think is the most accomplished of the ladies on the show?” Andy Cohen stepped in to prevent Kelly from giving the expected answer. He tweaked the question to be “Besides yourself, who’s the most accomplished?” We all know that Kelly would have just picked herself if the parameters of the question didn’t change.
Kelly answered, Oh, yeah, besides myself. I would say Emily [Simpson]. Emily is.” Kelly didn’t give Emily any specific accolades, but Andy pointed out that Emily is both a lawyer and a party planner.
That was definitely the right choice. I have no idea who’s buying Shannon’s frozen meals. I have no clue how Gina makes money other than her paycheck from the show and schilling detox tea on Instagram.
I have never seen any patrons in CUT Fitness. Every single time they film, Tamra Judge says something about how she loves being at the gym alone. Or she over emphasizes that they’re filming while the place is closed. Sure, Jan. I just feel like it’s not overflowing with members. Emily was definitely the best choice.
TELL US- WHO IS THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN IN THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY CAST?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/ Bravo]
The post Kelly Dodd Names “Most Accomplished” Person On Real Housewives Of Orange County appeared first on Reality Tea.
Even though I like Kristen Taekman, she didn’t exactly make her mark on Real Housewives of New York. Other than facing Ramona Singer’s wrath for getting her hair wet, Kristen was just, well, there. In all honesty, she was just too normal for reality TV.
I thought things might get interesting when her husband Josh Taekman was implicated in the Ashley Madison scandal. In case anyone forgot, Ashley Madison is a dating site for people looking to have affairs. Josh was a member of that website. That news broke right after Kristen wrapped up her final season. I thought it was enough for her to get another season, but she moved on. Or she was fired. I have no idea.
Well, she actually could have returned to the show last season. Apparently, Bethenny Frankel asked Kristen to film. Who had any idea that these two were friends? I didn’t, but I would have loved to see if Kristen could make a bigger impact the second time around. Plus, she would be a way better “Friend of the Housewives” than Barbara Kavovit was. The RHONY ladies just didn’t give Barbara a chance.. and neither did the viewers.
Anyway, Kristen opened up about the comeback that almost happened during a recent interview with AOL. She shared, “I bumped into Bethenny a few times, and she had invited me to a few things, but I was like, ‘I don’t really need to do this right now.’ I’d love to come… if there are no cameras!” Ugh. Why!? But, as I said earlier, she is just too normal for reality television.
Kristen also commented on Bethenny’s surprise departure from Real Housewives of New York. Kristen admitted, “As a viewer and a fan of the show, I was like, ‘No!’ Now there’s no Carole [Radziwill], no Bethenny, and I liked that sort of youthful vibe they had.” I guess the glorified kid sister of the cast Tinsley Mortimer isn’t doing it for her. Then again, Tinsley has never been a master when it comes to one-liners.
Kristen continued, “Bethenny’s got a killer personality, and you need that hip downtown vibe again, so hopefully whoever they find new is similar.” Let’s hope that new Housewife Leah McSweeney fits the bill.
As a fan, Kristen is upset by Bethenny’s exit, but at the end of the day, she admitted, “I could understand, though. She’s so busy, and I kind of feel like she just needs her own show again. I don’t think we’re done seeing her.” Oh, we’re not. I’m sure she has a lot of solo projects in the works. But, will those projects flub like her short-lived talk show?
TELL US- DO YOU WISH KRISTEN FILMED WITH BETHENNY LAST SEASON? DO YOU MISS HAVING KRISTEN ON THE SHOW?
[Photo Credit: Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage]
The post Kristen Taekman Says Bethenny Frankel Asked Her To Film Real Housewives Of New York Last Season; Weighs In On Bethenny’s Exit From The Show appeared first on Reality Tea.
Joe Goldberg is no more. Enter...Will? In a new teaser for You season two, Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg savagely destroys every Los Angeleno stereotype in under a minute and introduces...
Welcome to E!, Lilliana Vazquez and Scott Tweedie. Today, the network announced the faces of E!'s two new morning shows launching in New York on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. The TV...
Rhylee Gerber showed up when the Below Deck crew needed her. Abbi Murphy split after her text message engagement. Tanner Sterback was coming off of an illness. Brian de Saint Pern was in bed resting after his leg injury and subsequent infection.
They needed Rhylee on deck, even though Ashton Pienaar, Captain Lee Rosbach, and Kevin Dobson didn’t care for her presence. Yes, Rhylee rubs them the wrong way, but she actually does her job, unlike Simone Mashile, for instance. Simone can’t even make an iced coffee. The crew had to be so grateful that Rhylee showed up when the team was crumbling, right? Apparently not, according to Rhylee, Captain Lee did not give Rhylee a portion of the tip from that charter.
Rhylee tweeted, “Lee made it clear i was not to be getting any [tip money] since ‘the boys did all the heavy lifting.’ Really? Say what you want about Rhylee, but she does her job.
A fan told Rhylee, “Wtf? Thats unfair? If it was Kate [Chastain] in your position i cant help but feel the outcome would of been diffrent.” Rhylee responded with “100 F*CKING percent!” I have to agree with that. I can’t help wondering if things would be different if a deckhand that Captain Lee liked joined the cast.
Someone else asked Rhylee, “Didn’t @capthlr say that everyone gets a tip no matter what?? Brian was in bed most of the charter and he still got a tip. Hey @capthlr can you clarify this for us? I think it’s unfair that she didn’t get tipped but Brian did and he was in bed most of the time…..” In response, Rhylee declared, “He has yet to comment…money isn’t the issue here, it’s the double standard.”
Another viewer asked Rhylee, “Were u there the entire charter? I thought u got there the guests last day?” Rhylee clarified, “Day 2 around noon, so essentially, half of the charter.”
Even though “money isn’t the issue here,” Rhylee also tweeted, “Show me the money!!!”
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RHYLEE’S CLAIMS? DID SHE DESERVE TO GET PAID?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
The post Below Deck Star Rhylee Gerber Didn’t Get A Tip For Because She Joined Charter On Day 2; Brian de Saint Pern Was Sick & Still Got Tip appeared first on Reality Tea.
Everybody loves a good crossover and Siesta Key is serving one up for season three. The MTV reality show welcomes The Bachelorette veteran Robby Hayes to the cast for the upcoming third season...
You guys LeeAnne Locken is the most exhausting person I have ever encountered! I was literally so drained by her negativity and attention-seeking antics I had to lie down after last night’s episode of Real Housewives Of Dallas.
So everyone is in Thailand and addressing the L’Infinity Dress drama that will never end. Just like tales of woe from LeeAnne’s childhood, this dress and this saga have 1000 different reiterations and incarnations including that when LeeAnne was living at the carnival she was training gorillas. Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll….
How come in Season 1 and 2 LeeAnne was mostly raised by her grandparents after being abandoned by her mother but now she’s wrangling elephants in an RV? Little LeeAnne … literally raised by animals to be a feral child. I think there’s a famous book about that, turned into a couple Disney movies..
Anyway, D’Andra Simmons is also rewriting history! Now D’Andra claims her decision to wear the L’Infinity dress was a complete and utter joke, done without malice. D’Andra was so desperate to be funny she bought not one, but TWO copies. And I think these were probably the only two copies ever sold! Drawing on their rich complex history as friends, D’Andra assumed LeeAnne would laugh. Yeah, but LeeAnne was only friends with D’Andra when she was a wealthy and influential socialite, now…
Stephanie Hollman and Brandi Redmond point out that it wasn’t that D’Andra wore the dress, but that she and Kary Brittingham kept pointing out its flaws.
The women are spending 2 hours on a bus traveling to a wildlife preserve where actual wounded and abused animals live. So, D’Andra is eager to wrap this drama up in a surplus sleeve-cape.
LeeAnne, however, is in no mood for D’Andra and Kary’s revisionist history. On the bus, Kary fake apologizes. LeeAnne asks how she would feel if LeeAnne compared one of Kary’s pearl necklaces to anal beads? Cut to a clip of LeeAnne doing just that in Mexico! But Kary has pearls of steel. She scoffs that if LeeAnne wants to pay for her jewelry she can do whatever she wants with it – even shove it up her ass! Girl, YES.
Look – Kary and D’Andra can insist all they want that the dress stunt was all in fun, but it’s not true. They were trying to provoke a rise out of LeeAnne by mocking her dress. With all the other women defending LeeAnne, Kary and D’Andra are now trying to alter the tone. That still doesn’t excuse LeAnne’s racially charged comments, which blessedly we will be treated to many more of in the coming episodes! UGH.
Brandi turned animal rescue into tailgating by bringing a cooler full of beers to play “Never Have I Ever” with. And finally in Thailand everyone gets a baby elephant! All the women have an amazing time connecting with the animals and learning about the rescue organization. But, of course, LeeAnne makes it all about her own wounded childhood. She cries over how she relates to an elephant that was formerly used as an animal taxi. Brandi is disappointed that yet another positive experience is now being spent rehashing LeeAnne’s ever-increasingly tragic childhood. Everyone else stares out the window as LeeAnne musters fake tears and Kameron Westcott consoles her.
Back in the hotel, the women are dead from jet lag and non-stop activities, so they decide to order in and go to bed early. Plus the following day they’re going to the world’s biggest open market. Rest is necessary for marathon shopping!
The market smells worse than a wildlife preserve, but D’Andra wore a muumuu maxi dress and came prepared to eat fried squid from a food cart. Both D’Andra and Kary possess a spirt of adventure and low-key travel that I really admire. D’Andra literally wore like Lands End explorer shorts in washable, wrinkle-proof microfiber khaki to the elephant preserve instead of trying to look cute and fancy. Good for her!
Everyone decides to buy friendship bracelets, except LeeAnne who refuses because she doesn’t want to be fake by honoring inauthentic relationships. Counselor Stephanie tells LeeAnne to do her own thing, and brushes it aside. But, LeeAnne keeps going on about it. Of course LeeAnne caves the second Kameron acknowledges her pain and begs her to participate. Why can’t LeeAnne just not buy the bracelet? Why make not buying it into a scene by mentioning it to everyone, waiting for someone to ask about her reasons so she can throw a fit about how these women aren’t her friends. Everyone was wise to ignore her and it seems even Kam is catching on – finally – to these antics!
Then Kary, Kam, and D’Andra go get massages in the only air conditioned place in Thailand. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Brandi get stuck babysitting LeeAnne at lunch. You know Kam was trying to ditch LeeAnne like some dead heel skin.
Since they can’t drink the water, it’s time for more beer. Stephanie and Brandi keep it light and don’t want to discuss drama over the dress. Meanwhile Kameron uses her time alone with Kary and D’Andra to explain why the dress stunt was mean. Kam did excellent as a mediator here! She defended LeeAnne without offending the other women and was able to articulately explain why the prank went too far.
Kary is inspired to offer LeeAnne a sincere apology. D’Andra, meanwhile, keeps trying to justify it because she and LeeAnne used to joke around with each other all the time. However, that was before they fell out squabbling for dominance on Real Housewives Of Dallas!
Before dinner, D’Andra calls Mama Dee to debrief her on all the happenings. I point this out only becuase Dee is listed as “ICE Mom” in D’Andra’s phone, which is just the most hilarious unintentional irony ever! It actually stands for “In Case of Emergency,” but the double meaning still applies.
The plan for the evening is to hit the red light district for the much ballyhooed Lady Boy and Ping Pong shows. ALLLLL the women are on board with this plan and LeeAnne even mentions at lunch that she really wants to see the famous Lady Boys.
On Travis‘ recommendation Stephanie decides they should all go to dinner someplace silly and lighthearted called Condoms and Cabbages, a restaurant dedicated to promoting safe sex in Thailand’s Red Light District. All the art and decor is done with condoms. Kary has never used a condom or seen one and gets an introduction to safe sex when the producers have her practice putting one on a banana. This will come in handy when she divorces Eduardo once her jewelry collection hits QVC. [side eye] Am I the only one who kind of enjoys Kary? I don’t like her interactions with LeeAnne, but on her own she’s pretty fun.
The scenery = A+, the food = worse than a street cart. Stephanie compares it to TGI Fridays. But the true trouble is that Kam and Kary have now become two halves of a friendship bracelet. LeeAnne no likey. First, Kam and Kary share dim sum and LeeAnne almost explodes like an overstuffed bun. Then in the red light district they forge a bond fleeing from sex shows . This sends LeeAnne in a downward spiral of racist epithets. She treats Kameron like a badly behaving child!
The lady boy shows are not drag theater, but literally live-action group sex porn performed by men wearing women’s clothing. The women got a front row seat and courtesy of Kameron’s trust dry erase board demonstrations (she really missed her calling in teaching, but I see why that art degree never amounted to anything), we understand the mechanics of what happened and why the women lasted all of 10 minutes before fleeing in horror. Outside they are all laughing hysterically and having a great time, except for LeeAnne who is glowering as if they forced her against her will to participate.
Kary, Stephanie and Brandi still want to check out the ping pong shows. They assume these will be funnier and more innocent. They promise to only stay 10 minutes. And literally 10 minutes is all they lasted! After being handed ping pong paddles and being instructed to swat vaginal fluid covered plastic balls away from their heads with them, Kary and Kameron were the first to run out, with the other women right on their heels. Everyone is literally doubled over with laughter and racing for the beer carts — except for LeeAnne again!
Somehow, for LeeAnne, this becomes into Kary kidnapping Kameron, forcing her to violate her innocence, and then while vowing to act as Kam’s protector failing to be “all Mexican and strong” by being the first one to run out. I’d like to mention that all the women were having fun. As Kary said they tried it, it was an experience, and she doesn’t regret it. But, to LeeAnne, Kary is the ping pong ball and she’s the one holding the paddle!
LeeAnne also decides this is a super bad neighborhood. TThey all need to leave RIGHT NOW for their own safety. They had security with them, and everyone else seemed nonchalant about getting a taxi. What LeeAnne really wants to do is get Kameron alone so she can fill her head with tales of how Kary is trying to destroy their friendship. Like Kary is the foreign object stuck up the KamLee-Gina.
Kary is tired of LeeAnne always telling her what to do. She snaps at her that when Kary was in Thailand alone for a week with her daughter, they were actually in this neighborhood buying fake Gucci. I assume it was daylight, but the women had security with them (plus production) and no one seemed stressed except LeeAnne. Especially not Kameron, who just wants to pee. Which isn’t allowed per tour guide and gang awareness officer LeeAnne!
LeeAnne starts screaming at Kameron. She’s not allowed to go shopping, or urinate, because she needs to get in a taxi NOW for her own protection. Um, Kameron is a 40-year-old grown woman who does NOT need LeeAnne, of all people, telling her what to do. Kameron already has Court and Jimmy for that, and they have money! Although I was impressed by Kameron’s calm stoicism in ignoring LeeAnne, without making a big deal of it.
Ergo LeeAnne winds up in a taxi with Stephanie. She’s ranting and raving about how Kary is a bad Mexican who doesn’t know the first thing about surviving a bad childhood. Stephanie knows this is about LeeAnne feeling threatened that Kameron and Kary are bonding. LeeAnne totally sees Kameron’s friendship with LeeAnne’s Enemy No 1 as a personal betrayal. This is a battle for dominance over Kameron.
Kary and Brandi ride together and commiserate about how exhausting and toxic LeeAnne is. Brandi is annoyed that by 10 PM the night is over courtesy of LeeAnne’s tantrum.
D’Andra and Kameron used the bathroom. They managed to make it back to the hotel 20 minutes after everyone else: safe and sound. I don’t even think there was a wrinkle on Kam’s white dress. As soon as Kameron opened the hotel room door, LeeAnne started to go ‘These Hands….’ on her (LeeAnne doesn’t go ham, she goes ‘hands’) and rails about how she was forced to see sex workers which was all Kary’s fault.
We know this will all cycle back to LeeAnne’s tragic childhood where she threw ping pong balls at gorillas and at aged 5 had to save a trapeze artist forced into prostitution to feed her ailing chihuahua from being extorted by her pimp, by smuggling her out of the carnival in a giant teddy bear… BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Let’s just hope it’s what Kameron needs to wakeup!
TELL US – WAS KARY MANIPULATING KAMERON? WAS LEEANNE OVER-REACTING OR BEING A GOOD FRIEND?
[Photo Credits: Bravo]
The post Real Housewives Of Dallas Recap: The LeeAnne Pong Show appeared first on Reality Tea.
The Masked Singer judges had the Butterfly's number almost instantly. Jenny McCarthy maintained it was Destiny's Child member and Broadway veteran Michelle Williams, and on the Wednesday,...
We’ve now sped past Thanksgiving only to find ourselves firmly in December, with the two-hour Finale Episode right around the corner (just two weeks people!). “Speed” was the name of the game tonight on Survivor, where over the course of the hour we went from a tear-jerker to a head-scratcher. It was a dizzy, messy Tribal Council and there’a a lot to unpack, so let’s waste no more time and get to recappin’!
As I do at the beginning of every recap, please heed the following: Remember that this recap assumes that you have already seen this week’s episode of Survivor: Island of the Idols. If you have not and don’t want to be spoiled, please come back later! It’s important to add that while we WILL hit on all of the important developments of the episode, this is not a linear “blow-by-blow” recap. It is more of a discussion and reaction of what we just witnessed together.
CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR MORE, AND THIS IS YOUR LAST *SPOILER* WARNING!
We’re just a few weeks removed from one of the ugliest fall-outs the show has ever seen, with the whole Dan sexual harassment situation leaving permanent marks on this season and this show as a whole. It’s hard to believe that these events won’t overshadow the season – as perhaps they should – and will of course be the focus of the entire Live Reunion Show.
There’s no need to re-hash or beat dead horses, but I do feel a strange sense of obligation to mention the controversy off the top…we are in the midst, no doubt, of a situation that will have a lasting impact on this show that we all know and love, or at least we all did until recently. Luckily for those of us that have stuck with the show, we’ve been “scandal-free” now going on two weeks, and it’s been nice to just hone in on the game itself.
Ah, be careful what we wish for! The Dan controversies have only distracted us from the fact that there has been some extremely dumb game-play this season, with Idols being taken home as souvenirs at a record clip, Idols being played incorrectly, and just bizarre, foolish strategy ruling the day. So what does everyone make of what went down at Tribal, with yet another whisper-orgy occurring even before Jeff Probst could really begin the discussion? We’ll get to Dean, Noura and Karishma‘s exit, but first let’s discuss that love-it-or-hate it Survivor milestone: The Loved-Ones Visit.
With the show recently scrapping the “Previously On…” opening, this week they also scrapped their little frantically-edited “preview” and just dove right into the loved-ones visit. I must admit, I’m a sucker for this episode. Every. Single. Time. I know that some don’t like the emotion, don’t like the crying, or simply don’t like this ongoing gimmick, but I for one always look forward to it, much like the players themselves do. And this season’s visit didn’t disappoint.
There was (apologies in advance on the spellings of the loved ones) Lauren‘s husband Matt, Tommy‘s girlfriend Nicole, Dean‘s mom Laurie, and Elaine‘s girlfriend Tonya. What got me going initially though was when Karishma got to see her husband, Drew. Karishma broke down, just as I got severe eye-allergies (I’m not crying, you’re crying!). She clung to Drew, and anyone who has been bullied or put down in their lives had to have sympathy for her in that moment.
We’ve known what she’s gone through, what she’s endured, and how she has not at all fit in with her tribe, and for her to finally have something familiar, someone that always has her back, just was a powerful moment. As was watching Janet learn that she had a grand-daughter on the way, getting the message from the pink shirt that her husband, John, was wearing. Even Noura‘s reunion with her sister Lana was heart-felt, and it was funny to hear that her sister calls much of Noura’s actions “Noura-mal.”
But for me, oddly enough, the loved one that affected me the most was – of all people – Dan and his 13-year-old son, Ryan. Maybe it’s because I’m a dad now, or maybe because, as Jeff Probst mentioned, Ryan was the youngest-ever loved one to appear on the show. But it was a great moment. In context of all of the hate, all of the controversies that I’ve mentioned regarding Dan, it also became a powerful moment of clarity for me too, and hopefully for you as well. Imagine having a 13-year-old son watch this season of Survivor, or follow social media in regards to his dad. In no way, shape or form is this to forgive Dan’s unacceptable behavior on the island, it doesn’t. It just proves that I think life, and people, are more complex than can be portrayed in an hour-long Reality TV show.
These issues have ripple affects that go far beyond Dan, Kellee, those involved, and those that have no stake in the game other than that we care about this TV show. But seeing Dan and his son Ryan really made me want to pump the brakes on jumping to conclusions, or passing judgment. We’re all entitled to our opinions, of course, and we’ll hear from all parties in due time. Just trying to say that I felt a bit unnerved, like I somehow was not supposed to have feelings about a boy reuniting with his dad…but I did, despite what his dad has represented this season.
And yes, this episode featured the loved-ones visit, but let’s face it: This was Noura‘s show tonight. It would have been epic had the “underlings” – Noura, Elaine, Karishma and Dean – been able to ban together to take out a top threat like Tommy. As the episode was titled, it was a “Simple Plan” that should have gone off without a hitch. Everybody involved was worried about Noura’s unpredictability and her status as a loose cannon, or put nicely, a “wild card.” But unless I missed something, the whole plan went in the pooper not because of Noura, but because of Dean, right?
If Noura is the bomb waiting to go off, then Dean is the one that lit the wick. Noura might have been frantic this episode (and all season) and might have been playing all sides, but I think it was clear to the viewers tonight, at least going into Tribal, that Noura truly did intend to vote out Tommy. It wasn’t until Dean upset the apple cart that things went bananas.
So the question becomes: What was Dean‘s motives for whispering to Tommy? At first I thought it might have been an innocent play, maybe an effort by Dean to make sure Tommy felt comfortable as to not play an Idol or something. Maybe it was just to stir the pot? Or maybe Dean is just a terrible player? If Dean – not Noura – intended ahead of time not to go along with the “underling” alliance, then why wouldn’t he have told Tommy about Elaine‘s Idol in advance?
Why did he wait until Tribal to have that chat? My best guess is that Dean just didn’t realize how big things would blow up, or that he did know and was fine with it. It’s not a move that I would call “graceful” or “smart,” but the end result is that Dean is actually in a way better position now than he was going into Tribal. Noura is now the immediate target, and Elaine had her Idol flushed. But this is the same guy who is coming off an episode where he created a fake copy of an already fake Legacy Advantage, and then played it at Tribal. There’s NO WAY he is master-minding anything.
Noura did get caught in a lie, but it’s not like she was up the totem pole of the alliance anyways, as she had already pointed out after not getting picked for the loved ones reward. She was always thought of as the “wild card” so I’m not sure this “big lie” will ultimately affect her status in the game. With Karishma now gone and Noura up against the ropes completely, it seems to me that Elaine‘s days are numbered more than anyone else. Not only is she completely on her own now, but she’s incredibly likable and exactly nobody left in the game would want to sit next to her.
We’ve seen winners like Ben Driebergen look like they’re done and they just keep finding Idols, but that’s a very narrow path for Elaine to tread. Noura on the other hand will still provide drama, you can count on it, but the issue moving forward will be: Can I trust Noura all the way to the end? That’s a tricky proposition, but if you can somehow get to the end with Noura, you win the game…right?
Next week’s preview is interesting in that it floats the idea that Tommy may look to turn on his “number one,” Lauren. He’d be stupid to do so now, with so many left in the game, although I think it’s probably a good idea for his game as they get down to five, or four. Lost in the shuffle of all of this is Dan, whom absolutely no one is targeting but who might be a great “goat” candidate to go to the end with, and Janet, who is no longer “likable” after what went down a few weeks back. We the viewer know that Janet is likable and noble, but her reputation in the game might already be shot. Come to think of it, other than Elaine, there aren’t too many people to root for is there? One of these people will win Survivor, and sadly I’m just not sure there is a winner that will be able to redeem this season.
One thing that I do know redeems this column as of late, is the fabulous art provided courtesy of two-time Survivor Legend, Erik Reichenbach. Here’s his take on this week’s episode, and as always be sure to check out and even purchase his exclusive artwork on his website, dabudoodles.com.
“Noura’s Strategy Guide for Beginners”
Photo: ERIK REICHENBACH / WWW.DABUDOODLES.COM
Episode Take-Away: What I took away from this week the most was just how unsatisfying it will be to see any of these people win the game, maybe save for Elaine and Janet, both of whom seem like they don’t have a great shot to get to the end. As it has been for several weeks, this is Tommy and Lauren‘s game to lose, but as we saw tonight, even though they appear to be a tight two-some, each of them remain in the game only by a thin thread, and one little thing could up-end everything.
I’ve also noticed that we’ve been extremely lucky in recent seasons that we’ve been blessed with such great game-play and strategy, for the most part. As there has been a definite push in recent years to really go out there and “go big or go home,” that the flip-side of that coin is what we are seeing this season: Aggressive gamesmanship without many of these moves being thought-out. There’s been a lot of very, very questionable decisions and it’s led us to this point, where nobody really feels like they “deserve” to win, despite the fact that someone will indeed win.
As stated earlier, I’ve also realized that this season has taken an emotional toll on us all. In some ways, I’m looking forward to the Finale, but not with the usual anticipation or excitement. Rather, I’m sort of looking forward to this one just ending. Like, let’s get through the talking, the ugliness, the pain that this season has caused. Let’s crown a winner, and then let’s take a much-needed break and catch our breaths for a minute, as we await the highly-anticipated 40th season (!!!) coming in February 2020. Does anybody feel the same as me?
Voted out this week: Karishma
Won Immunity: Lauren (1)
Vote: Elaine played an Idol on herself. 5 – Karishma (Noura, Elaine, Dean, Tommy, Lauren), 3 – Noura (Janet, Dan, Karishma)
Next Week’s Episode: Believe it or not, next week’s episode is the very last episode leading up to the two-hour Finale Episode on Wednesday, Dec. 18th. There are still some heads that are spinning following this week’s Tribal Council, and it also looks like Tommy might be considering blindsiding his closest ally, Lauren. Whatever happens, the stage will be set with a Final Six heading into that Finale Ep.
Quick Note! I appreciate that you are reading this recap! Those that have followed me also know that I am also a RottenTomatoes-approved film critic, and I encourage you to check out my weekly movie reviews as I am the film critic and Executive Producer of the TV show, “Movie Show Plus,” the #1-rated local program in the Detroit-market (episodes are also available online at the website, www.MovieShowPlus.com.) 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 THIS EPISODE? WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE LOVED ONES VISIT? AND WHAT WAS DEAN’S MOTIVATION AT TRIBAL COUNCIL?
[Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira/Michele Crowe/David M. Russell]
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