Ranking the Potential Type of Returnee Season for Survivor Season 50

 Jeff Probst recently announced that Season 50 of Survivor will be returning players, but that was not much surprise to anybody.  We had a feeling they'd have to do something special for Survivor's 50th season.  And it will not come too soon, as it's been since Season 40 that we had a season with multiple returning players.  That is the longest such stretch in Survivor history without multiple returning players.

So after this announcement, a lot of speculation has happened among Survivor fans as to what kind of cast it will be.  There are a few different ways they could go with this, and I'm going to rank them 10 to 1 based on how well each theme would work out and be received by the Survivor fanbase as a whole.  Keep in mind Jeff did not explicitly state that it would be all returning players, so there are a couple of previously used themes potentially in play.  Here are the possible themes ranked:

10. First Boots
What's so special about first boots?  I have no idea.  Could they even get 18 or 20 of them?  Are there really 18 or 20 first boots we want to see again?  I don't think there are.  There are certainly a handful, such as Zane, Jelinsky, Zach Wurtenberger, and possibly even Francesca, but the list grows short after that.  

9. Fans vs. Favorites 3
Yes, they could do a Fans vs. Favorites 3, which would only be 1/2 returnee players.  I highly doubt they will do this since fans want to see a full returning players season, and this would definitely enrage the fanbase a bit.  

8. Blood vs. Water 3
Again, it would only be 1/2 of the cast, but we could see 10 new-ish era players with their loved ones.  I highly doubt they'll do this again, but Jeff does love this theme, I know that.  Again, Jeff did not explicitly say it would be all returning players.

7. Regular All-Stars Type Season
Like All-Stars in Season 8 or Game Changers in Season 34, this would be a regular cast of All-Stars, with winners allowed and no clear theme for the division of the tribes.  One small negative I see to this is it would allow the showrunners to have three tribes of six (AGAIN), which has become a New Era staple.   But also, this theme would be so bland and generic, and while any returning player season would be fun, not having any kind of theme would instantly make it a bit lame. 

6. Rivals
A Rivals-type season has been long-talked about, but never happened.  So it would be like Blood vs. Water, but the opposite, I guess.  10 players and 10 of their rivals.  Domenick and Chris Noble?  Shan and Ricard?  Katurah and Bruce?  Liz and Q?  There are a few ideas.  The issue would be casting them so there are even number of men and women.  But I like this idea a lot, because I bet there'd be a lot of drama and there'd likely be a rival pairing or two that would actually want to work together, since no one would expect them to. But Rivals seems like a bit of a kind of lamer season, so it's here at number 6.

5. New Era vs. Old Era 
I don't think it'd be called this (New School vs. Old School?  Battle of the Ages/Eras?), but this is one I could see happening that wouldn't excite the fanbase too much, but maybe enough to keep the ratings up.  They'd have to settle on a demarcation point as to what constitutes a new era and what constitutes an old era player.  My suggestion is Season 25 as the demarcation point, since that'd be halfway at this point.  But I do see the issue with trying to find 8-10 old era players that would be willing and able to keep up with the new era players.  They key being if they're able to.  Not many would.  Alternatively, they could make this a three-tribe format, with 6 old era players (1-19), 6 "middle" era players (21-39), and 6 New Era players (41-49).  But again, I'd worry about the old era players keeping up.

4. Outwit vs. Outplay vs. Outlast
What would be a good way to culminate 50 seasons of Survivor?  By having six players that have excelled in outwitting, six players who excelled in outplaying, and six players who excelled in outlasting others.  Again, this would be another three tribe, six player start, but I would be okay with this one.  It would be interesting to see who would be on which tribe.  I would worry about the Outplay tribe possibly dominating challenges, but that's where they'd have to cast a couple of players who excelled more in finding idols rather than challenges.  One thing I'd say about this season's cast: No losing finalists.  If they truly excelled at "out"-whatevering, then they would've won their season.  

3. Heroes vs. Villains 2
I'm a huge fan of this theme, and I think the fanbase as a whole would really like it.  However, the line between hero and villain has certainly gotten blurred over the years in the game of Survivor.  Maybe they could do Heroes vs. Villains vs. Anti-Heroes?  That would be a bit easier for them to cast for.  Either way, the theme of good vs. evil is always entertaining.  A good story has a good villian to root against and a good hero to root for.

2. Legends vs. Rising Stars
This is a theme I'm putting forth, and I think it would work.  First off, a tribe of legends.  Who wouldn't want that?  No restrictions on how much they've played or if they've won or not.  Just 8-10 legends of the game--some of the biggest names in Survivor history.  We certainly have plenty of those.  Then, on the other tribe, you have 8-10 up-and-comers.  Rising stars, if you will.  These would be players who made a big name for themselves their first time playing and are determined to do so again.  It would be like having a baseball game of future Hall of Famers against future All-Stars.  Wouldn't that be fun to watch?

1. Second Chances 2
Let the fans decide again.  Why not?  There are a lot of ways to run the voting, and who wouldn't love to have a say in the cast again?  Potential players could run campaigns, trying to establish trending hashtags for their support.  The previous time we had the fans vote, social media was not the thing it is today.  Yes, this would only be players who have played once before, but that's fine--we've got plenty of those.  I do worry that the showrunners/producers would find a way to force a minimum number of New Era (41+) players in the game, but even if that happened, there are plenty of those who we'd love to see again as well.  Also, I must add, it'd be hard to enforce the diversity mandate.  They couldn't split them up into whites vs. minorities.  But I'm sure they could find a way.  Perhaps fans could pick their favorites from a list of 100, and the producers choose from there.  Just an idea.

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers: How the Final 7 will go

Well, another good season of Survivor is winding down, and they are already down to the Final 7: Ashley, Ben, Chrissy, Devon, Lauren, Mike, and Ryan.  This is a really solid cast and I don't think I've ever said this about a final 7, but there's at least 6, if not all 7, that could win this game.  So it makes it pretty tough to predict who will win, but I'll give it my best.

7th: Mike
Just FYI, there was a string of women being voted out (Roark, Ali, Jessica, Desi all in a row) and this will continue the string of men (Cole, JP, Joe so far).  Mike is the lone healer left, and it would just make logical sense for him to win.  If he gets anywhere near the end he could win it.  The Hustlers and Heroes have to prevent that.

6th: Ben
I don't know exactly how this will happen, but it's likely one of 2 ways.  Either Ryan plays his idol to eliminate Ben, or some of Lauren, Ashley, and Devon turn on him.  Either way, he's already been outed as a huge threat to win the game, and while it would make for a great season, it's not going to happen.

5th: Chrissy
Chrissy will be a target because she's a smooth talker, likable, and if she sits in the final three could definitely earn some votes.  At this point it would probably be her and Ryan vs. Lauren, Ashley, and Devon.  Ryan's a strategic threat, but not much strategy left with only 5 remaining.

4th: Ryan
Ryan would be on the outs, and unless he wins immunity, he's probably gone.  He could try to break up the fearsome threesome but no one would take him over anyone remaining.

3rd: Ashley
This is the spot now known as the no or one vote spot.  Meaning, at the final tribal council, they get one or no votes.  I see that being Ashley, as I just don't see a Survivor winner quality in her.

2nd: Devon
Devon's played a great game and could very will win the final few immunity challenges, with all the other male threats out.  But I don't think it'll be enough to grant him the title of sole survivor.

1st: Lauren
I never would have predicted this at the start of the season, but I see it happening.  She's got Chrissy as more of a threat to win, and everyone else is more of a physical threat, really.  Lauren is going to say the right things and come away the winner of Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.

Just for GP, here's how I see the final vote going:
Desi: Lauren
Cole: Devon
JP: Ashley
Joe: Devon
Mike: Lauren
Ben: Lauren
Chrissy: Lauren
Ryan: Lauren

So by a vote of 5-2-1, Lauren wins.  Hooray for her.

My Top 15 TV Shows Ever

I love TV.  TV is one of my top forms of entertainment.  You can watch it while eating, watch it before going to bed, have it on while you get stuff done around the house, etc.  So naturally, I have a lot of shows that I've watched that I'd like to share my thoughts on.  If they're BOLD then I've seen every episode.  Here we go, my top 15 TV shows ever! (In alphabetical order)

That 70s Show - This show jumpstarted so many careers: Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, even Topher Grace.   There aren't many teen sitcoms, if any, that are as relatable and funny as this one.  

Breaking Bad - Oh, man.  There has never been a show that's made me go "Oh damn!" or "Oh shit!" as much as this one.  Never has a show made my heart pound harder or my jaw drop further.  Breaking Bad is known by those who've seen it as one of the best TV shows... period... and for good reason.

Californication - I don't know what it is exactly about this show.  Maybe it's David Duchovny's acting as the lead character Hank Moody.  Maybe it's the tremendous writing or drama they build.  Whatever it is this show is able to keep me hooked once I start watching it.  I don't think this show gets enough praise for what it's done.  Anyone who is a fan of Duchovny, likes writing, or enjoys dark dramadies should enjoy this.

Dexter - This is definitely in my top 5.  Dexter is well-written (until the last few episodes...grr...), well-acted, and in my opinion, the most suspenseful and thrilling show I've seen.  Michael C. Hall was born for Dexter, and the role written for him.  If you love crime, thrillers, how the minds of serial killers work, or even cop-type shows you'll like Dexter.

Family Guy - I haven't seen every episode because it is still on the air, but Family Guy is the funniest cartoon I think I'll ever watch.  I've never liked the Simpsons, but Family Guy certainly hits my funny bone.  Seth McFarlane and the FG writers always know exactly where to draw the line, because they keep pushing the boundaries of dark comedy.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S - Friends may forever be my favorite sitcom.  I own all 10 seasons and have seen each episode at least 5 times.  Sure, there are plot holes and instances that make you cringe, but the things I learned about love and friendship from this show are more than any one person could have taught me.

Game of Thrones - I just recently got into GoT, and I got to say I'm hooked.  I'm not typically into fantasy type TV shows, but this show is so well-written and acted that I'm entertained by every episode.  They are only making 2 more seasons, but sometimes it's best not to draw shows out.  Plus, apparently there will be some spin-off series set in the same universe.

Heroes - Very strong first few seasons, then died off at the end.  Such a shame.  But if you like superhero... ANYTHING... then you have to watch at least the first two seasons of Heroes. A lot of plot holes and inconsistencies, but the first few seasons you really care for the characters and the episodes were very well-written.  I've never finished this show because the episodes went so off the rails the last few seasons.

How I Met Your Mother - This might be the most well-written comedy along with The Big Bang Theory.  A man tells the story to his kids of how he met their mother, but it's way more than that.  It's about all the twists and turns Ted and his friends Barney, Lily, Marshall, and Robin's lives take.  In a lot of ways, this became the Barney Stinson show, but that's only because of the stellar writing and acting for his character.  A lot of people criticize the way it concluded, but I feel that fans would have not been 100% happy with any conclusion.

LOST - Great acting, writing (the first few seasons) and great characters.  So a group of people survive a plane crash on a deserted island in the Pacific, but how and why they got there, and what this island is about is enough to take up all six seasons.  I feel like the show lost its sense of realism in the last 2 seasons or so, going from drama/action to science fiction.  Like Heroes and Dexter, don't look for a satisfying conclusion here.

The Office - I almost advise against watching this show because it kind of makes you want to go work for a paper company.  Such well-written characters (Jim, Pam, Dwight, and who could forget Michael Scott?).  Some of my hardest and longest laughs have come from something I saw on this show.  However, I have to agree with the majority that the show just wasn't the same when Steve Carell left.

Parks and Recreation - Like the Office, it is filmed like a documentary.  Some may say it is a rip-off of The Office, but it's actually a partial spin-off.  Apparently there was a plan to connect the two shows together, but that idea was scrapped.  The writing for this show is great, and the characters were LITERALLY written for the actors (See what I did there?  P&R fans will get it).

Star Wars the Clone Wars - Yes, a Star Wars TV show.  How could I not?  But what the writers are able to fit into 22, 23 minutes is incredible.  The voice acting is really good as well.  If only the prequel films could have had the same attention to detail as this show did.

Twin Peaks - Only two seasons made, but what a classic.  I love it when any show or movie is set in the beautiful PNW.  The show does stray into the sci-fi/fantasy genre a bit, which I wasn't a huge fan of.  However, Kyle MacLachlan's acting is superb.

The Walking Dead - I could argue that this may be the most binge-watched show in TV history and I probably wouldn't too many opposing me.  Who knew they could make a show about the zombie apocalypse so compelling?  While it is based off of the comic of the same name it doesn't always follow it, leaving for some mystery as to what will happen, such as who did Negan really kill?  But the characters we've followed since season 1 like Rick, Carol, Daryl, and Glen always make us cheer for them when they take out "walkers".