Survivor 50 Preview and Predictions!

Wow, I have somehow almost forgotten to do a post before Survivor 50.  Yikes.  I'm going to do this one a bit different, since it's a returning player season, but also because it's 24 players instead of 18.  I'm going to tier rank the 24 players into just four tiers.  

Tier one will be winner contenders.  These are the players I expect to vie for the 50 crown.  I will be fairly surprised if the winner is not in this tier.  

Tier two will be somewhat long-shot winner contenders.  I wouldn't be completely surprised if the winner came from this tier, but I certainly wouldn't bet on it, either.  There is typically one thing with each player in this tier that will hold them back from winning.

Tier three will be the actual longshots.  These players are very likely not winning, but if crazy things happened and they played well, you never know.  

Tier four will be the no shots.  I would bet money on these players not winning 50.  It's not necessarily a zero percent shot (as I'd put Gabler here at the start of 43), but 9 times out of 10, these players stand no shot.

I'm going to go alphabetically, quick thought about each player, and then declare their tier.  I'll do my best to divide the tiers evenly, but it will likely not be perfectly even with six in each.  At the end, I'll pick my true winner pick from tier one.  

I will also go back to this after each week of Survivor with a quick word about my prediction and if they were in the correct tier, with that text being in blue.

Angelina Keely
Survivor David vs. Goliath (37)
I expect Angelina to try to be taken more seriously in an effort to have a chance at winning.  Unfortunately for her, I don't see that being enough, and I think a serious Angelina will rub people the wrong way.  She's not completely out of it, but I would be surprised.  
Tier THREE
Finish: 19th / With the way the season went for Angelina, she should've been tier four.  She had zero win equity and was on a terrible tribe post-swap.  She definitely wasn't trying too hard.

Aubry Bracco
Survivor Kaoh Rong (32), Game Changers (34), and Edge of Extinction (38)
I expect Aubry to improve upon her EoE and GC performances.  She has set herself up fairly well by lowering her threat level coming into this season.  For that, she is in my top tier.
Tier ONE
Finish: 1st / I think it's safe to say that I called this one.  She was my unofficial winner pick coming in as you can see below, since I knew she had set herself up well for this season.   Man, I'm good.  She would be the 4th correct winner pick I've made since I've done this (starting new era), after Maryanne, Kenzie, and Savannah.  

Charlie Davis
Survivor 46
The big question will be if Charlie will be able to hide behind the perceived target on him due to him almost winning.  I think he might be able to.  He's a smart dude.  And for that, he's in my top tier.
Tier ONE
Finish: 18th / Yikes.  My first big miss.  He couldn't get past the fact that Rizo didn't supposedly vote for his #1 at the end.  And Rizo was able to sway more people on their tribe than him.  

Chrissy Hofbeck
Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (35)
Chrissy is coming in as the screwed over queen, being the one that had to deal with the surprise forced firemaking.  I think she may fly under the radar and I do think she has a shot.  She certainly can make a case at the end this time, given her double mastectomy/cancer scare.  But can she warm up to people enough to earn the W?
Tier TWO
Finish: T-12th / I knew early on Chrissy wasn't a winner contender after her bad edit.  She did kind of fly under the radar, but unfortunately for her, she tied herself to Coach at a time she really should not have.

Christian Hubicki
Survivor David vs. Goliath (37)
Christian is coming into the game as one of the most likable people.  It should be enough for him to avoid being an early merge boot, but he may be one of the larger targets come post-merge.  We shall see.  I still kinda like his chances.  He's almost a lock to win if he makes the end, since he just had a baby and could whip that nugget of information out at the final tribal.
Tier ONE
Finish: 10th / He was able to avoid being a pre-merge boot, despite being on some terrible tribes.  I wish he could've done better for his son, and I wish we could've seen him mention him at the FTC.  Well, there's always the reunion.

Cirie Fields
Survivor Panama: Exile Island (12), Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites (16), Heroes vs. Villains (20), Game Changers (34)
Can she finally do it?  Cirie has always left the game a different way, whether it's Advantage-geddon, idoled out, losing in fire, or being the sole vote at final 3.  Cirie in her four times playing has yet to be voted out by a simple plurality vote.  She's definitely a front-runner for me, but can she do it?
Tier ONE
Finish: 5th / For the first time, she left the game having received the most votes from multiple people.  I think it became fairly obvious that Cirie can never get to the end because she can't win fire or win immunities or find idols--hence why she will never win.  This will probably be the last we ever see of her, because, unless they drastically change the game, she can never get to the end.  

Coach Wade
Survivor Tocantins (18), Heroes vs. Villains (20), South Pacific (23)
Coach is coming into 50 as a more mature, subdued player, and I think that bodes well for his chances.  I think he has some of the best odds for any male, and if he can fit in and not break promises and own his game at the end, he has a shot.
Tier TWO
Finish: T-12th / He did NOT come into 50 as a more mature player.  That was all pre-game press.  Turns out, Ozzy was the one who came in more mature, not him.  He was the same ol' Coach, and as soon as I realized that, he was out as a winner contender for me.

Colby Donaldson
Survivor: The Australian Outback (2), All-Stars (8), Heroes vs. Villains (20)
Colby is also coming into the game with a new perspective and strategy.  I don't know how well he will handle all the idols and advantages, but I do believe people are not going to want to vote him out easily.  I just worry about his ability to handle the modern game.  
Tier THREE
Finish: 15th / Dang, I didn't have the highest of hopes for Colby, but once he got confessionals every episode and decent content, I was starting to feel good about him.  At least he played with more gusto this time.

Dee Valladares
Survivor 45
Dee is not only coming into 50 as a winner, but arguably the strongest known winner.  She will have a lot of work to do to get further than the early merge portion of the game.  But if anyone can pull it off, it's Dee.  Surprisingly, she's not in my bottom tier, but she can't get hire than Tier three due to her winner status.
Tier THREE
Finish: 14th / Oddly, it wasn't really her winner status that got her eliminated.  She had an argument with Jonathan and his and Coach's side was able to rally everyone else to vote Dee.  No two-time winner this go around.

Emily Flippen
Survivor 45
Emily will likely have a low threat level, which should work in her favor.  But could she win at the end in front of a jury?  I'm on the fence with that one.  She's definitely going to be a dark horse winner pick for many.  
Tier TWO
Finish: 9th / Well, she had a dark horse chance up until the point she was voted out, which doesn't happen without Cirie's extra vote.  She was playing a messy game and would've had to sit at the end against unlikable players.  

Genevieve Mushaluk
Survivor 47
Genevieve will have to work hard to build relationships and win people over since she has very few connections coming into 50.  That may work for or against her.  Time will tell.  I really think Genevieve has great potential as a player, as she gives off Kim Spradlin vibes.  
Tier ONE
Finish: 16th / Dang, she was one of my winner picks.  But she had some CRAZY bad luck.  Never got a good swap, found two idols she couldn't even use, yet Aubry, her #1 enemy, was gifted one.

Jenna Lewis-Dougherty
Survivor Borneo (1) and All-Stars (8)
Jenna is setting the record for the longest gap (42!) between seasons.  But she seems like she'll be ok adjusting to the modern game.  She was one of the surprising players who adjusted to the game at the time in All-Stars, so she shows great adaptability.  But I do feel like it's been too long and she still has that known distinction of being annoying to other players.
Tier THREE
Finish: 24th / All Jenna had to do was target Cirie... AFTER the challenge.  But she just couldn't wait.  I think she overestimated how fast the modern game moves.  It moves fast, but not in the first few days.  I was wrong about her adjusting to the modern game, and she played like a Tier four player.

Joe Hunter
Survivor 48
On one hand, Joe doesn't have a big strategic or social threat level, but on the other hand, it doesn't seem like he's willing to adjust his game from 48 in which he was the final tribal council goat.  I think he'll have a good shot of being in the mix come post-merge, but then he's got to make a move and then showcase it at the end.  
Tier TWO
Finish: 3rd / I cannot believe I ranked him tier two, although he does play a game that will get to the end more often than not.  But he had no shot at the end... again.  He played way too similar a game to his 48 one, and the players in the game had just seen it, too.

Jonathan Young
Survivor 42
Jonathan is known for one thing, and if he cannot make himself known for something else, he has zero shot of winning 50.  He can beast challenges all he wants, but in order to win, he will have to make friends, strategize, and make a good strategic move or two.  I'm not sure he's capable, ESPECIALLY against these returning players.
Tier FOUR
Finish: 2nd / I have to say, Jonathan was one of the players (along with Ozzy) who really surprised me this season.  If you had told me going into 50 that he was going to make FTC, I would've thought he was getting 0 votes.  But he got 3.  He definitely played better, but there was still more room to improve.

Kamilla Karthigesu
Survivor 48
Kamilla could very well fly under the radar, but if Kyle makes the merge with her, she's screwed.  She has to hope he's gone pre-merge.  I don't think anyone will believe she and Kyle wouldn't work together again.  But if he is gone, she could fly under the radar.  The question is if she can do enough to win without him.
Tier TWO
Finish: 17th / Well, Kyle was gone pre-merge, but it wasn't enough.  Kamilla got a bit of a swap screw in being put on a team with Jonathan, who she had just voted against his interest.  

Kyle Fraser
Survivor 48
Why?  Why is he back?  I mean I like Kyle and all, but the last season everyone saw was his winning one.  He's got zero chance.  He may make that case in order to keep him around, but no one is going to feel guilty about voting him out.  
Tier FOUR
Finish: 23rd / I definitely didn't have Kyle's chances very high, but he instantly formed a majority on his tribe, and was positioned quite well on a tribe that was doing well in tribal challenges.  Unfortunately for him, his achilles took him out.  So I did have him in the right tier, technically, but only because of his injury, which I knew nothing about going in.

Mike White
Survivor David vs. Goliath (37)
Mike is another person I am wondering why they are here.  Mike is a decent player and a great storyteller, but he's yet another with zero chance of winning.  I'll at least enjoy his quips while he's on.
Tier FOUR
Finish: 20th / Another one I correctly had placed low.  However, he seemed to have control of his tribe, at least through their first vote post-swap.  But Christian managed to turn the tribe against him.  Mike was not winning, but I thought he'd get a little bit further.

Ozzy Lusth
Survivor Cook Islands (13), Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites (16), South Pacific (23), Game Changers (34)
I can't imagine a scenario where Ozzy wins.  I mean... can he?  He certainly can survive a pre-merge.  But after that... he might as well just cross his fingers.  I'm interested to see how he handles a modern game.  I guess you never know.  He was one vote away in Cook Islands as a 24-year-old.
Tier THREE
Finish: 8th / I gotta say, it did not take long for me to think he could potentially win.  But he fooled all of his.  He's still the Ozzy of old, trusting in people when he shouldn't.  Still can't read people.  And he just had to open his big mouth.  

Q Burdette
Survivor 46
Q is too crazy to win Survivor.  He just is.  He's 95% character and 5% player.  He's the new Coach.  I want to see some Q antics, but I don't think I'll see them for very long.
Tier FOUR
Finish: 21st / Well, I don't think I particularly forsaw Q going early, but he is the type of player who can.  Just because he has physicality doens't mean he's a great assets in challenges, camp life, or people want to vote with.  It's a shame.  He was a joy to watch.

Rick Devens
Survivor: Edge of Extinction (38)
I go back and forth on Devens.  On one hand, he's likable and would easily win over a jury AND there are some likable shields for him (Christian, Cirie, etc.).  On the other, he was an early boot that had to return via the Edge and still couldn't get to the end.  Apparently, he's practiced fire, but hopefully, he's practiced lowering his threat level, too.
Tier TWO
Finish: 7th / I was fairly spot on with Devens.  I knew he would have win equity at the end; it's just he would have trouble getting there.  And he couldn't do it again.

Rizo Velovic
Survivor 49
Rizo is the big unknown to the other players this season (outside of Savannah), so his chances take an immediate blow.  Coach compared him to Russell Hantz, who steamrolled everyone else in HvV because they didn't know his game, either.  Rizo's get a HUGE uphill battle.
Tier FOUR
Finish: 4th / Rizo, like Joe, is a player that can make it far pretty often.  But we know his kryptonite, and it's lady fire.  He just can't make it.  Maybe bring him back in 4-7 years from now, when he's closer to 30, has some more life experience, and either he has practiced fire or the show has hopefully gotten rid of it.  

Savannah Louie
Survivor 49
Apparently, everyone will know Savannah won 49, but they won't know all the details, so Savannah is another huge threat and target early.  Given her sometimes brash personality... that cannot bode well for her.
Tier FOUR
Finish: 22nd / I think I was fairly spot-on with my assessment of Savannah.  She bonded fairly well with her tribe, but became the odd person out after they lost the first two immunity challenges.

Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick
Survivor Palau (10), Guatemala (11), Heroes vs. Villains (20)
First off, ICK.  If you know, you know.  Secondly, Steph has not shown any ability that she knows how to play a modern reality TV game.  Just watch her performances in Snakes in the Grass or The Traitors.   If I'm ranking these players 1-24 on their chances, she's 23rd at best.  
Tier FOUR
Finish: 10th / Steph did a lot better than I thought she would, given her recent appearances on shows and given she was often on a terrible tribe that went to tribal council often.  But she stayed out of the line of fire, and it's hard to say how much win equity she would've had at the end, had she made it.  Probably not a ton, but more than I was expecting.

Tiffany Nicole Ervin
Survivor 46
I would wager Tiff is coming into the game with perhaps the lowest threat level.  That typically is a good thing in a returning player season, but if the big threats get together and target the smaller threats, she is toast.  But I don't see that happening.  I like Tiff's chances.
Tier ONE
Finish: 5th / She definitely had a lower threat level like I thought.  She just became too much of a social and physical threat late.  And she was that puzzle away from getting to final 4, maybe winning Simmotion, and the season.  

Well, that is everyone!  Let's see how the tiers shake out:

TIER ONE
Aubry
Charlie
Christian
Cirie
Genevieve
Tiffany

TIER TWO
Chrissy
Coach
Emily
Joe
Kamilla
Rick

TIER THREE
Angelina
Colby
Dee
Jenna
Ozzy

TIER FOUR
Jonathan
Kyle
Mike
Q
Rizo 
Savannah
Stephenie

All right, now with that, I'm going to reveal my official winner pick for 50.  It's obviously someone in Tier One.  

And that is...










AUBRY!  She has lowered her threat level tremendously coming into 50, and if she can avoid "having a dialogue" with everyone, she's got a really good chance.  

I will likely continue my Four Word Game for 50, but to do it for 24 players the first week, 22 the second, and so on will be very tough.  I'll figure something out.

Top Eight Tribal Councils of the New Era

The New Era is technically over with the conclusion of Survivor 49, so I thought I'd make a list ranking the Top Eight Tribal Councils of the New Era.  Why eight?  Because that is literally all that I can think of that were memorable enough to include on a list.  

These tribal councils were the ones that got me on the edge of my seat, got my heart pumping, got me shocked, or all of the above.  This will not include Final Tribal Councils or Firemaking Councils/challenges, so only up to the final five vote.  It would include potential final four votes, but they essentially got rid of them by including forced firemaking.  Perhaps if I remember another, I'll include it on this list, and make any changes in a different color.


8. Survivor 48: Mary's Shot in the Dark hits, Cedrek is left deciding between Sai and Justin
I'm only ranking this at eight because it involved a player losing their vote in Justin, but this tribal was pretty crazy.  Mary was the fairly obvious target, so she played her Shot in the Dark, which miraculously hits and saves her.  Then, on the revote, there is a split between Sai and Justin.  Then some wonky Survivor rules came into play, which meant Cedrek, by not being a part of the vote (but still having one), was the only one who would decide who went home, and he shockingly went against his original vote for Sai and sent Justin home.  I felt so bad for Justin, especially since he lost his vote in a manner that was completely outside his control.

7. Survivor 42: Deadlock between Jenny and Lydia, and Strunk caves in
Another smaller pre-merge tribal, this one was also a deadlock, and they got to a point where drawing rocks was on the table.  Hai stood firm and said he would go to rocks, not giving away his position.  Daniel Strunk, however, really did not want to go to rocks and caved, and Jenny was sent home.  The tension in the air for this one was palpable.  And for Strunk, he ended up being voted out two episodes later, so maybe he should have just gone to rocks.  And this is lower, like number eight, because it involved a player, Chanelle, losing her vote.  If she had not risked her vote, this tribal council would have never happened, at least not this way.

6. Survivor 48: Kyle and Kamilla blindside original Lagi and Thomas with their idol and advantage
After the tribe swap in 48, Kyle and Kamilla found themselves on the bottom against the three original Lagi men in Joe, Thomas, and Shauhin.  Fortunately for them, they had acquired an idol and an extra vote before then.  Leading up to the vote, Kyle and Kamilla expertly duped the other three into thinking they weren't close and would just vote for the other.  However, when tribal came, they played both the idol and advantage correctly, and Thomas was blindsided.  Now, with the successful idol play, the extra vote was not necessary, but they were likely being extra safe.  It was still an epic blindside.

5. Survivor 44: First Vote on Ratu results in the first successful Shot in the Dark, a Shot in the Dark used to hide someone's allegiance, a banked vote, and a successful idol play.
This will likely forever be my favorite first vote of a season in the New Era.  Before tribal, Brandon found an Idol, which he ultimately played for himself.  Yet, the majority of the people who actually voted decided to vote for Brandon, hoping he wouldn't play it, or, at the very least, would flush it from him.  Jaime played her Shot in the Dark as she was worried at her first tribal (when she shouldn't have been), and it became the first ever Shot in the Dark to hit, although it negated zero votes.  Matthew strategically used his Shot in the Dark to hide his allegiance (since it took his vote away).  Lauren earned a Bank a Vote advantage on the journey, which she used to save her vote for a later tribal council, and Brandon played the idol he found earlier to negate Kane and Maddy's votes on him.  That all resulted in Brandon's lone vote for Maddy being the only vote that counted, sending her home.  

4. Survivor 45: Final five vote results in a 2-1-1 vote, and Dee narrowly escapes a blindside
This final five vote was crazy.  Case in point, without Jake's idol play on Katurah, it would have been a 2-1-1-1 vote.  Madness.  Anyway, Jake was counting on Katurah voting out Dee, and his good faith gesture in her agreeing to the plan was him playing his idol on her.  But Katurah did not repay Jake's kindness, voting instead for the safe vote of Julie.  Had she gone with Jake, the season would have turned out much differently.  This vote definitely sank Jake's game.  

3. Survivor 45: Kaleb's Shot in the Dark Hits, negating a unanimous vote
The season prior, we witnessed the first-ever Shot in the Dark to hit in Jaime's.  But it did not negate any votes.  Kaleb knew he was the target, so he played his Shot in the Dark, and for the first time in Survivor history, it negated votes.  Not only did it negate votes, but it negated a majority vote, AND it negated a record 11 votes.  No other idol play or shot in the dark play has ever negated that many votes.  The reactions by everyone, especially Kaleb, when Jeff revealed the "Safe" parchment, made this moment special.  Unfortunately for J. Maya, they had to revote, and she was the next target after Kaleb.

2. Season 45: Kellie's blindside results in some memorable reactions
This vote showed we don't have to see idols or advantages to have a great tribal.  At this tribal, Jake was at the bottom, and he was the perceived boot by many, including most of the audience.  But little did many know, the majority had turned on Kellie due to her being a threat.  It resulted in two great reactions from those who got votes.  First, Jake's epic reaction of "WOAH...!  Sorry... woah," is still hilarious to this day, showing how he initially reacted and then corrected his reaction to be more polite.  Then Kellie's "What the hell, guys?" was the cherry on top, as she grabbed her torch.  We need more reactions like this when people get voted out!

1. Survivor 43: Jesse blindsides Cody and flushes Karla's idol all in one fell swoop
This may be the greatest performance at a single tribal council in the New Era, maybe in all of Survivor.  Jesse managed to sway Gabler and Owen into blindsiding Cody.  Not only that, but he managed to flush Karla's idol by playing one he had recently held onto from Cody.  Cody had wanted it back, but Jesse was able to hang onto it for one vote long enough to blindside him.  This instantly put Jesse at the very top as the frontrunner, and if he could've only beaten Gabler in fire, he easily would've won this season.  

My Thoughts on Each of the Survivor 50 Players

The Survivor 50 Cast has officially been revealed, and I'm somewhere between whelmed and excited.  I guess you could say my excitement is tempered.  There are a few things I'd like to comment on now, such as no players whose original season was between Seasons 19-31, and how we got 11 players from seasons 45-49.  Definitely some recency bias there.  But man, it is going to be so fun seeming some of these players interact.  For each player, I'm going to rate them on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest) on how much I'm personally clamoring to see them back (which includes how much I'll be rooting for them) and what I think their chances of winning are.  

After reviewing each player, I'm going to pick my Top 5 Duos I want to see interact.  Each duo will be someone new, so I won't use the same player for any two duos.   

Also, there are two rumored players from 49 on 50, but I won't comment on them just yet, since I haven't seen them play.  After 49, however, I'll come back and talk about them here.

Here we go, in order of their initial season...

Jenna Lewis-Dougherty - Borneo, All-Stars
How much I want to see: 3
Chances of Winning: 2
They had to have a token Borneo player, and I know people were rooting for Greg, maybe a Colleen or Gervase.  But Jenna works, I guess.  I kind of expect her run to go similarly to Kelly Wigglesworth's in Second Chances.  Possibly a purple edit with no real chance of winning.  But, you never know.  She will certainly not be a threat.  My biggest worry for her is the older players being targeted early, just like they were in Winners at War.

Colby Donaldson - Australian Outback, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains
How much I want to see: 4
Chances of winning: 2
I don't think I've even seen what Colby looks like in recent years.  Surely he's nowhere near as athletic.  But he was the first legitimate star of Survivor, with people naming their kids after him.  One thing I've wondered is if he may have had more win equity in HvV than AO.  He had Hero pals on the jury.  If he can make friends and get to the end, you never know.  But like Jenna, I worry about the newbies ganging up on the "oldies".

Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick - Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains
How much I want to see: 3
Chances of winning: 1
Stephanie couldn't win a season she had an edge on as a captain, so I don't think she'll be capable of winning here.  I actually expect her to be an early boot, like she was on HvV, as I worry about her ingratiating herself with other tribe members, especially more recent players.  Or she could slip on by.  It'll depend on what the main driving force will be on a lot of votes.

Cirie Fields - Panama: Exile Island, Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites, Heroes vs. Villains, Game Changers
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 4
Anyone else suffering Cirie fatigue?  That kinda rhymes.  And I didn't even really watch her Traitors season, although I saw her on AU vs. the World.  I worry the show may force her too much on us, or may try to hand her the win.  I'm okay with Cirie winning if it happens, but I don't want it in any way to be given to her.  Honestly, I'm kinda clamoring for her to go out in some way she hasn't gone yet.  

Ozzy Lusth - Cook Islands, Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites, South Pacific, Game Changers
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 2
Just... why?  I don't quite get it.  On Game Changers, we saw he had physically declined and could no longer dominate challenges.  That was filmed 9 years before 50 will film.  So Ozzy will have to rely on his social and strategic game.  IF he gets to the end, I could see it, but he'd have to get to the end.  Also, since he got into the adult entertainment industry, I'm surprised they wanted him back.  Hmm.

Coach Wade - Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains, South Pacific
How much I want to see: 4
Chances of winning: 2
Coach is such a great character, even in his 50s, I'm sure he'll bring something to the show.  I wonder who he will say is the "dragon" of this season.  There are a lot of choices.  And honestly, it'd be smart for a lot of the newer players to bring him along as a potential FTC goat, like Sophie did in SP.  I don't think Coach's chances of winning are a "1", as if he plays a similar game to SP and owns up his game at the end (unlike what he did that season), he has a shot... I guess.

Aubry Bracco - Kaoh Rong, Game Changers, Edge of Extinction
How much I want to see: 1
Chances of winning: 4
Typically, someone fairly smart (often a woman) wins these All-Star-type seasons, like Amber in All-Stars, Parvati in Micronesia, and Sandra in HvV.  Aubry could be that this season.  Is the fourth time the charm?  And yes, I don't really need to see her play again, but it is what it is.  I just think she's really going to fade into the background with larger names taking more focus.

Chrissy Hofbeck - Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 2
The show definitely "owes" Chrissy due to the stupid twist of forced fire-making that surprised the cast of that season.  I believe Jeff when he says it was planned (and not just put in because Ben was in danger), but I also believe he likely told Chrissy after the season how he probably felt bad with the way it played out and promised her a chance on a returning player season due to that.  Otherwise, her inclusion feels... a bit out of place.  She may get purpled, as I think she's one of the less interesting characters on this cast. 

Christian Hubicki - David vs. Goliath
How much I want to see: 5
Chances of winning: 3
I have been clamoring for his return for years.  Thank goodness.   I think Christian's chances are somewhere in the middle.  He'll definitely have to keep his threat level low enough into the merge, should he make it that far.  If he plays a great game and gets to the end, I could see it.  It would have to be very similar to Cochran's game in Caramoan.  But the problem is, I don't see him making it to the end.  

Angelina Keeley - David vs. Goliath
How much I want to see: 3
Chances of winning: 2
It's hard to rank FTC losers higher than a 2 on chances of winning.  The only person to win AFTER losing at a FTC is Boston Rob.  But I'm fairly excited to see Angelina back.  I worry, however, that she won't be as engaging, funny, or meme-worthy.  I really hope she tries to negotiate something with Jeff, and the show would be smart to open that opportunity.  

Mike White - David vs. Goliath
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 1
Mike is a millionaire already, so he's not going to win.  He would have to play the greatest game we've ever seen.  However, he may be worth a few funny moments on the show.  I just wasn't clamoring to see him, and we know he only got back on due to his friendship with Jeff, and how Jeff very likely told him he'd be on the next non-winners returning players season.

Rick Devens - Edge of Extinction
How much I want to see: 5
Chances of winning: 3
Dude was made for TV, and I'm excited to see him back.  He's kept in touch with the show, being the co-host of the On Fire podcast for a season.  Like Christian, I'll be rooting for him and hope to see him go far, but I'm worried about his chances of getting to the end.  

Jonathan Young - 42
How much I want to see: 4
Chances of winning: 1
Yes, I am putting Jonathan's chances of winning at a 1.  He has little to no social/strategic game, as we saw on 42.  Is there a chance he has some on 50?  Sure, but there's no way it'll be enough for him to win.  His best shot would be to absolutely dominate the individual challenges and be likable enough along the way to win.  But the moment he doesn't win one, he's gone.  I'll still be stoked to see him dominate challenges, and whoever gets him on their tribe is going to be very lucky.

Emily Flippen - 45
How much I want to see: 3
Chances of winning: 3
She can make good points and I think if she gets to the end in 45 against anyone except Dee, she likely wins.  I'm also surprised to see her, as I know she said on social media shortly after 45, that she likely wouldn't play again.  Well, I guess we all have to eat our words at some point.  There are certain players I know she won't like, such as Coach, Q, and Jonathan, and she's very likely to have someone like that on her starting tribe.  

Dee Valladares - 45
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 2
I almost wanted to put Dee's chances at a 1, but Sandra pulled off the back-to-back wins, and they have similar games, so I could see it.  But man, I wish they hadn't cast winners.  It'll be interesting to see how she downplays it.  I could see her being an early target, or make it very far.  High variance player to say the least.

Quintavius "Q" Burdette - 46
How much I want to see: 4
Chances of winning: 1
Like Coach, Q is such a great character for TV.  I cannot see him winning, however.  His problem is that I don't think he'd be taken seriously enough.  He's kind of like the male Angelina that way.  But he is going to have some interesting interactions with people, I can almost guarantee that.

Charlie Davis - 46
How much I want to see: 4
Chances of winning: 3
Charlie is the young white male who's come the closest to winning in the New Era, technically losing by a single vote.  I don't think he'll be considered a threat, which is good for him.  I wonder if he'll find another Maria on 50, perhaps Jenna, Chrissy, or heck, even Cirie.  I'd be down for any of those duos.

Tiffany Ervin - 46
How much I want to see: 1
Chances of winning: 3
I'm really perplexed by this one.  There are plenty of African-American women in the New Era to choose from, and they go with... Tiff.  Here's a list I'd personally rather see: Shan, Drea, Lauren, and Sai, and Star.  All to me are either better players or characters.  Tiff is a well-rounded Survivor player, but I don't think she excels at anything.  Perhaps she'll be the Wentworth of the season and blossom more of a player and character.  

Genevieve Mushaluk - 47
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 4
I was a bit surprised by this pick, mostly because Gen was purpled in the pre-merge on her season.  I really like her chances, but I worry because of the All-Star cast that she'll get purpled again.  If she wins, they better not.  There are so many threats that she could sneak by and be the Parvati/Amber of the season.

Kyle Fraser - 48
How much I want to see: 1
Chances of winning: 1
Like... why?  I don't dislike Kyle at all.  As a character, he was mid.  Not boring, but not the most engaging, either.  As a player, well, he just won, so why?  Kyle ties Jenna (6 and 8) and JT (18 and 20) as the players who returned most quickly after winning.  Neither of them did particularly well on their returning seasons, although Jenna left of her own accord.  I cannot see Kyle doing well, and his target as a winner will either carry him as a goat or be a target for him at some point.

Joe Hunter - 48
How much I want to see: 2
Chances of winning: 2
I just finished his season, so I'm not exactly clamoring to see him back at the moment, especially considering he wasn't the most interesting character.  Will he find another Eva this season?  There aren't many options for someone of that archetype.  I could see him trying to Godfather his way through the season but be on the outs at some point, like Boston Rob was on WaW.  He's got almost no shot.

Kamilla Karthigesu - 48
How much I want to see: 3
Chances of winning: 4
Yes, I actually want to see Kamilla back, but I wasn't counting on it with Kyle.  They'll likely be put on different starting tribes, however, but if they both make it to the merge, Kyle better do everything in his power to help her.  Although I could definitely see if they both make the merge, that putting a target on both of their backs.  But Kamilla is one of the smarter players in recent history.  I could see it.  If she did win, she would tie Jeremy Collins (29-31) in the quickest return from the game to a winning season.  Boston Rob also won two seasons after he played, but his winning game was his fourth time playing. 

And there are two players on 49 who are also on 50, who I did see who they are, but I won't spoil it here.  But at this point, I would give each of their "want to see" scores a 1 and a chances of winning also a 1, because no one has won any season playing back-to-back.  

And as previously promised, here are 5 duos I'm excited to see interact:

- Christian and Kamilla
Or Christian with anyone smart.  I want to see them decode a really tough puzzle together.  That'd be fun.  

- Coach and Q
Can you imagine the chaos?  I bet Coach will make Q his dragon if the opportunity arises.

- Colby and Jonathan
The OG challenge beast and the New Era challenge beast.  I know Jonathan must look up to Colby, so this would be cool to see.  I know Jonathan is good friends with Boston Rob, so this is a natural fit.

- Cirie and Devens 
Or Charlie, Christian, really any likable younger man.  I bet she'll bond with someone like that.  

- Aubry and Emily
I bet they will form an instant connection if given the chance.  Let's hope they are.  

And lastly, just for organization's sake, here's everyone ranked by their chances of winning:

1's: 
Stephanie LaGrossa-Kendrick
Mike White
Jonathan Young
Q Burdette
Kyle Fraser

2's: 
Jenna Lewis-Dougherty
Colby Donaldson
Ozzy Lusth
Coach Wade
Chrissy Hofbeck
Angelina Keeley
Dee Valladares
Joe Hunter

3's: 
Christian Hubicki
Rick Devens
Emily Flippen
Charlie Davis
Tiffany Ervin

4's: 
Cirie Fields
Aubry Bracco
Genevieve Mushaluk
Kamilla Karthigesu

And I did not give out any 5's.  Well, it's hard to figure out what each player's threat levels are going to be like coming into this.  And I didn't really want to hand out any 5's because that's basically giving away my winner pick.  Anyway, I'll come back and add the players from 49 once that is over, and probably do another post or two about this cast before the season even airs.  

My Votes in Each Round of Survivor 50's Fan Voting

Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans (Lame title, IMO) has started its online voting as they're going to allow fans to have an impact on certain game elements.  A lot are cosmetic, but some will impact how the showrunners and producers run the game.  Here are the rounds and votes so far, what I said for each, and why.  

I'm here during and after Survivor 50, so I'm chiming in with what the result ended up being and my thoughts.

ROUND 1

Rice or no rice?  

I said: Rice

I think Survivors play a more intelligent and well-thought-out game when they aren't nearly starving to death.  Operation Italy doesn't happen in 47 without the food reward.  Give them rice, I say.  Yes, I like Survivor to be tough, but this still allows the game to be tough.  They had rice in S2: The Australian Outback, one of the toughest seasons.  It also adds a potential layer of drama with someone maybe eating too much rice, them using up too much too soon, or someone not cooking the rice well.  

Result: No rice

I find it hard to believe this lost, but I guess there are enough Survivor fans out there that want the show to be tough and not enough that realize that gameplay is better when they have SOME sort of food.

Forced Fire-Making at Final 4?

I said: No Fire-Making

I wish Jeff understood that by introducing Final 4 Firemaking, it only made it so that the threats were taken out even sooner, and we got less time with them.  Some say Ben only won HHH because of this, but I say he only won it because of all the idols he kept finding.  So if Jeff wants big names like Ben to get to the end, allow Idols to be good through the Final 4.  Also, if you're a good enough player, you can stay under the radar, and you'll be a part of the majority at Final 4.  Allow firemaking if there's a deadlock at Final 4, sure, but let them have a chance to vote first.  

Live Reunion in Los Angeles or Fiji Aftershow?

I said: Live Reunion in Los Angeles

This is a no-brainer.  The Fiji aftershow is downright cruel to the final tribal council losers.  At least give them time to reflect on their game and prepare themselves for what to say if they lose.  Plus, the live reunion allows us to get all players in on it, not just the ones who made the jury.  I'm tired of the pre-jurors getting snubbed.  

Result: Live Reunion in LA

It hasn't happened yet as of me writing this, but it has been confirmed 50 will have a live reunion and reading of the votes.  Thank goodness.

Tribe Colors

I said: Orange, Teal, and Purple

First off, *sigh*, it looks like it's going to be another three tribe season.  No way one of the three is the merge tribe.  Anyway, it was between this and Blue, Orange, and Green for me.  I chose the one I did because we don't see teal enough as a tribe color.  But the remaining two options each contained colors that have been used 3+ times in the New Era.  My second choice would've been Blue, Orange, and Green, because those are my three favorite colors.  I guess I'd also be okay with Red, Green, and Yellow, since those were the colors in the first returning player season ever (All-Stars, Season 8), so it would pay homage to that.

Result: Orange, Teal, and Purple

I'm glad this one, not that it was a big decision or anything.  

ROUND 2

Final 4 Challenge

I said: Simmotion

What can I say, I love Simmotion.  If you don't know, it's the one where you have to constantly catch the balls out of the chutes and put them back on top as they make their way down a mechanism, and you slowly add more balls to it, increasing the difficulty.  It really does a good job of showing which Survivors still have the best focus in the game.  Plus, it's a classic going back to (at least) S18: Tocantins.  I decided against the Final 4 challenge from 46 because pre-game alliances could affect whether someone decides to help another player here.  They could abandon their puzzle and help the other player know when to catch their ball.  I don't think people want to see that.  The third option looked way too similar to dozens of other new era challenges: an obstacle course with a puzzle at the end.  Easy one to rule out.  

Advantages: How much power?

I said: Minimal power

There is a fine line between too many advantages and not enough.  I think the consensus on it is less than what Jeff and production think, which is why I chose "minimal" power.  Also, let the players play.  They will be legends of the game, after all.  And yes, a lot of great game moments have come from an idol or advantage being involved, but typically not multiple, and typically it's a situation not too convoluted or complex to understand.  Lastly, there's a good chance a lot of viewers will be returning to the show for the first time in years, likely due to a returning player they like, so they really shouldn't overcomplicate the game for anyone returning after not watching the past dozen seasons or more.  

Result: Dynamic Power

I wish my choice had won, and I find it hard to believe I'm in the minority (again).  I've been listening to podcasts and seen videos of people who have been confused by some of the game elements, and this is exactly why I voted for minimal power.  Should've made it easy for potential first-time viewers.  Now they'll be turned off because the show is too complicated.  I know I would be.

Tribe Swap or No Tribe Swap?

I said: Tribe Swap

This one I debated on.  I don't like how the showrunners have only used a tribe swap when a tribe has struggled in the New Era.  It should be more random.  If they keep it up, players may throw a challenge to avoid a tribe swap.  But maybe they want that.  Anyway, tribe swaps add a layer of complexity to the game, and especially for a returning player season, we will want to see as many interactions between players as possible.  If this were a newbie season we were voting on, I'd likely say "no swap" since I like to see tribal lines tested, not blurred.  But again, returning player season.  Got to have as many interactions as possible.

Result: Tribe Swap

I'm glad my choice won, but it wasn't that great or had that big of an impact.  At least this way, there was more fluidity post-merge, although the original Cila tribe members sure have lasted awhile post-merge.

ROUND 3

Immunity Necklace Design

I said: Option B (Bird and wingspan make up half of the necklace)

Option A isn't bad, but minus the bird emblem, it looks like dozens of other immunity necklaces.  Option B, however, is pretty sick.  The literal wingspan of the bird makes up half the necklace.  You would look like you literally have a mythical bird on your chest when wearing it.  Whereas the other one is relegated to a round emblem on the bottom of it.  

Result: Option B

Again, purely a cosmetic choice for us, but I'm glad the far superior option won.

Tribe Supplies

I said: Give them Tribe Supplies

This goes with the rice, so I'm sure people will typically have the same answer for this as they did for rice.  I said to give them supplies.  The "sweat vs. savvy" and the one-on-ones in recent seasons have been underwhelming and a waste of time, frankly.  Don't make whether or not they have a pot or machete yet or flint a part of the game.  Let the players be the focus.  Also, why even have this be a part of the game if they don't even bother to show the tribes struggling when they don't have supplies?

Result: No supplies

Why, people?  The sweat vs. savvy challenge Coach, Ozzy, and Q did was pretty dumb.  Yes, it stirred up some beef between Ozzy and Coach, but it also resulted in Q losing his vote and not getting to vote all game.  Boo!

Twists

I said: Keep them straightforward/rare

I'm a big fan of old school Survivor.  New School has had its fun with twists, but I fear introducing twists could leave older players in the dust, strategically.  Like in Winners at War, I don't want to see all the old school players go early.  Give them a chance.  Keep the game simple and give them a chance to run their game without having twists they wouldn't have had to worry about on their original season(s). 

Result: Keep the game shifting

Just... why?  This vote resulted in the "Blood Moon", which was an absolute flop.  It also resulted in the dynamic duos twist at the Final 13, and I didn't like how much they deviated from traditional Survivor.  Why should someone be punished for being in a group with a terrible player, ESPECIALLY when they didn't know what the pairs meant when they chose them?  To me, that wasn't a great twist, either.

ROUND 4

Idols or No Idols?

I said: No Idols

A bit disappointing this final round of voting only had one thing for us to vote on.  I voted "No Idols", but I could've been convinced to vote the other way.  I voted "No Idols" to basically spite Jeff and the producers.  The way they word some of these, they think we can't have a good season of Survivor anymore without a bunch of twists and idols and advantages.  But here's the other thing: I'd rather have a season with no idols than a season with too many idols.  I think this vote will be a bit close and I ultimately think there being Idols will win, but I just wanted to show Jeff and production more of us want a less twist and Idol-heavy season than he may think.

Result: Idols

Of course.  Why wouldn't it be?  I wasn't getting my hopes up on this one, but it would've been funny with no idols this season.  I doubt they would've allowed that result, honestly.



Overall tally: 4/9 votes went my way.  And of the votes that actually affected the game (removing cosmetic choices or where the votes are read), I only got 1/6 to go my way.  One out of freaking six.  It started to lead me to believe the votes were fixed/rigged, since I have a good pulse on the Survivor fanbase.  I feel like had the twists all gone my way, we would've had a much better season.

Rating New Era Survivor Twists and Changes

Something I still need to do, being a big fan of Survivor, is rating the new ERA twists and changes.  I'm gonna recall from memory each twist added or change made to the game since the start of 41, and then give it a rating out of 10.  A 10/10 is a perfect idea, and I honestly don't know if I'd give that to any twist in Survivor history, including the hidden immunity idol, so you won't be seeing that here.  A 0/10 would be an idea that is so asinine, whoever came up with it should be fired.  

There may be the occasional advantage that I have forgotten, but if I forget it, it's because it had such little impact on the game, and therefore isn't worth rating.

26 Day Format: 3/10
I don't think I'll ever fully come around on this.  Leave it to Survivor to stick with the 26-day format after COVID restrictions end since it's cheaper.  The bad thing about it is that it doesn't allow for close bonds to form or for people to struggle out there.  There's no time for the game to breathe, in a sense.  It feels like when Survivor reduced its quantity, it also reduced its quality.

No food/losing flint if immunity is lost: 5/10
I'm okay with teams suffering a penalty if they lose, although going to tribal council should be penalty enough.  But taking away flint doesn't have the impact it used to, since they are given access to clean drinking water, and the pre-merge lasts no more than 2 weeks.  Meanwhile, odds are each player will eventually get access to food via some sort of reward.  It seems like taking away flint is just for show, and honestly shouldn't even be mentioned anymore.  It's not an awful idea, just an unnecessary one that adds nothing to the show.  Also, I might add, taking away flint from the losers only increases the chance that they'll lose again, thus creating a "disaster" tribe that enters the merge with only 3 or even 2 members.  

Hourglass Twist: 1/10
The hourglass twist is easily one of the dumbest things Survivor producers have implemented.  The worst part is that people who rightfully won immunity had it stripped away from them.  If anything, the hourglass twist should have made them replay the challenge, and see if we get the same result--although that wouldn't have made for as good of TV: seeing the same challenge done twice.  Maybe they could've used a different challenge.  But heaven forbid Survivor pay for another challenge set.  

Knowledge is Power: 5/10
This is an advantage that has yet to work, other than causing people to swap their idols and advantages.  That effect really made it confusing to track who had what.  It did create some good moments, such as Dwight going home with Jeanine's idol in 43 and her shock at finding out, even though the KiP wasn't shown on that season.  I wouldn't hate it if they brought it back, but I'd rather it be tweaked a little.  My suggestion is that if the owner of the KiP can correctly name who has an idol or advantage, you get an extra vote.  I don't think people's idols/advantages should be able to be stolen.  

Reunion not live/held right away: 2/10
I understand not being able to do it in the early stages of the new era due to COVID, but just like with 26 days, again Survivor sticks with it since it's a cost-cutting measure.  I really hate it because players are not given the chance to think about and digest their games.  I also love hearing the audience's reaction to the votes being read, and without it, the result always feels subdued.  It's like seeing the final out of the World Series but no one in the stands to cheer on.  Also, I hate how anyone who doesn't make the jury doesn't get to reflect back on their season.  Bring back the live reunion!  

Most idols being beware advantages: 6/10
I can live with this.  The reason I kind of like this is that it doesn't allow players to keep finding idols easily and playing them one after the other, like Ben in HHH.  It makes players work for it.  Idols were getting too easy to find, so adding steps to "activate" or find their idols made it more difficult.  I wish players didn't lose their votes until they fully found or activated their idol, but there's got to be some "punishment" to it, I guess.  I was not a fan of having to wait for a certain phrase to be said at the immunity challenge mat chat like we saw in 41 and 42.  I much prefer having to accomplish something, like getting beads in 43 or the cage twist in 44, and not having to rely upon someone from another tribe.  

Amulet(s): 4/10
Again, another idea that just falls flat.  We've seen this now in 42 and 45, and each time it just seems to put a target on people's backs.  I think if the showrunners try it a third time and the players are given the option, I think they'll choose not to have it.  I get that they're trying to create cross-tribal alliances, but all they're doing is making them targets for one another.  They should change it so that the combined amulets become more powerful so long as all owners are still in the game at certain points.  All three make it to the merge?  Extra vote.  Final 10?  Steal a vote.  Final 6?  Full-blown idol.  But they haven't really laid out who gets control of the advantage once it gets those points, so that'd be interesting to see...

Shot in the Dark: 7/10
The "SitD" as I call it, is one of the better new era ideas.  It creates drama when there likely is none.  Obvious boot?  Well, there's still the shot in the dark, which could save them!  It also adds a layer of strategy, because you have to decide if losing your vote is worth it.  For example, in 41, if Sydney hadn't played her shot in the dark and instead had voted, she likely survives.  I just can't rate it higher than 7/10, because, to me, it overcomplicates the game a bit.  With SitD's being transferrable and only able to be played once, I now have to keep track of who currently has their SitD?  There comes a point where there's just too much to keep track of.  

"Merge-atory": 4/10
Jeff says that you have to "earn the merge".  You know what, Jeff?  They earned the merge by getting that far in the game, you dick.  Fortunately, it's a lot better without the hourglass twist, but I'm still very against the idea of likely only 6/13 people being eligible to be voted for.  I also do not like when they add a layer of luck to the game, because some good players can get unlucky and have to leave the game, and a layer of luck is added when they randomly divide them into two teams.  

Split Tribal at Final 12 or 10: 2/10
Just... stop this.  Please.  I get having to have two people be voted out in one episode.  But instead of dividing them into two teams of 5 or 6, just have two tribal councils with all 10 or 12 people.  We've lost some decent players because of this awful twist, such as Matt in 44.  It adds another layer of luck that I am not a fan of.  And I think they've done this in seasons before 41 (Ghost Island, for one), but since it's been used every season since the start of the new era, I consider this a "New Era" twist.  

Three tribe format: 4/10
The worst part of this three-tribe format is that they never swap into two tribes.  I'm okay watching three-team immunity challenges, because there's usually some drama, either between 1st and 2nd or 2nd and 3rd.  But only having 6 players per tribe is getting very tiresome.  There's not much room to maneuver as a player, and if you are put on a struggling tribe, you will likely not make the merge.  Also, if there is one tribe having a lot of success that never goes to tribal council, the whole tribe could end up getting purpled, like we saw with the Coco tribe in 41.  If we had a regular two-tribe format, we likely see J.D. in 41 at the merge.  But because his tribe struggled so much pre-merge, he was voted out.  

Do or Die: 1/10
I almost gave this a 0/10, because it was that bad.  What saves it from that 0 mark is the fact you can opt out of the challenge, therefore not risking elimination via a game of chance.  I wish everyone had opted out of one of these, just to spite the showrunners.  Fortunately, each time the Do or Die did not work, saving Deshawn and Lindsay.  Thank goodness they stopped it after 42.  But much like with the hourglass twist, it breaks a Survivor cardinal sin.  This time, you can get eliminated from the game without a single vote against you.  You could be playing a perfect game, but because you wanted to compete in a challenge, you get eliminated from the game.  If it had eliminated someone, I wonder if Jeff was going to say, "The tribe has spoken".  Probably not.  

Choose Your Champion: 7/10
We've only seen this once, in 43, and unfortunately, we might not see it again.  Essentially, you choose who you think will win an immunity challenge, and if they do, you win immunity as well.  I wish the reveal was done sooner, rather than at tribal council.  I think people should know if they can vote for you or not.  But I guess it's like an idol, which a lot of people don't get to know about.  But I liked the element of how well people know their tribemates.  I think they should incorporate these for reward as well.

Sweat or Savvy/Earning Supplies: 4/10
I'm just not a big fan of having to "earn" your supplies.  As viewers, what do we care if someone has their supplies or not... honestly?  They kept tweaking the sweat vs. savvy challenges.  At first, they were too easy, then they were too hard, then they just got rid of it.  They clearly couldn't design sweat vs. savvy to be the right difficulty.  For 47, they made a "captain" from each of the losing tribes compete in a kind of scavenger hunt, which is slightly more fun to watch.  But again... why do we care?

Journeys: 3/10
My biggest gripe with journeys isn't how they often result in a player or two losing their vote(s), although that is a close second.  No, my biggest gripe is how they used these journeys to replace tribe reward challenges.  It was a Survivor staple for the longest time: reward challenge, immunity challenge, tribal council, rinse and repeat.  Then, as we got into the 20s and 30s of the seasons, the tribal reward challenge slowly started to get phased out.  Sometimes they would have something to replace it with (Redemption Island duel, for example), sometimes they would just incorporate more camp life.  But once the new era hit, they fully did away with tribal reward challenges for these journeys.  I know it's a lot cheaper to make a set for a journey than it is a full tribal reward challenge, but come on, Survivor.  One of my biggest issues with it is that it takes away a chance for a struggling tribe to win something.  Now, on top of losing immunity, they lose reward to, since the pre-merge rewards are combined with immunity.    

Average: 3.6/10
The twists and changes in the new era have largely been disappointing.  Survivor's at its best when its a slowly evolving game, and I felt like in the new era, they did too much too fast.  I like how bad ideas were phased out, such as the hourglass or "Do or Die".  I wish they'd go back to two tribes or 39 days, but we can't always get what we want, can we?  Anyway, that's all I have for now, but if there are any others, I'll add them to the list and give my thoughts.

Top 10 Celebrities I'd Realistically Like to see on the Masked Singer

The Masked Singer has become a hit TV show, one I got myself into and have seen every episode of.  I generally enjoy singing competitions, but the identity of each masked person is really the reason to watch the show.  My favorite performer won Season 1, in which the Monster turned out to be T-Pain.  My favorite performer of Season 2 was the Rottweiler AKA Chris Daughtry, but he finished as the runner up.  So far in this third season, I've only seen two of the three groups, and my favorite is either the Turtle or the Kitty.

Which led me to thinking, which celebrities would I most like to see on the show?  Now we're never gonna see huge A-List celebrities like Taylor Swift, Dwayne Johnson, Beyonce, or Oprah.  But here are some common traits I've noticed in a lot of the celebrity performers so far:

- Being a parent
A lot of the celebrity performers have done the show for their kids, namely Tony Hawk, Lil Wayne, Chris Daughtry, and Ricki Lake.  If a celebrity is a parent of kids under the age of 18, there's a good chance.

- A celebrity that's laid back, likes to do fun competition-type things
Most celebrities on TMS have been fun people who like to just go out and have fun themselves, such as Drew Carey.  They don't consider themselves above doing such things.

- Has something to prove, musically or performance-wise
Whether's it's that they still got it, or that they're capable of rapping and singing, or that they're capable of being on a stage and letting their voice be heard, each has had something to prove.

So which celebrities fulfill these (generally) qualities that I would love to see?  Heck, perhaps one or two of these are on Season 3 and just haven't been revealed yet.  Generally, these are celebrities that have connections to the judging panel or the host, Nick Cannon, but not always.

10. Cobie Smulders
I have her so low because I don't think she would do this show, but I'm not positive.  She does have two daughters, one of which is 10 and might watch the show.  I'd want her on because of her connection to Nicole Scherzinger.  On How I Met Your Mother, they played former singing partners.  I would just love to see Nicole's reaction to Cobie.  And Cobie can kind of sing, as we heard her do on that show as "Robin Sparkles".

9. Yvette Nicole Brown
Of course the main reason I'd want her to do TMS is because of her connection to Ken Jeong through the show "Community".  She also does have a talented singing voice.  It can be heard on a few episodes of Drake and Josh, where she played the theater manager they worked at.  She doesn't have kids that I know of, but that wouldn't stop her.

8. Jim Carrey
A-List celebrity?  Perhaps.  But we know his stage presence would be on point.  And being Jenny McCarthy's ex would make it interesting to see her reaction.  He's one of my favorite celebrities, and with him not really doing A-List movies anymore, it wouldn't shock me.  If you do a Google search for "Jim Carrey singing", you can see he is not uncomfortable at all with singing in front of people.  Perhaps he wants to prove that singing is one of his talents.

7. Amanda Bynes
Hear me out.  Yes, she's been out of the spotlight for a long time.  But what if she wanted to prove something?  She's been sober for at least four years now, and what a way it would be to come back into Hollywood, if she wanted to.  She was in Hairspray in 2007, so she can hold a tune.  Her long-time connection to Nick Cannon through All That make her unmasking maybe one of the best ever.  Nick's reaction would be priceless.  She said she's retired from acting, but TMS isn't acting, it's singing.

6. Brittany Snow
Brittany is currently starring on a TV show called "Almost Family", which by the way, is on FOX, same as TMS.  She does have some singing talent as she was in Hairspray and the Pitch Perfect trilogy.  Finally, she does have a connection to one of the TMS panelists, Jenny McCarthy.  Jenny played her mom in the film "John Tucker Must Die".  I would love to see Brittany on the show, especially since I used to have a huge crush on her.

5. Bow Wow
Formerly "Lil Bow Wow", Bow Wow would be an interesting addition on TMS.  In terms of Hip Hop artists, they've had T-Pain and Lil Wayne, so Bow Wow would not be a stretch.  He has supposedly retired from rapping, but perhaps he wants one more crack at performing on a stage?
Comment: Bow Wow was actually on The Masked Singer as the Frog!  I definitely liked his performances.

4. Whoopi Goldberg
We know she can sing, and Whoopi may want to prove she's still got it.  She's no stranger to appearing on crazy shows, as she guested on "Whose Line Is It Anyway" before.  She would definitely get one of the best reactions from the panel, despite not being closely tied to any of them.

3. Kevin McHale
We know he can sing from his time on Glee, but what we didn't get to see too much of on Glee were his dance moves.  Playing a paraplegic, it's kind of hard to show off your dance moves, aside from one fantasy sequence.  But Kevin was quoted by many as being one of the best dancers on the show.  Like Whoopi, he was on WLIIA, so being on TMS wouldn't be too far of a stretch.

2. Weird Al Yankovic
The dude is a legend, and he would fit in perfectly on TMS.  He has done a parody version of one of Robin Thicke's songs, Blurred Lines, called "Word Crimes".  And he's already been guessed by Robin to be one of the singers, but he wasn't.  So imagine Robin's surprise when a singer turns out to be Weird Al and Robin doesn't guess him.

1. Bryan Cranston
First off, Bryan is just one of the coolest dudes ever.  Secondly, he does have a small background in the vocal arts as he's done a few Broadway shows.  He wouldn't win TMS, but he could get surprisingly far.  He's definitely willing to do entertainment of all types, from shows to plays to commercials.  Doing a singing competition would check one more box off that list for him.

Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies

I thought I'd go for a fun kind of post and I was thinking about what my favorite guilty pleasure movies are the other day.  I have come up with my Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies.  None of these are critically acclaimed, but every single one of them is entertaining and I have seen multiple times.  It's just something about these films; I just enjoy sitting back and turning my brain off and watching these every few years.  And, in order for a film to be on here, it has to have less than a 7.0 rating on IMDB, and the ratings on IMDB follow the titles of the films.  Here they are:


Honorable Mention: Smart House - 6.3
I had to give honorable mention to my favorite Disney Channel original movie growing up, Smart House.  It's only a TV Movie, so I couldn't quite count it.  But as a kid I wanted a smart house just like the one in the movie, one that would make me meals, instantly clean up messes, and play whatever I want to watch on the entire wall.  And I would know better than to disobey it and piss it off, unlike the family in this movie.

Second Honorable Mention: Rat Race - 6.4
I remember my parents taking me to see this in theaters, and yes, I was only 12 at the time, so a bit raunchy for 12-year-old me.  But I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, and it still to this day makes me laugh.  I got it on DVD in the early 2000s and watched it every few years as I got older, each time understanding a new joke or two.  And the cast is just terrific, from Jon Lovitz to Cuba Gooding Jr. to Rowan Atkinson to Seth Green to Whoopi Goldberg.  


10. Jack Frost - 5.4
Another film with a hard-to-believe premise: A father dies, but his spirit/soul brings a snowman to life and he is able to interact and talk to his son a year after passing.  I liked this movie growing up, and it always made a great movie to watch around the winter holidays.  I particularly like the song "Hey Now Now" by Swirl 360 that plays when Charlie and his "dad" get away from the bullies.  It's so 1990's.

9. Like Mike - 5.2
A kid finds some of Michael Jordan's old sneakers and suddenly gains his basketball ability by wearing the shoes.  It's an interesting story, but I like that it has a basketball theme.  There's a sub-plot of the kid being at an orphanage and trying to get adopted, and eventually does.  Jesse Plemons is in this in the first role I saw him in, as a fellow kid/bully in the orphanage.  I also like the cameos by all the NBA players in this, although no Michael Jordan.

8. Jingle All the Way - 5.6
My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas Movie, Jingle All the Way is fun to watch even outside the Christmas season.  There are so many hard to believe things in this film, but there are so many classic scenes and lines such as "Put the cookie down, now!" and "I'm not a puh-vert!".  It's just a fun film and Arnie just kills it.  And this is not the only time a film Jake Lloyd acted in is on this list.

7. Bruce Almighty - 6.7
This is one of my favorite Jim Carrey roles.  Carrey, playing the titular role, gets the powers of God and uses them with hilarious results.  The casting of Morgan Freeman as God was absolutely perfect.  And Jim perfectly inserts some of his funny and quirky mannerisms into the role.  I'm surprised this doesn't have a bit higher rating, but there are times when the movie just tries too hard to be funny.  I like Jennifer Aniston in this, but she seems a bit out of Bruce's league. 

6. The Island - 6.8
Ewan McGregor in a sci-fi movie?  I'll always go for that. 😉  In this, he plays a clone that escapes his institution along side a very fine looking Scarlett Johansson who also plays a clone.  This movie has been out for a while now, so much so that when this film was shot and set "in the future", well that future is now the past.  I happened to watch The Island the day this was set, July 19, 2019.  This film was also made by Michael Bay, maybe the king of guilty pleasure directors, but he's only on this list once for me.  My favorite line(s): "I'm Tom Lincoln!" "No, I'm Tom Lincoln!"

5. Godzilla (1998) - 5.4
Yes, the 1998 Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite guilty pleasure films.  I remember how hyped the movie was when it came out, and I even owned a Godzilla toy from that film that screamed like the movie version and stomped and "wagged" it's tail.  I remember seeing it as a kid and it scaring me a bit, but not anymore obviously.  As a sports fan, I loved how the climax was set at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks play.  They set up for a possible sequel with one of Godzilla's babies surviving in the end, but nothing came of it.  Oh well, the sequel probably would have been even worse.

4. Click - 6.4
This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie, believe it or not.  And I just found out, for the longest time this film had Adam Sandler's only death scene (until "Uncut Gems", I believe).  It's got such an interesting (but flawed) concept, but I love it.  He controls the universe with a remote, with unfortunate side effects.  I like how the film teaches us to enjoy moments in life we take for granted, such as time with our parents, working, and foreplay with the wife 🤣.  I also love all the actors in this and their connections to other things or people.  Adam Sandler's mom was played by Julie Kavner, who voices Marge Simpson.  We also see his kids played by Lorraine Nicholson and Jake Hoffman, the children of Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman, respectively.  And we see a small role from Jonah Hill.

3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 6.5
You knew Nicolas Cage had to be on here at some point, right?  He's the king of guilty pleasure actors.  In this sequel, he "kidnaps the president" and goes to a secret cave inside Mount Rushmore.  I just love the two National Treasure films, and I wish they had made another.  By this point, a third National Treasure film would feel forced, irrelevant, and not as interesting.  However, a third one is listed on IMDB as "In Development", although I believe it has been that way for a few years.   I believe they are having trouble either writing the script or finding writers for it.

2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6.5
What, I can have a Star Wars film on here!  And there's no better example of a guilty pleasure Star Wars film than Episode I: The Phantom Menace.  I do enjoy watching this and I never skip over it when I watch the Star Wars films (or prequel trilogy).  I remember all the promotions for the film when it came out and each time I watch Episode I, it gives me that feeling of nostalgia.  Sometimes I even get the urge to watch just this film and not Episodes II or III.  Jar Jar doesn't annoy me quite as much as he annoys other Star Wars fans.

1. National Treasure - 6.8
Well, you knew if National Treasure 2 was on here, the first one would have to be on here as well.  I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this.  I love the history they incorporated into this movie, even if it's not all true.  And, this was for the longest time the only thing I had seen Sean Bean in where he doesn't die.  And, I could be mistaken, but it might be the only film where he plays the villain but doesn't die.

Like I said, I just enjoy turning my brain off and watching any of these films.  I think the thing they have in common is that each one has something happen in it that is just never possible in the real world: A person coming back to life, a dog playing football, a universal remote that controls the universe, and stealing the Declaration of Independence.  Oh, and Star Wars.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Five Questions and Predictions

With Avengers Endgame out (and having seen it), the next movie I am REALLY hyped to see is Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.  The teaser trailer and title were announced/released two weeks ago, and I've had some time to dwell on them.  Below are five questions people might have about the film, and I put forth multiple choice possibilities and choose my answer with reasoning.  It'll be interesting to go back here 8 months from now (Yikes!) and see how close I was.

I have now seen the Rise of Skywalker.  For my full thoughts on it, you'll have to see my more recent post here.  *SPOILER ALERT* I will of course be discussing spoilers so this is your warning.

1. So, apparently Palpatine returns, based on his cackle at the end of the teaser trailer.  How is he able to return?
A. He returns as a spirit, much like a Force Ghost (The dark side version of it possibly).  Not able to physically appear but in spirit.
B. A clone was made of him
C. He survived falling down the ventilation shaft.
D. He inhabits the body of someone or something else (Like Voldemort)

Answer: I'm gonna go with A, but neither C nor D would surprise me.  My prediction is that there is a Dark Side way of becoming one with the Force.  Obviously, we'd hear him and he'd be able to influence Kylo Ren and say things like, "Do what your grandfather failed to do."  I only included B because I believe that happened in the Expanded Universe novels, although I doubt they'd take that idea straight from them. Option D would be cool to see, however.  Could we see him inhabit Snoke's body?

The closest actual answer would be C.  He had some assistance, clearly, but never fully died.  

2. What will the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey be like at the end of Episode IX?
A. Non-existent, as one will be dead.
B. Still enemies
C. Allies, or at least will have a truce
D. Romantic

Answer: I want it to be D, but Rey's parentage is still in question.  Kylo told Rey her parents were nobodies, but he could have been lying (or possibly misled by Snoke).  She still could be his sister or cousin.  I'll go with C as my prediction, but I want it to be D.  They won't kill Rey off, and I don't think JJ Abrams will want to kill Kylo off either, so I don't think it will be A.  And I highly doubt they'll still be enemies; it would just feel like we need another film to resolve their conflict.

Officially it is A 😢, but for a brief moment is was C and D.  I should have known Ben/Kylo would die because this film was billed for it "concluding the Skywalker saga", and if he had survived, the Skywalkers would live on.

3. Speaking of Rey's parentage, what is it?
A. Kylo was telling the truth.  Her parents were nobodies.
B. Luke is her father.  He abandoned her mother, and her mother (And stepfather?) left her on Jakku.
C. Han and Leia are her parents.  She was conceived in secret and hidden on Jakku.
D. She is a manifestation of the Force, much like Anakin.

Answer: I just find it difficult to be B or C.  Wouldn't they know about it and want to tell her?  Also, I've noticed a bit of a conflict between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, who directed Episode VIII.  They had different ideas for the films, so I think it might not be A.  I'm leaning more and more to D.  It would be kind of a copy cat origin story, but if they do it differently and uniquely it could work.  So I'll go with D, with A as my second choice.  They have to address this in Ep. IX, at least to some extent.

Wow, none of the above.  Technically A is right, but they were trying to be nobodies in order to protect their daughter from her grandfather.  I had a feeling JJ would decide Rian Johnson's choice wasn't good enough, I just had no idea she would be related to him.


4. What does the title, "The Rise of Skywalker" mean?
A. Skywalker is or becomes a title for Jedi.  Much like "Darth" is for the Sith, Skywalker becomes a title for Jedi as the Jedi rise and Rey (and possibly Kylo/Ben) start a new Jedi order.  So Rey would be "Skywalker Rey".
B. Rey is a Skywalker, and she learns her true identity.
C. Luke's influence as a Force Ghost is critical to the Resistance and he aids in their victory.
D. Luke and Palpatine have a Force Ghost battle and Luke comes out on top.
E. Kylo sheds his name "Kylo Ren" and becomes "Ben Skywalker" (Not Solo).

Answer: It's a pretty vague title.  I got answer "A" from someone's theory on Reddit, which I really liked obviously.  Although you wouldn't see a title called "The Rise of Darth".  But I can see Skywalker referring to a group of people and not just one person.  B is obviously a candidate.  C and D kind of go together and both could be possible.  I know D sounds ludicrous but I could see it happening.  E could mean the title is about Kylo Ren, since he has Skywalker blood.  If he returns to the light he could identify himself "as a Skywalker".  The title of Episode VII referred to Rey (indirectly).  The title of Episode VIII referred to Luke.  I think the title of Episode IX will refer to someone else as well, which leaves only Kylo Ren.  It could be about his redemption and return to the light side, so I'll go with E.  However, most people are figuring this must refer to Luke, so my next best guess would be "C".

The actual answer is kind of a cross between A and B.  Rey assumed the Skywalker name, almost as if it were a title.  My friend even said it was like Luke or Leia adopted her from beyond the grave. 

5. The fates of the following people:
A. Kylo Ren:
                a. Dead
                b. Alive, but still Dark
                c. Alive and turned to Light

Answer: C.  It's gotta be, right?  I touched on this in question in number 3, and I said I don't think they'll kill Kylo off.  At least I hope they don't.  If it was B they would need another film or something to resolve this, wouldn't they?  It would be like leaving Darth Vader alive and still dark side oriented after "Return of the Jedi".

I should have known, like I said above.  He sacrificed himself for Rey and hopefully Rey would respect his memory and tell everyone he was a hero.

B. Captain Phasma:
                a. She died in Episode VIII
                b. She comes back in IX but dies
                c. She comes back in IX and lives
               
Answer: B.  JJ and Rian have an internal conflict going on from what I've gathered.  JJ will want to undo what Rian did and bring back Captain Phasma, only to have her die for real.

Falling that far into a pit of fire on a ship going down is hard to survive, especially for a non-Sith/Jedi.  I think bringing her back would've been a slap in the face to Rian Johnson.

C. General Hux:
                a. Dead
                b. Dead
                c. Dead

Answer: All of the above.  Is there any chance this guy survives?  He clearly has no good in his heart.  The only question is how he will die.

Well, yes, but who saw him helping out the good guys?  Not me!  Kylo clearly got on his bad side, so Hux took action.  Too bad for him General Pryde saw right through him.

                C. a. How  will Hux die?
                                1. Rey kills him
                                2. Finn or Poe kills him
                                3. Kylo turns on him and kills him

Answer: Number 1 wouldn't be satisfying enough.  I'd like to see 2, have a battle between non-Force users.  But I think it will be 3.

I didn't even consider him being a spy and one of the first order generals killing him.  Gotta consider every possibility.

D. Leia:
                a. Alive and present
                b. Alive but gone away/missing
                c. Dead

Answer: I almost forgot about Leia.  Hard to say how much of an impact she'll have, with Carrie Fisher passing before they could film any of Episode IX.  I will say C, and they'll make it as tear-inducing as possible.

I was right.  I was impressed with how much footage they had of Carrie and how they were able to use it.  It was tear-inducing, although I didn't cry myself.  But I felt like it after seeing Chewbacca's reacting to Leia's passing.

Well, there you  have it.  I answered the five (plus) biggest questions about Episode IX.  It's still almost 8 months away and I cannot wait for it to get here! 

Meh, not terrible predictions, but some really caught me off guard.  Click the link above to see my full thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. 🙂

Star Wars the Last Jedi Hopes and Predictions

Later tonight I am going to see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and I am super stoked as you would expect.  I did a blog post right before seeing The Force Awakens so I thought I should do the same for The Last Jedi (Which shall henceforth be abbreviated as TLJ).  I'm going to make 10 predictions and summarize with what I hope will happen. 

1. Someone's origin will be revealed - But perhaps not Rey's
I do believe Rey to be related to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I don't necessarily think that  will be revealed in TLJ.  Instead, maybe the origin of either Finn or Snoke will be revealed.  I do think Finn could be the son of Lando Calrissian, because Maz Kanata recognized his eyes and she's probably met Lando as she was good friends with Han. 

2. Deaths: General Hux, Leia
For TLJ I think General Hux will die.  I think it will be him being in a ship and it explodes.  As we know, Carrie Fisher passed away after filming TLJ (RIP), so they'll have to write her out somehow.  I think it would be better to give her a non-violent death, somehow.  But please, don't let it be of a broken heart/loss of will to live.

3. Snoke will not be a lightsaber wielder
So we finally will get to see Snoke in something other than a projection (as revealed in the trailer).  I think it will be revealed that he doesn't believe in lightsabers and that he is powerful enough in the force to succeed without one.  Perhaps he will own a weapon of some kind that can stand up to a lightsaber.

4. Finn and Rose Tico will eventually be a couple
Now this may not exactly happen in TLJ, but I've seen a few different stills of them in scenes together, leading me to believe there could be something between the two.  I don't like the idea of Rey and Finn, I feel they have more of a brother/sister bond.  But I could see Finn and Rose together, and we may only get hints of it in TLJ with them hooking up in Ep. 9.

5. There will be a new Dark Side Force Power revealed
So we've gotten new planets, creatures, even types of lightsabers in this new trilogy.  But we haven't really gotten any new force powers yet.  I think either Snoke or Kylo Ren will debut a new force power, something like Force Drain (seen in KOTOR), Force Destroy, Force Pain, or Force Fire.  Obviously if it's something extremely powerful like Force Destroy (which in my mind destroys anything you concentrate hard enough on), it would be only Snoke who can do it.

6. Poe will get to fight outside of an X-Wing
This doesn't seem like a surprise, as it has to happen at some point, right?  The beginning of TFA doesn't really count as he took one shot and was immobilized.  I hope to see some Han Solo type fighting out of him in TLJ. 

7. Luke does not get to reunite with Leia
It's unfortunate, but I think the writers/producers were planning on Luke and Leia reuniting in Ep 9., but because of Carrie Fisher's passing, unless it happens in TLJ, it won't happen at all.  If they have Leia pass away in this one hopefully Luke hears and can grieve.

8. The Porg does something adorable to make everyone go "Awwww!"
Ok, this might be the most predictable item on this list, but can you blame me?  BB-8 had its moments in TFA (The thumbs up to Finn, for one), and the Porg will do something in TLJ to make mostly women swoon and wish they were real creatures.  Perhaps someday a toy manufacturer will make a lifelike and realistic version that is similar to a Furby.

9. Benicio Del Toro's Character DJ will be like Boba Fett and Cad Bane
Hard to say how each of the new characters will fit in and what they'll be like.  But with DJ, I think he will be one of those rogue types that looks out for only himself, and perhaps assists the bad guys (much like Boba Fett and Cad Bane).  He won't be inherently dark sided, however, and may end up redeeming himself in Ep. 9.

10. Cliffhanger?  You betcha
TESB finished with a cliffhanger.  Technically AotC did too.  So to keep the tradition alive of 2nd movie in a trilogy having a cliffhanger, this one will too.  This time, someone's fate will be in the balance: Probably either Rey or Luke. 

So really all I hope is for another solid Star Wars film.  I really hope it doesn't follow the plot of any other Star Wars movie, like many thought TFA did with A New Hope.  I think it will undoubtedly fulfill most of our expectations.  And as you might guess, I'm going to see it multiple times in theaters.  I can't wait! 


Well, I just saw TLJ and while most of my predictions were wrong, some were close and I nailed one in particular.  Let's see how many I got right.  Obviously, spoilers ahead

1. Someone's origin WAS revealed, and it was Rey's.  So I'll give myself a partially correct on this one.
2. Wow, totally wrong.  Leia will more than likely die between 8 and 9, but she did not die on screen.  Hux didn't, either, but he's almost a lock to die in Ep. 9.  Instead we saw Phasma, Snoke, and Luke as the notable deaths.  One wrong.
3. Well, he died before we could see if he did use or own a lightsaber.  I don't recall seeing one on his person.  I have to give myself my first correct answer on this one.  Not a lightsaber user that we know of.
4. Well, I was pretty spot on with this one!  Might see them as a legit couple in Ep. 9, as time will undoubtedly pass in their story between 8 and 9.  Another correct prediction
5. I feel like I saw a hint of a new power when Snoke did an almost lightning bomb at Kylo, I believe it was.  I'll have to watch TLJ again to see but to me it looked like something we hadn't seen before.  However, I'll give myself just a partial on this one.
6. Well he wasn't in any legit battles outside of his X-Wing (or the speeders on Crait), but he did defend the bridge on the rebel ship, as well as get slapped haha.  I'll give myself just a partial.
7. Ok, this is a tricky one.  Luke sort of did, but he wasn't actually there.  So does this count?  Hard to say.  He didn't reunite with her in person.  Again, just partially correct.
8. Well for one I thought there would only be one Porg in the whole movie.  And the most adorable thing was the sad faces on the group of them as Chewie was about to eat one of them.  So again, just partial.
9. Well this wasn't necessarily hard to predict, but he did end up turning on Rose and Finn for a monetary gain.  That's exactly something Boba or Cad would do.  Another one right.
10. There wasn't much of a cliffhanger, certainly not like in TFA.  So I did not get this one right.

In total, I got 3 right, 5 partially correct, and 2 wrong.  Not bad.  This movie definitely surprised me in spots, especially in Snoke's death and Luke not actually being on Crait.

I will probably end up reviewing TLJ in another post (definitely gotta see it again), so stay tuned!