kakiphony

Local interview with Ryan: http://www.traverseticker.com/story/traverse-city-s-kim-ryan-wins-hell-s-kitchen#comments She is planning to move to Nevada to take the job as well as do staging at other Vegas restaurants to learn all she can while she's there. I had no idea this finished filming in December of 2014 and she's had to be in a holding pattern that whole time. The fact that she couldn't even start to list her house until the finale aired is crazy to me. (Incidentally, the restaurants she has been at -- Alliance -- is amazing. And The Cook's House is nationally known and a Mario Batali favorite.)

My bets for that final three are: David - Ken, Jessica, Zeke, Hannah ?) Jay - Michelle, Taylor, Will I am honestly not sure how Bret and Sunday would vote, even after reading Sunday's exit interviews. I lean Jay with her, but she clearly respects David as a player. Hannah, I suspect votes David, but could surprise me and vote Adam.

Maybe Ken can write a Survivor cookbook...

Some exist interviews Chris in Parade Chris in People

Jessica in Parade's exit interview http://cartermatt.com/231925/survivor-millennials-vs-gen-x-exclusive-jessica-lewis-drawing-rocks-david-dilemma/

Jessica's and Chris' interviews are interesting and do shed more light on the situations we've been discussing. Jessica says that she was afraid of changing her vote making her look like a flipper -- and her opinion that flippers were being targeted by both sides. There is also some suggestion that David was aggressive at TC, possibly to try get votes directed at himself so that he could play his idol. Chris Hammond in Parade Jessica Lewis in Parade

Was there a rumor that this season started with 2 tribes, swapped to 3, and then back down to 2 before the merge, or did I make that up? If it was a real rumor and not just my imagination, it could explain the slightly different buff as well as the "unexpected" event of the preview.

Can anyone explain why Gloria and family were at a family wedding in Mexico when Gloria is Colombian? I am so confused.

Me either, but we're seeing the confessionals. It's possible they don't see the gamer in him, only the bumbler.

I think we've already identified the loyal goat everyone thinks they can drag to the end, and it's the first episode.

I have to love this guy because of his pet peeve, "Couples who sit on the same side of the booth." Preach! That is so weird and annoying! How do they look at each other and talk? However, whenever anyone says they can read people like a book, I start to watch for them to be totally blindsided within the first few episodes.

I will be shocked if this guy makes the merge.

Totally shallow, but she seems to have a very genuine smile. I can't get much of a feel for her from her interview. The bootstrap thing seemed really mild in comparison to how some other past contestants have emphasized it. She seemed less to have a chip on her shoulder than to be attempting to demonstrate that she thinks her life experience has prepared her for anything.

Ugh. The strong man no empathy or patience mentality. Because that clearly works so well in group dynamics...

I actually really like her, try-hard and all. But it's so hard to really tell pre-game because it's the relationships people establish that tend to make or break my opinion of them. I think she could either be really annoying and on the outs, or the kind of cheerful person who is generally well liked and has fun, funny, relationships within the tribe. Time will tell.

My impression is that he's the guy who is going to try to take charge and be the leader, and will come across as pompous. If he's not a challenge monster, that will bite him.

Agreed. He's my pre-season favorite just because he seems like he will be legitimately entertaining to watch.

For me, it's not that Michele is a bad or totally undeserving winner as much as it is that she is a forgettable winner. I don't see her going in any lists of best winners, or being someone the vast majority of fans clamor to see play again. Her game was under-the-radar, but without the personality that makes a Sandra such fun to watch. Her social game was clearly good enough to gain her jury votes, but it wasn't good enough for the audience to see her as charming, witty, entertaining, etc. Aubry, on the other hand, played a game that was truly entertaining to watch for the audience. Had she won, we still would have debated her mistakes and merits as a winner, but she'd be remembered in a way that Michele simply won't.

While Aubry may not have won an immunity (yet) she has had some serious staying power in more than a few, and has been instrumental in several team challenges. In fact, of the women, I'd say she's one of the strongest challenge competitors. She turned out to be pretty great at water challenges, and almost beat Bounty in the last endurance challenge. And while she may not have known the whole Super Idol plan, she was certainly instrumental in getting Tai to switch his allegiance. She recognized his unhappiness and approached him at just the right time and in the right way to convince him to go against his bros. I think Aubry's final vote problem is not that she's done nothing, I think it's that some of the people she has helped vote out will be bitter about it. Debbie may already be bitter, and depending on who goes and stays from here and how it happens, I can see both Cyd or Tai feeling very betrayed if she votes against them.

I've actually found it somewhat odd this season that everyone is greeted with a cheeseburger rather than getting to pick something from the menu. In past seasons, it seemed that part of the first-meal fun at Ponderosa has not just been FOOD and protein, but getting to choose what to eat after weeks with no choices at all. Last season, I noticed that the menu at the Ponderosa seemed pretty limited (spaghetti, pancakes, hamburgers), but I wonder if it wasn't actually expanded after this season filmed.

As much as I want Aubry to win, I think I'm finally seeing the Michelle path to victory, and it's not one I love because it's based on juror bitterness. I started thinking about who is on the jury now, and the likely final two and final three with Bounty (because I am still torn about whether the Reddit post spoiler or the legs on the dock spoiler is more accurate) scenarios. Of the known jurors I think the most likely votes are: Neal - Aubry Nick - Michelle Debbie - Michelle (because she feels betrayed by Aubry and never really respected her after the panic attack) Scot - Aubry (because he respects gameplay, but Julia could convince him to vote Michelle and the post-game photos of them together support this) Julia - Michelle (out of friendship and loyalty) And then we have the not-yet-on-the-jury people: Cydney - I think if she gets voted out and Aubry is a part of it, she's a lock for Michelle. If Aubry keeps her hands clean, she could keep this vote, but not if she participates Tai - Same scenario as Cydney. I think he feels locked onto Aubry now, and if she maintains having his back, she's his. But if she is complicit in his boot, he switches to Michelle as she has proven herself no more trustworthy than the boys Joe - Lock for Aubry Bounty - I think he votes Aubry because he actually respects her game play, but like Scot, I think he could be convinced to vote Michelle by Julia. If it's a final 3, I think it's largely the same scenario as above, except that Scot votes for Bounty. I don't think he gets any other votes. So it's possible that Aubry keeps her hands clean and gets the votes of Cyd and Tai, but I think that's not likely and because she kept them close at the end, they are resentful.

I'm having a hard time figuring out whether Debbie is bitter, just prefers her own company to that of the others voted out so far (which seems odd given how extroverted she was while in game), or having health issues that are preventing her from participating in life at Ponderosa.

A quick google search reveals that Scot's father was Pearl "Poison" Pollard. There's an article about him here.

I assumed she was mentally subtracting 5 pounds for clothes. I do this at the doctor's office. It makes me feel better to think my pants + sweater + shirt weight 5 pounds whether it's true or not.

I kept trying to give him the benefit of the doubt... But after multiple episodes of bad behavior and the Trump ballot post, I am right there with you.