Survivor Heroes vs Villains begins Thursday, February 11th at 8:00 pm.
Fans are getting more than they bargained for with the premiere of "Heroes vs. Villains." Not only will the February 11 premiere be two hours, but it will also contain only one tribal council. In layman's terms, we're getting an extra hour of footage this season. What does this mean?
Fans are getting more than they bargained for with the premiere of "Heroes vs. Villains." Not only will the February 11 premiere be two hours, but it will also contain only one tribal council. In layman's terms, we're getting an extra hour of footage this season. What does this mean?
- More stories from Coach's book of "true-life events"
- The first ten confessionals of the season by Russell Hantz
- More chances for Rupert to roar
- More chances for Courtney to say something sarcastic
- The odds of James talking about an apple are significantly higher
- Parvati will probably flirt
- We still won't know who Danielle is or why she's here
- Tyson will probably proclaim himself the single most awesome "Survivor" player of all time -- and then someone will hopefully remind him that Sierra beat him
Here's a preview of this season's castaways:
Rupert Boneham
Hero
Previous seasons: Pearl Islands, All-Stars
''I will win Survivor because I am the toughest, the baddest, the most intense player I know,'' says fan favorite Rupert. But will he get burned again by trusting the wrong people? ''My family warned me as I'm walking out the door not to just blindly trust everybody. That was my problem in Pearl Islands and that was my problem in All-Stars. I know I'm not just gonna blindly trust anyone.''
Probst's Take: ''Rupert has one major thing working against him: The other Survivors are tired of him being referred to as 'America's Favorite Survivor.' He will have a very hard time getting any sympathy from anybody about anything. Rupert is a major long shot simply due to his popularity.''
Jessica ''Sugar'' Kiper
Hero
Previous season: Gabon
Don't expect the actress/pin-up to join forces with her archenemy from Gabon. ''I've asked Randy's forgiveness a couple of times and he won't talk to me.'' But could there be something romantic brewing with J.T.? ''There was something for a minute there. It might fizzle. We'll see. I hope there's a showmance. That would be fun. I hope it doesn't get us killed, though.''
Probst's Take: ''Audiences rooted for her the first time around, but is Sugar sweet enough to woo them again? The tears won't work again. She needs to play a different game this time around or she'll merely be the topping on another player's cake.''
''Boston'' Rob Mariano
Villain
Previous seasons: Marquesas, All-Stars
Has Boston Rob mellowed with age? You be the judge. ''A lot of these people are probably pretty jealous that myself and my wife got to do not only Survivor but The Amazing Race, twice each. I'm sure...some [contestants will] say 'get him the hell out of here.' But at the end of the day, they won't be able to write my name down. After 20 seasons, you'd think they'd know enough to get rid of me. But they won't.''
Probst's Take: ''One of my all-time favorites. His game is easy to predict because he only knows one way to play — full on. What's different this time? Rob is a new father: Will being away from Amber and the baby inspire him or distract him?''
Cirie Fields
Hero
Previous seasons: Panama, Micronesia
The cerebral strategist scares a good number of her fellow castaways. And with good reason. ''I will win Survivor because I'm a gangsta in an Oprah suit. I have all the tools necessary to defeat these people. Second, third, fourth place is no longer good enough. First place is the only place I want.'' Her biggest concern? ''I hate the bugs! And they're at me already. I must taste like chicken or something.''
Probst's Take: ''She got up off the couch to become an audience favorite on Exile Island. She nearly won Fans Vs. Favorites. Cirie is a very sharp social player and will not be able to hide this season. Her challenge will be to charm people even when they're aware they're being charmed.''
Colby Donaldson
Hero
Previous seasons: The Australian Outback, All-Stars
Colby will be the first to tell you that he was a letdown when he came back for All-Stars: ''I clearly wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared — physically, mentally. And as a result I didn't do well in the game.'' Could a refocused Colby and Jerri finally bury the hatchet and form an Australian alliance? ''I really don't have a beef with Jerri, but there is absolutely no way I'm ever gonna trust her.''
Probst's Take: ''The original hero. Everybody loved him in Australia, but All-Stars didn't go so well. This will be a defining season for Colby. He's not the young guy any more and his former popularity could work against him, but he's still a strong, physical threat to win his way deep into the game.''
Courtney Yates
Villain
Previous season: China
So, Courtney, who is season 20's most overrated Survivor? ''Is it bad form to say maybe I might be a little overrated? No illusions about my abilities, you know. Maybe they were just like short a blond. They weren't sure Sugar was gonna show and they needed another platinum. This is a disaster, so if I make it past the first thing, aces for me.''
Probst's Take: ''I'm so happy Courtney is coming back for more. She proved herself a worthy and incredibly lippy player last time and if she's smart she'll play the same game again: Stay out of the way, make a few snide comments, give your vote to the majority, and skip your way to the final.''
''Coach'' Benjamin Wade
Villain
Previous season: Tocantins
Wondering if Coach has gotten any less zen or any more humble? ''I will win Survivor because I have a philosophy: take your weaknesses and make them your strengths. Take your strengths, and become invincible. I have analyzed my first game, realized the mistakes that I have made — I will make those my strengths. I will take my strengths from that first game and make myself invincible.'' (So, no and no.)
Probst's Take: ''The Dragon Slayer is back and I couldn't be happier. Coach has an enthusiasm for the game that I wish all players shared. He loves the adventure, he loves the challenges, he loves the theatrics of it all. If I get one wish it's this: Please let Coach last a long time.''
Parvati Shallow
Villain
Previous seasons: Cook Islands, Micronesia
''I will win Survivor because I am a force of nature,'' says Parvati — and who's to argue? After all, she's done it before. So whom is she looking to take out? ''I think I want Sugar out first. Because I think she's aligned with J.T. She seems like a threat because she's all cutesy and charmy, so she might have to get the axe first.''
Probst's Take: ''[She] surprised everybody with her strategic game play in Fans Vs. Favorites. She is a major threat to go deep once again and, as a result, will have a big target on her back from day one. She'll need all her tools and a trustworthy partner.''
James Clement
Hero
Previous seasons: China, Micronesia
Who worries James? After being backstabbed by Amanda and then Parvati, just guess. ''Of course, [it's] the girls. They're the sneakiest ones. I'm kind of like Charlie Brown sometimes. Lucy says she gonna hold the ball and I go to kick it and then she moves it away and I fall on my butt. Hopefully this time I better kick the ball and get Lucy.''
Probst's Take: ''The gravedigger was voted out with two immunity idols, and then medically evacuated the second time around. Could this be the season that James puts it all together and makes it to the final? He is the biggest physical threat in the game — it's his strategy play that is in question.''
Amanda Kimmell
Hero
Previous seasons: China, Micronesia
Amanda has an explanation for why she flubbed her final Tribal Council...twice! ''In my defense, I did not get to see my first tribal council [for China] before my second [Micronesia], so I did the same thing both times.'' But she insists things will be different this season: ''I've really changed. I'm more aggressive, and I'm gonna get in there and I'm gonna be a bulldog. Seriously. No apologies, bitches.''
Probst's Take: ''One of the strongest female players in the history of the game. Made it to the final both times and holds the record for most days played. [Her] weak spot is finishing. To win, she'll need to find her backbone and speak up.''
Tom Westman
Hero
Previous season: Palau
The former firefighter declined to come back for Micronesia, so why return now and risk tarnishing his legacy as a Survivor winner? ''I kinda realized, the legacy isn't much. Being the winner of a reality television show isn't exactly quarterbacking a team to the Super Bowl. I was the last one out on my first season. If I'm the first one out on this season, no worries.''
Probst's Take: ''One of the most popular and respected winners of all time. He played a near perfect game in Palau. The former NYC fireman is risking his reputation by coming back for more, but if the fire still burns within, Tom could win another million dollars.''
Stephenie LaGrossa
Hero
Previous seasons: Palau, Guatemala
Who's on Stephenie's hit list? Who isn't? 1. Parvati. ''She's a tricky little sucker.'' 2. Rupert. ''We're all Survivors. We can all get our own food now.'' 3. Boston Rob. ''He's just cutthroat and he will try to charm you all the way to the end — until the second you are walking off that island because your fire is put out.'' 4. Cirie. ''Probably underrated and she is a true threat as well.''
Probst's Take: ''Stephenie is still in great physical shape and the competitive spirit is still there. She will be a major target and will need to make strong alliances to help get her deep in the game.''
Russell Hantz
VillainPrevious season: Samoa
Not surprisingly, Russell is gunning for the guy he's most often compared to: Boston Rob. ''Boston Rob is gonna think that I'm riding his coattails, and then I'll get rid of him whenever I want to get rid of him. I'm gonna let him think the way I want him to think. I'm the one controlling his mind. He ain't even controlling it!'' Since season 20 filmed before 19 even aired, the other all-stars have no idea what to expect from Russell: ''If they knew who I was, I guarantee you, I'd be first gone.''
Probst's Take: ''He polarized Survivor fans with his 'take no prisoners' attitude. Like him or not, you can't deny he is a smart, aggressive, and electric player. Russell is unpredictable and, as a result, it's impossible to predict how he'll play this time around. I'd love to see Russell and Boston Rob hook up — that could be a devastating alliance.''
Jerri Manthey
Villain
Previous seasons: Australian Outback, All-Stars
Like Colby, Jerri would rather forget her All-Stars experience: ''I went into it in such a vulnerable place trying to make the public like me as a person and I realized very quickly that regardless of what you do, people have an idea of who you are. So this time my strategy is to come back to the Jerri I was in Australia — the fearless Jerri.''
Probst's Take: ''Jerri is a bit of a wildcard. The years have softened her, but the image of 'original black widow' remains. Does she have enough edge to make it deep in the game or will she be content with a seat on the jury? Or less.''
James ''J.T.'' Thomas
Hero
Previous season: Tocantins
J.T. already has his sights set on his first victim. ''I cannot wait to get Cirie out of here. Cirie is a big player-eliminator and I don't want her eliminating me. So I'm after Cirie.'' And who is season 20's most overrated Survivor, according to the Tocantins champ? ''Jerri should not be here. She's way overrated. She's not a big player. She's a coattail rider and she needs to go. And I'm gonna do my best to send her home — after Cirie.''
Probst's Take: ''If there is one player in this game that just might be able to use the same charm over and over, it's J.T. There's something very likable about him and that's exactly what will work against him, because the other players know it.
Candice Woodcock
Hero
Previous season: Cook Islands
She's famous for mutinying in Cook Islands, which makes her an odd choice for a ''hero.'' And she's already gunning for one her tribemates. ''I want to see James gone first. I think James, Parvati, and Amanda all have an alliance from Micronesia. And I also think James likes the boys club. J.T., James, Tyson, Coach: I think they're all forming a boys club. I'm not against guys — I'm just against guys that have a guys club.''
Probst's Take: ''She earned major respect in the Cook Islands when she risked everything to return to her original tribe. She may be overlooked initially, but if you let her stay in this game too long, she is strong enough in challenges to make it to the end.''
Tyson Apostol
Villain
Previous season: Tocantins
Who would Tyson like to see gone first? ''The annoying people are the ones you really want to see go, so if I was going with that, it would be Sugar. But I would probably mostly want the strategic players out first because that would leave me the only mastermind in the game.... [But] there aren't any strategic players here, so I guess I'll just vote the annoying out first.''
Probst's Take: ''A dark horse to win this game. Tyson played a very good game in Tocantins. He does a good job of staying out of the spotlight but lingering just close enough to always be involved. He also has two former players, Coach and J.T., who could be of assistance in his quest.''
Sandra Diaz-Twine
Villain
Previous season: Pearl Islands
The Pearl Islands winner has an interesting strategy: ''I'm gonna give everybody the opportunity to come and get to know me, but if you don't even bother to come and get to know me, you're done. You dug your own grave. They need to come to me. I don't need to come to nobody.'' And she already has her sights on James and J.T. ''Everyone follows [them] around like puppy dogs. Maybe I'm jealous because no one gives me attention.''
Probst's Take: ''She won Pearl Islands by subscribing to a simple strategy, 'As long as it ain't me.' Sandra is one of the most outspoken of all Survivors, but she has an amazing way of blending with the others. Her mouth will be her biggest obstacle.''
Randy Bailey
Villain
Previous season: Gabon
So, has time healed all wounds when it comes to his Gabon nemesis, Sugar? ''It's no secret. I don't care for Sugar much, and it's not from her gameplay. I don't respect her as a human being. I respect her as a Survivor-player way more than a human being. But I am not going into this game hell-bent on getting rid of Sugar.... She's not gonna win this game. She's not gonna win any game.''
Probst's Take: ''The King of Gabon is not the most well-liked Survivor, but he is one of the most entertaining. Randy is one of the longest shots to win the game, but if he can get to the end, he is very well-spoken and could sway a jury.''
Danielle DiLorenzo
Villain
Previous season: Panama
The other season 20 castaways may have been surprised to see the unmemorable Panama runner-up as part of an all-stars cast, but Danielle insists she's earned her spot: ''I think I played a great game. I came in second place. I made moves when I needed to. I was strong physically and mentally. And I think that I deserve to be here, 'cause I'm gonna kick some ass.''
Probst's Take: ''Danielle is a strong physical competitor and she's in better shape than she was on Exile Island. Danielle is also a scrappy strategist. Her biggest asset will be people underestimating her. If she can keep her ego in check and let others make the 'big' decisions, she could last a while.''
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