If you’re a long-time fan of Survivor, you probably know and/or follow Gordon Holmes (and if you don’t or aren’t, then please do!). Gordon has been covering Survivor since Season 17, “Survivor: Gabon,” and is one of the top Survivor press members out there. He is the curator of the Survivor Hall of Fame and covers Survivor for XfinityTV.com with weekly recaps, exit interviews, and his trusted “Survivor Power Rankings.”
Nearly as long as I’ve been covering Survivor professionally (since Season 20, “Heroes vs. Villains“), I’ve been chatting with Gordon Holmes on my Podcast. Typically we chat prior to the beginning of each season, but we thought it would be interesting to switch things up this season and chat during Season 35. Keep reading for some highlights from my most recent interview with Gordon and for a link to the full Podcast discussion.
Episode 3 of “Survivor: HHH” airs on Wednesday, Oct 11, and our conversation took place before the airing of this Ep but after Episode 2. We talked a lot about the cast of the current season, the state of the show as a whole and its future. We even hit on some of the most talked-about moments from last season.
If you love Survivor, I urge you to check out the full Podcast interview with Gordon Holmes here! Here were some highlights from the interview:
GORDON HOLMES INTERVIEW:
On the current state of Survivor as a whole:
Gordon Holmes: I think we’re kind of in a new Golden Age…but I feel like maybe starting with that first “Blood vs. Water,” things have really started to pick up, and sure there have been some slow seasons like “Worlds Apart,” but we’ve now been in a string of really, really solid seasons. Personally, I have to admit, that my Survivor enthusiasm took a hit with last season’s Varner/Zeke exchange…and I’ve had a little trouble getting it back to be honest.
On the cast of Season 35:
Gordon: I’m rooting for Ali, I like Ryan, I like Devon. I mean, even Patrick isn’t a jerk, he’s just annoying, like, that’s not a crime (laughs). Thankfully, or I’d be in jail. But with the exception of Alan, nobody really stands out in terms of “what is this person’s deal?” Yet. And Alan will still have a chance to redeem himself so we’ll have to see what comes next.
On the trend towards younger casts on Survivor:
Gordon: You know I think you lose something without your veterans. And I don’t mean people that have played the game before, I mean people with more life experience. Sometimes I look at people like Cole and I think, you know what, I would eat this kid alive. And that’s not saying he’s not intelligent, it’s saying that he just doesn’t have the 41 years of dealing with people that I do.
Remember to return right here to RealityTea for my Recap following this week’s new episode, and then another edition of the FilmSurvivor Podcast on Thursday, where you can listen to my full exit interview with the next person voted out of the game. The easiest way to get all of my Survivor coverage and movie reviews is to follow me on Twitter – @tomsantilli – or on Facebook.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SEASON THUS FAR? IS COLE AND JESSICA’S SHOW-MANCE A GOOD OR BAD THING? AND NOW THAT YOU’VE SEEN TWO EPISODES, WHO DO YOU PREDICT WILL BE SOLE SURVIVOR THIS SEASON?
Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira
