Suck It Up and Survive.
The title of Survivor Season 29 Episode 1 could basically apply to any installment in this or 28 prior seasons, but darned if we aren’t excited all over again.
The setting is San Juan del Sur, with loved ones pitted against each other – Blood vs. Water style – and a solid cast of characters. Chief among them?
John Rocker.
The former, possibly racist Major League Baseball player had a hard time staying anonymous, even though it’s been years since he pitched.
Wes Nale, a big Braves fan from Louisiana, figured him out pretty quickly, as did his father Keith, on the other team and later on Exile Island.
Amusingly, Rocker is going by the name of John Wetteland, another relief pitcher from his time in the MLB, and a name even less recognizable.
Other duos pitted against one another are The Amazing Race twins Natalie and Nadiya Anderson, and a Broadway couple, Josh Canfield and Reed Kelly.
Rocker, who once ripped “queers with AIDS” and N.Y. City "foreigners" in an interview with Sports Illustrated is with model girlfriend Julie McGee.
She could be a real wild card this season, along with Wes and Keith Nale and Jaclyn Schultz and John Misch. Keep your eye on those stars.
If the new season taught us anything in its first week, it’s that the show has adapted brilliantly to the times, while maintaining its old appeal.
With the return of Exile Island, along with a new competition, The Hero Challenge, and a cast that will keep on generating buzz and catch your eye?
Combine it with the award-winning cinematography, Jeff Probst and format that first made the show such a hit all those years ago and you’ve got …
Still a hit. You never know how it’s going to play out and last night was no exception, as the new band of would-be heroes and villains jockeyed for position.
Viewers saw John vote for Nadiya, based on her experience from The Amazing Race, while Nadiya votes for Dale, calling him the odd man out.
Those are the only two votes shown. With no hidden immunity idols in play, the votes are in: Nadiya, Dale, Baylor, Dale, Nadiya, Dale, Nadiya.
It’s 3-3, setting up a close race until Nadiya receives another vote and is sent packing. She’s not happy, but is rooting for her twin all the way now.
Did you have an early favorite (or non-favorite) from the Season 29 premiere? Who do you think is on top of their game, and who’s going to be out next?
As always, you can watch Survivor online and relive all the action from start to finish, and catch up on past episodes throughout the season, as well.