[Jeff Probst]

- Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:22:20 am #83 This season I'm going to try something a little bit different. I'm going to give the contestants a score from 1-10 on several different categories as well as describe why they have been cast on this season.

Before I do that though, I'd like to say how i'm feeling going into this season. It's a bit of a risk, taking 24 players who have played before but weren't necessarily super-star status. A majority of these players were early boots or ran into activity issues which makes this extra risky. But I haven't gotten to 26 seasons playing it safe when it comes to casting or twists. Inspired by the current season of Survivor, and the recent slew of amazing seasons with amazing casts, I felt like it was time to do a full on Redemption season, the first ever in stranded history. To add to those firsts, we're splitting the tribes into 4 tribes for the first time EVER in stranded AND we're also changing up the typical "partners" season of the game. We're throwing in lots of unique aspects this season and I hope it will result in a fun season.

But it's a complete risk. It could totally flop, riddled with inactivity and players who just aren't interesting. That's why we're starting the game with 24 players in the hopes of weeding out some of the early dead-weight and letting the cream rise to the top this season.

So am I excited? Yes, I am cautiously optimistic, but i'm excited for every season. If I wasn't, i wouldn't get very far in the planning of them.

Let's start with the categories of how I will be ranking the players:

Gameplay - This is how well I think this person can play a strategic/social game (which I personally think are one in the same). How much game does this person got?
Star Power - How big of a personality will this person be this season.
Likeability - How likable the person is, low scores determine villainess.
Longevity - How deep I believe this person will go in the game.

So lets get to ranking.

[Jeff Probst]

- Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:28:51 am #84

David
Gameplay - 5
Star Power - 9
Likeability - 7
Longevity - 8

David's one of the players I'm most looking forward to. After trying for a while to get him to play again, it's nice to finally have him and he's definitely a huge "get." Do I think he will do well here? I don't know. I think David tends to play a safer game and then fuck it up by being too eager to make big moves. I really am getting Cochran in Portugal vibes and i hope that translates into a super entertaining trainwrecky season of awesome. I would LOOOVE to see David have a similar fate here of ending up as the most hated person in the final 2. We'll see how he has adapted and maybe he'll have a cooler demeanor this time around, but I have a feeling when things get going David won't be able to help hisself. He even alluded to that in his app.

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Diane
Gameplay - 3
Star Power - 9
Likeability - 6
Longevity - 5

Diane was a standout in her season despite being there for only three episodes. She was the epicenter of all the drama and was bullied for seemingly no reason at all. She has poor social skills in the game, this is going to be her biggest hurdle. That being said, she has a rootable quality about her. She's kinda an oddball around camp and I can't help but love that. She was certainly the underdog in Venezuela as she was bullied right out of the early premerge, but she left a lasting impact on the game in setting up Frank's demise. In other series, i've heard that Diane has done really well and was a little trainwrecky but was still a dominant player. I look forward to seeing how much she has learned since Venezuela and have faith she will be a very very entertaining player here. Looking forward to seeing her play a lot.

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Liliana
Gameplay - 5
Star Power - 6
Likeability - 5
Longevity - 5

These are harsh but truthful rankings for Liliana based purely on her potential heading into this game. The main reason I've cast her again is that she was so adamant post-season about getting back into another season to prove herself. I really admire that about her and she is a true second-chance story. She's one of the biggest risks I'm taking this season, but just some vibe I got off her tells me she'll deliver or die trying. She knows how she screwed up and she knows what she needs to do to succeed.... but will she be able to do it, that's the question. She wanted to be a powerhouse schemer in the last season and fell into the background. She showed us glimpses of spicy personality towards the very end of her time out there and that was enough for me to want to see more. I think she knows she has to come in here swinging this time and we'll see how that works for her. Maybe she'll overcorrect, either way I hope I'm right about giving her another shot.

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Sandra
Gameplay - 4
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 8
Longevity - 9

Sandra's a old school player who has become a legend in online gaming. She has played in tons of games. i don't know if she has ever won a game but I do know she is not regarded highly as a strategist. She is a veteran player and as such has made a name for herself. That makes her a big name here and an interesting person to watch. I equate it a lot to Coby, Becky and Skinny Ryan in Portugal. They were all not the largest personalities but being shoved into the spotlight made them big personalities and big players in the season. I think that will be the case with Sandra. She should do very well here, i would be surprised to see her as an early boot. I haven't seen her play in so long i have no idea what to expect personality or gameplay wise, so this should be fun.

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Sean
Gameplay - 10
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 4
Longevity - 5

Sean has huge game, we all know it, we've all seen it. I've put him with a question mark because he's failed twice now after succeeding only in his first game. Granted, it was a legendary first performance, but after failing hard twice, he's definitely someone who needs to do well here to secure his legacy. I guess I should rephrase that, this is one of Sean's last chances to really prove himself if he wants to be invited back again and considered a huge character in Stranded history. I'm rooting for him and in some ways he's a ringer here. Hopefully his schedule works well this time and he's able to get in good and cause some damage this season.

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Shane
Gameplay - 5
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 7

Shane has the uncanny ability to be instantly likable despite being hugely controversial. He's just a great guy and a smart dude to boot. I don't remember him being a great player in temrs of strategy, but I do know he's one hell of a likable guy and that means something. He was able to be in the finals before and come within a vote of winning, so that says a lot about his abilities. The big question mark is that he hasn't played in 7 years... how will that affect his gameplay. Will he be able to adjust to the crowd, is it like riding a bike? That's what makes him so fascinating this season. He's one of the huge gets possibly the biggest get I've ever gotten, especially this late in the game. I put in a lot of work tracking him down and convincing him to play, let's hope he can assimilate and devote the time to this because i'm really looking forward to see him again. Either way, how fucking cool is this.

[Jeff Probst]

- Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:34:40 am #85

Jenna
Gameplay - 2
Star Power - 5
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 5

I don't know how well Jenna can do in this, and that's a huge question mark that has caused some dissension in the casting ranks. Is she going to just be so boring, will she just be the annoying cheerleader again who isn't playing the game? I don't know, but isn't that the fun of a second chance season. What I do know is that she is one of the most enthusiastic people wanting to play in this season and one of the most likable to boot. She knows she didn't play aggressively enough last season and I hope that translates into a solid game here for her. We'll see. Definitely a question mark. My biggest fear for Jenna is that she'll fall into a follower roll and go to the end of the game being a complete supporting character for someone else's game.

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Jim
Gameplay - 5
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 9
Longevity - 4

I don't know how long we will have Jim in this season, but every second I will cherish. He left the last season early due to an unfortunate family emergency. Jim is the definition of a second chance contestant. Went waaaay too soon and was a huge stand out in his short time in the game. He's one of the best cast members we've gotten, he was a huge score at the time and he was in a great position in the game despite the odds against him. That made his exit so devastating. I really would love to see Jim make it far here. I think he deserves it and he deserves to be remembered for more than just an early boot. I'm beyond excited to hear from him again and I know I will have fun watching him, for however long that may be.

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John
Gameplay - 9
Star Power - 7
Likeability - 3
Longevity - 4

John was someone I've always really really liked. I had him down as someone to go late game and play a very good game in Venezuela. He was poised to do VERY well there having set up the majority alliance and called the shots on who would go home. Then something very rare happened, the late comers were able to flip the vote around and take out the ringleader. John became one of the most dominant first boots in stranded history. That's what makes this fun. He was a fluke early boot. I truly believe if he didnt go out first, he could have won. If he can devote the time and is active here, I can see him doing very well. I hope he does! That would be a fantastic story. First boot to winner.

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Kelly
Gameplay - 7
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 8
Longevity - 6

I have REALLY high hopes for Kelly. Shes the only player returning from the first season. I think this is the first game she has played in 8 years. She was a huge character in the first season and later on in all-stars. She was a really likable and smart player. How cool is it to have her back? I mean that's going to be so surreal seeing her interact with players from the latest season. I would love nothing more than to see her dominate here and play a super solid game. I know she has the ability and is an intelligent player. It's just going to be that same question mark for all the early players, can she bounce back into the game after such a long layoff? Are the players who have just come out of 5 games this year going to just stampede right over her and the old schoolers? I don't know, that's kind of the fun of this season though. Looking forward to her the most and she is my pick!!!

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Marissa
Gameplay - 9
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 8
Longevity - 8

Marissa should do really well here. The only hiccup I see her having is if she is targetted as too strong of a player early on. If that begins to happen. She's definitely all-star status, she's just missed out on the all-star season and thus is now in need of some redemption. I really wanted her to win in Portugal if Cochran and Vytas couldn't win. Her story was just as epic as theres and she added a kick ass personality. I can't wait to see what she does here on her own. I have a feeling she will do really well again. She's an obvious favorite going into this. Let's see what she can do here.

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Mookie
Gameplay - 6
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 5

Mookie's another Jim situation. One of the early favorites in a really unfortunate early situation of being on the losing tribe. I think had he made it out of Hestur he would have been end game and possibly taken Penner's spot as the winner of his season. He's an incredibly hilarious guy, a smart player, and someone I really look forward to seeing here. He's definitely one of the players we created this season for. The definition of a second chancer. Praying we get to see him all season <3

[Jeff Probst]

- Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:59:26 am #86

Artis
Gameplay - 8
Star Power - 7
Likeability - 4
Longevity - 6

Artis is a big risk for us this season. Not because he can't deliver, he went out mid-season and as someone I really thought had huge potential in the game and just got screwed. He's expressed some concern for activity level with his work. We're taking a risk on him because he did have such huge potential that I really want to see hwat he can do here. It could go either way. Either he is too inactive to make any real impact or he can swing it and manages to do some serious damage. I guess only time will tell, but i'm excited to see him back.

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Carl
Gameplay - 8
Star Power - 9
Likeability - 9
Longevity - 6

Carl's another old school all-star who hasn't played in forever. He's in need of some Redemption in that sense. He said it himself, he's the spencer of Stranded. He's socially retarded, yet still super likable. He's always being outsmarted by the real mastermind of the season yet trying to go to war with them. He had a really fun arch with Jessie in his original season. He came back for Rivals and ended up being the sweetheart underdog of the season. He's a really smart guy, a solid strategist, socially retarded but fun to watch play. I look forward to seeing what Carl does with the second chance players. Glad to see my buddy back again :)

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Flicka
Gameplay - 7
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 7

Flicka was someone who went mid game. She started the game so socially awkward it was comical. She was notably tutored by Candice and over time really improved her social skills. And then after gaining some confidence she started to become a complete bad ass. By the end of her game she had found the hidden immunity idol, was a pivotal role in alliances and was a stand out that season. She's getting the redemption nod because she was early jury and had JUST started getting her game together when it was cut short. It'll be fun to see if she can continue playing a great game from jump this time.

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Kim
Gameplay - 4
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 8
Longevity - 5

Kim is a huge question mark as well. She's someone who in her first game was super aggressive and was apart of an alliance meant to overthrow the status quo. She was mainly a follower though in her first season. In her second season she came back as a second chancer and really never got her feet wet. She came out fighting in the council where she ultimately went home. That fight was the glimmer of hope I have for Kim. She really needs to do well here to redeem herself. That's the kind of person who deserves a redemption spot. She needs it badly and she knows it. Rooting for her because she is really fun to watch.

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Rupert
Gameplay - 4
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 8

Rupert is a really likable guy. I don't know if he can be an extreme strategist, but he's definitely a smart guy. I don't know how big of an extrovert he is. He's not an extreme personality, but he's an extremely likable person. I want Rupert to do well and that's enough for him to return. He's an old schooler who has literally been in nothing since his season. That's fun to me. That's something I want to see. Let's bring in an old school rando and see what he does. Will his game change? Who knows, he's not been around in forever. But he's definitely a favorite based on likable personality alone.

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Sophie
Gameplay - 7
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 7

Sophie is in the Marissa category. Someone who was supposed to be an All-star but the timing didn't work out. That puts her up for some redemption. She's also someone who spent her entire first game clawing her way out of a hole and being extremely successful at it. It's going to be a lot of fun seeing Sophie play again and if she can get her feet wet I have no doubt she will be fun. She doesn't have a whole lot to prove necessarily this season, but she's definitely worthy of a second appearance that we were robbed of in the Marquesas. Looking forward to it.

[Jeff Probst]

- Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:04:55 am #87

Gabriel
Gameplay - 6
Star Power - 7
Likeability - 8
Longevity - 9

Gabriel's a player that made the final 3 and lost because he was a follower. That means he's going to come into this game with a lot to prove. He's also obsessed with the series. All the ingredients for the ideal second chance contestant! I really hope he goes trainwreck status, but I think he will be a really solid player and different from the first experience. it's a few years later, he's much more experienced and he's alone here. Unlike last time where he hid under Patricia the whole season. Granted, he was apart of that dynamic duo and they did cause an extreme amount of chaos in their season, it was mostly patricia and that reflected in his final vote. Let's hope he can come out from her shadow and doesn't play this too safe.

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Kimmi
Gameplay - 9
Star Power - 6
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 9

Kimmi is another finalist that played it too safe. She was actually considered a frontrunner for a long time and blew it in the final when everyone realized she hadn't had a huge impact as they had thought. That's not exactly fair though, she was a huge part of the success of her alliance. I hope this season will force Kimmi out in the open. She's known as a co host, she knows she cant play this season too safely if she wants to win. I think itll be a fun season for her. She'll definitely make merge though.

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Kristina
Gameplay - 9
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 6

Kristina is someone that can absolutely dominate. I saw her do it in Isolated. I've also seen her get pushed to the background in Marquesas, so it's a toss up really. One thing is for certain, Kristina has it all. She's a huge underdog with her background story. She's literally the person who I want to see do the best for outside-game circumstances. She's also fun as hell when she's in a position of power or on the run. I'm really hoping she can make the merge to do some serious damage this season. I'm rooting for you!!! WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!!!

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Ozzy
Gameplay - 6
Star Power - 8
Likeability - 7
Longevity - 4

Ozzy is another complete question mark, but had huge potential in his season. He was one of my favorites pre-season, he might have even been a pick. I thought for sure he would reach legend status before he had to pull himself from the game for activity reasons. Immediately after faroe islands he was emailing me asking when he could play again. BEGGING to be put back in, love it. Someone who immediately quit the season, perfect second chancer. I think he's going to do really well here, at least I hope so. At the very least he'll get his fair chance this time. Rooting for him.

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Sugar
Gameplay - 7
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 10
Longevity - 4

I don't know how well Sugar will do. She's always kind of been a question mark activity wise, but when she is there she is a fucking STAR. She's been underrated in Stranded, but pre-stranded she was phenomenal. Sugar and I go way back so seeing her here again as my all-time favorite rep getting a second chance is really exciting. I'm trying not to get my hopes up so I don't expect a lot from her here. Either way it will be fun to talk to her again and see her playing in a game again. She's been playing games for like 10 years with me and her last season was around 5 years ago. Let's see if our old school goddess can shine among the fresh meat. Love you bae.

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Yau Man
Gameplay - 2
Star Power - 10
Likeability - 2
Longevity - 2

I don't know if Yau Man has a shot in hell here. He's a Papa Bear esque trainwreck that we never fully got to experience when he quit. The little we did get from him was phenomenal. If he could just deliver that again this season I would be happyw ith an early boot. But the idea of a trainwreck going deep and causing complete chaos is something that i close to my heart. I really believe Yau Man could become legend status like Papa Bear and so many other trainwrecks befor ehim, hell... trainwrecks that are on this season even. Let's see what happens. This is totally a... fuck it! Let's see what this nutter does... casting decision.