Clearly you forgot our school's credo: Aggies don't lie, steal, cheat,or promise hand-carved prizes for Internet contests and then don't deliver - or tolerate those who do.

Yep. Kelley Wentworth here

I think I'm ready to go with

Tasha
Monica
Savage
Deitz

Wentworth for me too

no real feel for what is going to happen, so i will pick 4 i would enjoy seeing go far.

Woo
Spencer
Keith
Fishbach

gotta have 2 females

oops.

i guess spencer, woo, tasha, monica then.

Just an update - now 24 people playing; last year I think it was only 17 or so. I've got the picks updated for everyone up to right now.

Tomorrow I"ll be out of pocket after 3 p.m. until about 11 p.m., so if you make your picks between 3-6:59 p.m., they won't be on the spreadsheet until I get back on to watch tomorrow night, but rest assured, I'll include them.

As with last year, i won't start posting the standings until someone's picks find/use an idol or get voted off. Typing in a 24-way tie for first isn't my idea of a good use of time.

M1: Spencer
M2: Woo
F1: Tasha
F2: Kelly Wentworth

Had to change a few since my picks were the same as Mucks.

Keith
Andrew Savage
Kimmi
Kelley Wentworth

You want to be like the defending champ, who can blame you?

Joe
Woo
Wentworth
Kimmi

Yes! Iam the only one who picked the eventual winner - Terry!!

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Yes! Iam the only one who picked the eventual winner - Terry!!

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if by only, you mean "1 of 6", then yes, you're the only one.

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Alright I'm in. I'll take:
Kelley W.
Woo
Spencer
Sherin

*edit for misspell

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Well, ****

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Alright I'm in. I'll take:
Kelley W.
Woo
Spencer
Sherin

*edit for misspell

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Well, ****

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Lol

Damn, the switch to 3 tribes is crazy. May change lots of dynamics that lead all of us to make our choices.

And yay for Shirin being gone.

Very obvious move by production to give a popular character new life (Spencer). They've done it before.

Not that I'm complaining, I picked Spencer in my top 4

I wish they would have gotten rid of Abi first. Why does she even go on the show?

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Very obvious move by production to give a popular character new life (Spencer). They've done it before.

Not that I'm complaining, I picked Spencer in my top 4

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I think this was a plan all along. They needed to do things theyve never done. Plus 80% of these players are popular. Love the move to 3 I just wish they didn't mention it in the preview.

Well kids, you either rolled with Ratgirl or you didn't.

No ratgirl? you're tied for first at 4 points

Ratgirl? you've only got 3.

The spreadsheet (yes it's updated!)

Missed the scenes for next week with 3 tribes.

They probably did it to keep a tribe from getting decimated. And if they had voted out Spencer, if would have. Now they are going to 3, they made a mistake not getting him out.

Oh well.

Looking like Abi is going to stick around for a while, unfortunately. I did enjoy the Spencer/Shirin/Woo conversation. I feel like the old Woo would have been a little more agreeable - so it was nice to see him say, um - no!

I think the tribe swap will be fun - I wonder how many of these twists they'll throw at them this season.

Looking forward to seeing the look on Kass and Tasha's faces when Ratgirl doesnt show up for hte next meeting. She really did it to herself though, not maintaining her relationship with Abi-Maria; never seeming to talk to Terry or to Woo AT ALL. I mean jeez, you're out there literally all day, you cant find the time to talk to some people.

And no offense to Jeremey and his motivations, but a guy who voluntarily leaves his pregnant wife home alone is an a-hole.

Good for Woo for telling them to shove it.

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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Something very interesting is happening this season, which we haven't seen for a while: People on both tribes (Spencer, Shirin, Stephen basically anyone whose name starts with the letter S) have ended up on the outs (or out completely) for playing TOO fast. Instead of the old school folks getting overwhelmed by the speed of the game, they're ostracizing those who try to play at a new school pace. Did that surprise you?

JEFF PROBST: I've been sitting here at my computer, staring at the screen trying to decide if I agree with your observation. I definitely see what you are saying, but I'm wondering if it's even a bit more layered. It seems that it might be a combination of playing hard and fast along with whether or not you are fitting in. Joe and Savage and Jeremy are playing as fast as anybody. They made a very quick agreement to stay together but because they all agree, it's okay.
Fishbach is not "in" with that group, so he's trying to find another way to play. So Fishbach looking for an idol is not a bad idea for a guy who is concerned he isn't fitting in. Vytas may have "tried" too hard, but not sure he was playing any faster than anybody else as evidenced by Wentworth finding the clue to the idol and then brazenly retrieving it in the middle of the challenge. So I'm suggesting that maybe it's too early to draw a conclusion as the game is still finding its feet.

You mentioned the eerie parallel to Shirin being shunned by her tribe last season and having only Mike to offer a shoulder to lean on, and then Abi this time being in a situation where only Terry came down to check on her after a big fight, even though Shirin was there while all this was going down. Is this move by Terry the perfect example of how social and strategic games can work hand in hand?

Yes! And I was really impressed by Terry. I know from my own personal journey and therapy and attempts at growth that it's much easier to say you are going to change than it is to actually change. To change a habit, you have to really pay attention and look for opportunities to put that change into motion. That's what Terry did and he did it with one of the least likely people: Abi. He saw a person in need, that was his first call to action. Then he realized, "I can show kindness to this person AND improve my social game which will hopefully improve the strategic part of my game." Win, win, win. This is a great example of what most excites me about this season: watching people who endeavor to change attempt to do it in the most extreme situation. I was so happy to hear so many positive comments about the premiere and I think this is why this season is truly unique and it's easy and fun to get invested in the individual stories.

Six days into the game, did you and all the other producers look at each and other and ask yourselves, "Why did we wait 29 seasons to bring Jeff Varner back?" This guy is pure gold.

Ha! We've been trying to get Varner back for years. Every time a new casting theme came up he would be one of the first names on the list. We have always loved Varner. It just never worked out. I will say that the Varner who showed up was not the Varner I expected. I remembered Jeff as a young, cocky, charming villain who I would have been delighted seeing win the game. The guy who showed up for Second Chance is a much more mature, slightly annoyed, but still incredibly charming guy with just enough life experience and humility to be an equally satisfying winner. He's a great storyteller with a unique observation on the world.

BONUS QUESTION! You and I went through this challenge course and picked out a place to hide the immunity idol, yet Bayon did not find their clue so it never came into play. Still, how do you feel about our hiding place on to top of the third A-frame?

Yes, we wanted to do that with you and for you because for years you have been such a big proponent of the idea of hiding an idol within a challenge. Once we decided to do it, we all agreed we had to involve you in the creative. So we let you have a big say in where we would hide it for that challenge, which, had it happened, would have been the top of the final A-frame. We had a GREAT camera shot lined up too! I was really hoping someone would find the note so you could see it play out but they didn't, so we didn't get to give you the entire thank-you gift.
But one of the benefits of it not working out is further evidence that we don't control the game. We rehearsed it as though they would find it and when they didn't, we pulled it out. That's how it goes. But we do appreciate your genuine love of Survivor and your support over the years. And you can absolutely add "Challenge Co-Producer" to your resume!

WANT MORE EW? Subscribe now to keep up with the latest in movies, television, and music.
Okay, time to tease us up. You all have contracted down in tribes before, but I don't recall ever expanding. What can you tell us about next week's shift from two tribes to three?

When you bring back returning players, it's extremely tough to ever surprise them. So we had a few ideas in our hopper and we hoped that at least a couple of them would surprise at least a couple of players. I wouldn't be surprised if several players considered the idea of a two-to-three tribe switch but you never know for sure, and when it finally hits, it's pretty powerful. The obvious impact is that it completely changes the game, and for some I will tease that it will be a MAJOR setback.
I love these moments because it pushes people to find a new way. How do I get back in the game? Tribe switches are one of the few parts of the game you can't control. It's the "luck" portion of the game. By simply drawing the right or wrong buff your game moves in one direction or the other. That's why there is no "fool proof" strategy. Survivor requires you to constantly adapt 24 hours a day for 39 straight days. Exhausting and life-changing. See ya next week!

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Well kids, you either rolled with Ratgirl or you didn't.

No ratgirl? you're tied for first at 4 points

Ratgirl? you've only got 3.

The spreadsheet (yes it's updated!)

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Tied for first!!! Suck it, all y'all!!

I wonder if we are now going to 3 tribes if they will continue to hide idols at challenges and if Kelley will be smart enough to look for a new clue or at least try to find one at the challenge.

What's going to be interesting is if Kelley ends up part of a new tribe at a new location. They'll bring her stuff to the new location, but she buried her idol in the woods. If she doesn't bring it with her to that particular meeting when they drop the buffs, she isn't going to be able to get it, maybe ever.

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What's going to be interesting is if Kelley ends up part of a new tribe at a new location. They'll bring her stuff to the new location, but she buried her idol in the woods. If she doesn't bring it with her to that particular meeting when they drop the buffs, she isn't going to be able to get it, maybe ever.

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Oooh, good point. Doubt she brings it to the next challenge, so hopefully she gets lucky and ends up back at the same camp.

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What's going to be interesting is if Kelley ends up part of a new tribe at a new location. They'll bring her stuff to the new location, but she buried her idol in the woods. If she doesn't bring it with her to that particular meeting when they drop the buffs, she isn't going to be able to get it, maybe ever.

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Hmmmmmm.....

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The obvious impact is that it completely changes the game, and for some I will tease that it will be a MAJOR setback.

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That's the way I took Jeff's hint. I'm betting her idol is back at the other camp and she has nothing now.

I did find it weird that she buried it outside of camp. I bet if she tied it to her torch, no one would notice (hidden in plain sight.) Then she would always have it at tribal council.

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I did find it weird that she buried it outside of camp. I bet if she tied it to her torch, no one would notice (hidden in plain sight.) Then she would always have it at tribal council.

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Did they show her bury it? I mustve missed it.

She buried it at the base of tree. It looked to be outside of camp.