Survivor: Gabon boasts the most stunning scenery we've seen in the show's seventeen seasons. Unlike
Survivor's first season in Africa (otherwise known as “The Worst Setting Ever for a
Survivor Season”), Gabon is a lush and expansive place. The producers found an exceptional landscape to film the season, with rolling meadows, canyons, strategic hills and an abundance of water. This is a perfect setting for
Survivor. The switch to high-definition isn't as noticeable as I thought it'd be, but the aerial camera work and the shots of the wildlife are stunning nonetheless. But, all of that periphery is meaningless in
Survivor. It's all about the cast and
Survivor: Gabon, upon first impression, has a worthy cast of characters, a solid mix of heroes and villains.
People I Like
Randy
Initially, I thought I would absolutely despise this man. But, he's kind of awesome. The man is as blunt as a caveman's whooping stick. Randy simply tells it like it is. He's an ornery old man, uncaring towards others, but he speaks the truth. He is unforgiving in his comments towards his tribe members. The beauty of it (and why he's unique for an out-spoken tribesman) is that he saves all of his comments for the confessionals. Randy's like the greek chorus, yet he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut whilst amongst his tribe. Also, it was pretty funny when he broke his head open.
Bob
What a crafty veteran this Bob fellow is. He's not the typical strong middle-aged man we're used to. He's nimble as all hell, as witnessed during the bowling ball challenge. He is an absolute boon to have around camp, and he picked a far better team than Gillian did. He might be doing a little too much this early in the season, and could quickly be perceived as a massive target, but as long as he keeps bringing in the fish, the tribe should keep him around.
Paloma
Paloma struck me as a happy person, full of joy. We didn't see too much of her in the premiere, but the fact that she laughed hysterically at Ace's yoga teachings endeared her to me. Maybe she's actually a raging bitch, but Paloma gave off an excellent first impression.
People I Don't Like
GC
How defensive and insecure can you be? After forcefully elected the leader of his tribe, GC ordered everyone around for about half of a day, but the second his leadership was remotely questioned, he folded like a pink lawn chair. His overall attitude is pretty inexcusable.
Michelle
Why did Michelle even want to be on the show?
Survivor shouldn't have cast a person who hates people. And Michelle hated people. I know she was the first person voted off, but Michelle was just plain awful in the screen time she had. You don't get to have a sense of entitlement and superiority because you were able to run up a hill faster than most people. Good riddance.
Ace
This guy is a joke. The most arrogant person on
Survivor: Gabon, I get the feeling that Ace will be a constant source of viewer annoyance until he is voted off. And, what the hell is the deal with his orange underwear. Are those man panties? Or, are they simply female undergarments he decided to wear? If I wanted to see male butt cheeks, I'd be watching men's diving.
Survivor is not the place for such things.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of CBS)