RNO Roundtable – ‘Survivor: Pearl Islands’ Predictions

It’s prediction time once again at RealityNewsOnline. Time to gather up whichever writers think they can look into their crystal balls and foresee how each of the sixteen newest Survivor contestants will do. This time, we have three participants – David Bloomberg’s correct winner predictions for both of the previous two series seem to have frightened everybody else off. Or else they just don’t want their names associated with his when he goes down in flames this time. Either way, let’s take a look at what David, Betsy Wasser, and Ken Kellam III think they know about Survivor: Pearl Islands.

Burton Roberts

Betsy: He’s strong, outdoorsy, and seems to be hardworking, so he should make the merge. After the merge, his ability to sell himself (he’s a marketing executive) and the charm he shows on his audition video lead me to believe he’ll find an alliance and stick around for a while. I like his chances. The only point against him is that he didn’t list Survivor as one of his favorite TV shows. He does claim to have been studying past seasons, so that could make the difference. I think his chances are very good.

Ken: I get the feeling Roberts will quickly establish himself as a tribal leader, possibly in the Michael Skupin mode. He lists his experience as an Eagle Scout as one of his greatest assets. But after the merge, that will not be an asset, but rather a liability. Unless he has a strong alliance, he could find himself one of the first post-merger targets. Regardless, he'll most likely make the jury, but not the final two.

David: Burton looks like he could be the golden boy of Survivor: Pearl Islands. The main key will be for him to join up with the right alliance and not get bogged down immediately in tribal politics. I think he’ll be able to do it and will make the jury, possibly the final four. However, he looks like one of those guys you don’t want around in the finals, so he’ll go before then.

Christa Hastie

Betsy: She’s very pretty and seems like a nice person, but I don’t think she’ll ultimately have the edge to make it very far. Plus in her video profile, she spends a really long time talking about how smart she is. If she’s that smart, she wouldn’t feel the need to say so. She’ll make the merge and possibly the jury, but that’s it.

Ken: Calls herself "chameleon-like," claiming she can fit in anywhere. If this is true, it well serve her well in the game. Seems to have an attitude, however, and this can work for or against you. An example: Refusing to get off hood of her car when she found out it was being towed and therefore being arrested for interfering with a police officer. Chances are she may wear on more than a few nerves. She won't be one of the first ones voted out of her tribe, but probably be one of the last ones not to make the merge.

David: I’m thinking that Christa wishes that perhaps every message she ever posted (like ones on drug use) weren’t saved on the Internet. But, hey, it showed she was resourceful in trying to find out information, right? Ahem. Anyway, the information I’ve read so far also indicates that Christa is resourceful on the island. She’s definitely not going to just sit around and let herself get voted off. I look for her to form an alliance with Burton and go quite a long way. Not quite to the final four, but definitely the jury.

Jon Dalton

Betsy: This guy seems like an idiot. He lists Hugh Hefner as one of his heroes, and in both his audition video and video profile, he goes on and on about his plans to hook up with all of the women on the island. Jon should have gone on a dating show instead. He’s obnoxious, cocky, and seems completely unfocused on the game. As a result, he won’t make the merge.

Ken: This graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (and thanks to the employee of the school who brought the school's full name to my attention) calls himself, "smarter than the average bear," and cites organizational and leadership skills as his strengths. Honestly, the first word that comes to mind is "cocky." If he can keep that cockiness under wraps, a la Brian Heidik or Rich Hatch, he may stay around long enough to make the final four. Or, his desire to be the "alpha male" could be his undoing, and he could miss the merger.

David: Buh-bye. One of his "hobbies" is "girls"? He describes himself as "amazing." Oh please. This guy will get a quick ticket home. And nobody will be sad about it. Not quite the first, as it will take a few days for his attitude to wear on his tribemates, but soon after.

Michelle Tesauro

Betsy: She seems really sweet and will make friends easily. If she joins the right alliance, she’ll do well.

Ken: Another graduate of the aforementioned V.P.I.S.U., I find of awfully hard to get a read on Michelle. She could easily turn out to be Neleh (from Marquesas) with glasses. She may not be conniving enough to make the final four, although she'll probably make jury.

David: She worked as a lifeguard, which is good because there will certainly be aquatic challenges. She describes herself as athletic. Also good. But she also describes herself as clumsy – bad. You get clumsy on a challenge in the early going and you could find yourself voted off. She’s also the youngest on her tribe and that could spell trouble if some of the older ones join together. Not voted off immediately, and may even make the jury, but that’s about it.