Rock. Paper. Scissors. Boot!
Episode two of “Survivor: San Juan del Sur” gave us our second glimpse at celebrity reclamation project John Rocker.
Early on into the episode we see Rocker winning a rock, paper scissor match and seemingly insta-volunteering for a one on one versus his girlfriend Julie. Surely, he had to be aware that if he lost the challenge Exile Island awaited. Ultimately, Rocker loses the challenge to his main squeeze but not before delivering his first verbal faux pas of the season.
“Remove the friend part, I just got beat by a girl,” he replies to Probst’s post-challenge prodding.
Rocker might as well have added “… and Jeff can you believe if a girl wins the game, they get the same prize amount as a man? This is outrageous!” Thank you, Rocker for your first public brainfart. Both tribes fully on hand. Both feet fully in mouth.
THE GOOD
Interesting enough, and as strange as it might sound, going to Exile might actually be an advantage for Rocker. Think of it this way. There is no question Rocker is viewed as the number one challenge option for the Coyopa tribe (to this point at least). Factor in Rocker’s propensity for involuntary verbal self-indictment and suddenly being kept in relative isolation prior to the immunity challenge might not be so bad for his cause.
Now the fact that Rocker lands on exile with a Jeremy, the only minority male in the cast, is probably what “Survivor” producers must’ve dreamed of. Luckily for Rocker, Jeremy took the high road and kept his wits about him, understanding the former big leaguer can be useful tool for him in the game. All pun intended.
THE BAD
The not-so-secret identity of John Rocker is coming to the surface sooner rather than later. Based on the preview, my guess is there will be plenty more on this in episode three.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting Rocker to lose his duel at the immunity challenge. Keep in mind, pre-merge challenge wins are entirely more invaluable than post-merge.
Especially for a player in a well-positioned alliance. That loss coupled with Val hook line and sinker bluffing Rocker about an idol (with a pretty transparent bluff might I add) doesn’t bode well longterm for our muscle bound anti-hero.
WEEKLY PRO INSIGHT
Here’s a list of some recent Survivors:
- Boston Rob
- Ozzy
- Coach
- Kim Spradlin
- Troyzan
- Penner
- Abi-Maria
- Tyson
- Malcolm
- Andrea
- Spencer
- Tony Vlachos
- John Rocker
What do these players from the past seven seasons all have in common? If you guessed finding at least one hidden immunity idol, you might see an interesting underlying correlation. I’m not going to expound on this Pandora’s Box today. Let’s just say when searching for an idol, it might not hurt to be a big character.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Josh – Really impressive grasp of strategy, gameplay and social awareness thus far.
Drew – “Dude, where’s my tribe?”
John Rocker’s “Zero Votes Albert” gameplay grade so far: C+
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