Survivor Tocantins: Cast and First Thoughts

The cast for the next Survivor has been announced! It's going to be in Tocantins, the Brazilian Highlands, and it looks like fun.

Here are my initial thoughts on the cast this coming season, and I reserve the right to change my mind immediately after seeing them in action. According to Zap2it, each tribe will immediately vote someone out, so first impressions are going to make a big difference.

Name: Benjamin "Coach" Wade
Age: 37
Occupation: Soccer Coach
Hometown/State: Montana

He looks like he might be a jackass. We'll see. He strikes me as something like Ace, and I don't know why. It's just the vibe I'm getting. He looks something like a Steven Segal wannabe.

Name: Brendan Synncott
Age: 30
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Hometown/State: NYC

He co-founded Bear Naked, and I love their granola, so I am immediately not hating him. He could be a good player. We'll see.

Name: Candace Smith
Age: 31
Occupation: Lawyer
Hometown/State: Dayton, OH

She's a former Miss Ohio, and a lawyer who no longer practices law because she moved to California to pursue acting, modeling, and opening her own consulting firm. She admits to being a bitch at times. Could she be this season's answer to Corrine? Please, no.

Name: Carolina Eastwood
Age: 26
Occupation: Bartender
Hometown/State: West Hollywood, CA

Her bio calls her a "trash-talking firecracker," which could get annoying real quickly. She could also be endearing. She's pretty, so that is a plus. I admit, I like some of the pretty girls just for being pretty. Don't judge me.

Name: Debra "Debbie" Beebee
Age: 46
Occupation: Middle school Principal
Hometown/State: Auburn, Ala

I want to like her, but her nickname is Bubbles. I don't know if I can respect a woman who is sometimes called Bubbles. She is, however, used to dealing with groups of somewhat irrational people, being a middle school principal, so that could help her out.

Name: Erinn Lobdell
Age: 26
Occupation: Hairstylist
Hometown/State: Waukesha, Wis.

Oh, Erinn of the superfluous extra n... wonder if she puts the emphasis on the second half of her name, like air-INN, instead of plain AIR-in. I suppose I should not judge her for her name, but I do judge her parents. She seems to prescribe to the Sugar Method, of playing "dumb like a fox." She may be good. We'll see, Eeerrrriiiinnnnnn, we'll see.

Name: Jerry Sims
Age: 49
Occupation: Sgt. – U.S. Army
Hometown/State: Rock Hill, SC

He certainly looks like a jovial fellow. I think he might be one to watch - he's strong, looks nice, calls himself a joker, and seems to have the background to be helpful around camp and might emerge as a leader. Whether that is good for him in the long term scope of the game or not, I don't know, but I like him at the outset.

Name: Joe Dowdle
Age: 26
Occupation: Real Estate Sales
Hometown/State: Austin, TX

He calls himself a genuine cowboy, and calls his strategy for the game "persuade and evade." Interesting, could be something to watch for. He doesn't like overly dramatic people and doesn't like to lose. Seems he might be in the wrong competition. He is not a standout for me at the get go.

Name: James "JT" Thomas Jr.
Age: 24
Occupation: Cattle Rancher
Hometown/State: Samson, Ala

Wonder how he and Joe will get along? He says that he is smarter than people think he is, and he's not a dumb hillbilly, but he's not above playing that card if the game requires it (and if the women like it). He's got wholesome good looks, so that might not be a bad strategy.

Name: Sandy Burgin
Age: 53
Occupation: Bus Driver
Hometown/State: Louisville, Ky

She works the night shift, so I hope that she is able to reset her circadian rhythm quickly so that she isn't all messed up at camp. She is a fisherwoman, and likes DIY magazines, so maybe she is angling (ha ha ha, sorry about that pun) to be like Bob's female counterpart. She calls herself funny and fearless and doesn't like mean and greedy people. As opposed to those who seek out the mean and greedy. She might be cool, or she might just fizzle.

Name: Sierra Reed
Age: 23
Occupation: Model
Hometown/State: Los Angeles, Calif

I think we have the Survivor Cutie of the season in Sierra! She moved to Taiwan when she was younger by herself (how young? She's pretty darned young now!) and so is used to less than sanitary situations. She calls herself an adventure junkie, and says that she has tenacity. I want to like her. She says she is not the typical model, and claims that she likes to model because of the travel it provides, and the new things she gets to experience because of it. She also says that she should be all set for Survivor, having lived with "five catty models all vying for the same spot." Yup, I want to like her.

Name: Spencer Duhm
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Hometown/State: Lakeland, Fla

Wow, he's young! He's a superfan of Survivor (since it began when he was in grade school! Good lord, I feel old). He's on his college's crew team, so ostenstiably, he knows how to row a boat, which is often a plus. He is a fan of water cooler gossip, so I bet he will be fun to watch. Since I know that college students tend to have a lot of energy, he might be up there in the top for me.

Name: Stephen Fishbach
Age: 29
Occupation: Corporate Consultant
Hometown/State: NYC

He admits that he resembles a muppet, and I instantly like him a little for that. He plans on playing a cutthroat game, and thinks that people will underestimate his ruthlessness because he looks unassuming. He doesn't like overconfident or cocky people. I like that he has competed in the Idiotarod, an event that I have never heard of but now have a burning desire to know more about. He could be one to watch.

Name: Sydney Wheeler
Age: 24
Occupation: Model
Hometown/State: Raleigh, N.C.

Another model, and another beauty, I wonder how she and Sierra will get along. She lost her sister in a car accident when she was 19, so she knows how to persevere through hardship. She says she is more than just a pretty face, and I hope that she's right.

Name: Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George
Age: 37
Occupation: Former Pop Star
Hometown/State: Nashville, Tennessee

She's a former pop star, and the wife of a former NFL Pro. Her music isn't my style at all, but her group was nominated for a grammy. I've never heard of them before. She says she is naturally distrustful, which could be a bonus in the game. I want to like her.

Name: Tyson Apostol
Age: 29
Occupation: Professional Cyclist
Hometown/State: Lindon, Utah

Oh, I just love when someone calls themselves charming, and arrogant. Ugh. I don't think I'll like Tyson. He seems totally egotistical and I don't think I can stomach him. Because of that, of course, he's bound to go far. Murphy's Law.

So, all in all, looks like a pretty likeable season. Tyson, Benjamin, and Candace are my least favorites from first impressions, and I like the looks of Jerry, Sierra, Spencer, and Sydney. We'll see how impressions change once I see them in action. Until February, Survivor Fans!