Hi everyone!
Oh what a glorious day! I found out from my Entertainment Weekly addiction that Boston Rob and Russell will be back to compete on the next season of Survivor: Redemption Island. You may or may not know that I LOVE Boston Rob. I mean love. Let me explain.
I have been a fan of Survivor since the first season (though I missed a few in recent times). So, I first came across Boston Rob on the fourth edition of the show, Survivor Marquesas. I didn't care for him all that much. I didn't understand why his luxury item would be oils to oil himself up. Then came Survivor All-Stars.
I had seen an interview with host Jeff Probst before this season aired and he said that for the first time there was a real love affair on the show. I am a hopeless romantic, so this made me even more excited for the All-Star edition. It became apparent from the very first episode that the romance would be between Rob and Amber. It ultimately became the Rob and Amber show. Rob was deliciously charming and he seemed to really care for Amber: "She's sweet. She's beautiful. Her ass is smokin too." All said in that famous Boston accent. Later, "It would be nice to win the million and take the girl away too." Swoon. Yes, I know all these by heart because I own the season on DVD and may have watched it a few times.
The survivors dwindle down to five. The famous "car" reward challenge comes along. Rob wins (Amber was a close second). He won a brand new Chevy truck. He was stoked. He is then told he can pick one other contestant to come along with him on a second part of the reward which includes a drive in his truck to the "Survivor Drive-In Movie Theatre" where there will be all you can eat hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and soft drinks. Like a true gentleman he picks Amber. They get to the drive-in only to learn from Jeff that Amber gets a car too! They freak out excitedly and then head for the movie where the two cuddle in the bed of his truck. Swoon.
The survivors are down to the final three. Rob, powerhouse that he is, wins immunity and is left with the decision of who to oust (and therefore who he brings with him to the final two). The answer is obvious if he wants to win: take Jenna. She is incredibly annoying and no one can stand her. Instead, he brings the most deserving person, his love, Amber. Fastforward to the reunion show. Before the votes are read he gets down on one knee and proposes. She accepts. Swoon. Amber wins. She played a great game but Rob was, well, robbed. As Jeff said at the beginning of the reunion show, he dominated physically and he dominated strategically. The bitter jury was just unable to look past their elimination to see the insanely strategic and physically dominating game played by Rob.
I couldn't watch enough interviews with them following that show. I couldn't read enough articles. I was "Romber" crazy. I was thrilled to find out they would be on the Amazing Race. I had never seen the show but became a regular viewer that season tuning in to watch Rob and Amber in action. Rob pissed people off and he won people over. He was smart. Really smart. They made it all the way to the end and came in second after a questionable decision of a pilot to unlock the plane doors to let the winners, Uchenna and Joyce on the plane. Had the pilot not made that decision Rob and Amber would be another million dollars richer. Oh well. They took it in stride.
Next, their wedding was a two hour special. Cory had his own apartment then with a DVR. Let's just say I watched it more than a few times. It only made me love him more to see what a sweet man he is in "real life."
Then there was their short lived stint on Amazing Race All-Stars. They came in first place in the first episode and were eliminated in the second episode. I was heartbroken. haha. Oh well.
They slowly faded from the spotlight until recently when it was announced that Boston Rob would return for Season 20 of Survivor entitled Heroes Vs. Villains. Yes, Rob would be a villain. I was ecstatic! I watched pregame interviews and found out that Rob and Amber had only weeks before welcomed their first child, a daughter. Swoon.
I made the mistake of reading spoilers on this season because I just had to know if Rob made it to the end. Unfortunately, he did not. He didn't even make the jury (by one tribal council). I wished I had not read the spoilers. There was lots of Rob to see on this show, though. He emerged from that season as a hero instead of a villain. My favourite part of that whole season was during the reunion show when he and Russell were exchanging words and he said to Russell "given the opportunity I'd gladly go back and kick your ass all over the island." Swoon! Jeff laughed and mentioned that perhaps that would be another season.
Enter Survivor: Redemption Island. Recently, at the Survivor: Nicaragua reunion show it was announced that there was going to be a big twist for the next season. Cory was on the laptop while I was watching and he said he read on the internet that the twist would be Rob Vs. Russell. I hoped against hope that the internet was right. My excitement grew as Jeff introduced Rob in the audience and, after finding out that he and Amber had just welcomed their second daughter, asked him to read the intro to the piece on the next season. No dice. The twist was Redemption Island.
Redemption Island is a twist that involves the ousted contestant living alone on Redemption Island until the next person is voted out. Then the two compete in a duel and whoever wins gets to stay on Redemption Island. The last person standing on Redemption Island will be allowed to reenter the game. All the contestants will know about this new aspect of the game before it begins.
So, today I was on the EW website and scrolled down to the bottom of the page. I was going to check on the status of the gift subscription I got my brother for Christmas. I was about to click on the appropriate link when I saw a picture of Rob and Russell on the bottom of the screen with a title that said "They're Baaaaaaack!". I clicked on the link and read the first few lines. I am embarrassed by how excited I was. I jumped up to call my husband and tell him the news. No, he wouldn't give a crap, but he would understand how excited this made me. No answer. No answer. No answer. I called my brother instead.
Oh, it shall be a glorious season!!
You know all about my love affair with Rob now. I haven't said much about Russell. The truth is, I loved Russell in Survivor Samoa. He was crazy, but he was brave with his strategy and hilarious to watch. He made what would have been a very boring season, a very exciting season. I didn't like him as much in Heroes Vs. Villains. Mainly because he was against Rob from the start (because he was threatened by him...which he admitted to in preshow interviews), but also because he came off way to cocky and arrogant this time around and wasn't funny anymore. He was responsible for Rob's demise. Obviously, now I dislike him completely. I really hope Boston Rob can "kick his ass all over the Island"!!
Any Survivor fans out there? What are your thoughts on these two players and the new Redemption Island twist?
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