PANAMA
Eighteen castaways, including four champions and some of the series' best personalities, will be stranded once again to compete for the million-dollar prize. Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast all others?
PREMIERES SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, AFTER SUPER BOWL XXXVIII
CHAPERA TRIBE
ALICIA (Season 2: Outback)
The personal trainer with the fab abs STRATEGY: Work hard and hope a meritocracy breaks out. STRENGTHS: Provoke her and she’ll come out fighting. Nobody’s safe from that in-your-face finger wave. WEAKNESS: She doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Considering the company she’ll be keeping, that could be a problem. BOTTOM LINE: She’s a sleeper to watch. ODDS: 2-1
AMBER (Season 2: Outback)
Jerri’s kid STRATEGY: Stick like glue to the most despised person in your tribe. Repeat until eliminated. STRENGTHS: Give us a minute. We’re thinking. WEAKNESS: See strategy. BOTTOM LINE: Even if she lasted, she’d have no endgame. ODDS: 50-1
ROB C. (Season 6: The Amazon)
The basement-dwelling ham STRATEGY: Scheme and plot. Scheme and plot. Then, for a change of pace, plot and scheme. STRENGTHS: Has an offbeat, pesky-little-brother appeal and a whiplash-inducing affinity for leaping alliances. WEAKNESS: If he bleats "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’" again, he’ll be out after about three bars. BOTTOM LINE: He’s a strategist who learns from experience. Keep an eye out—he’s our early favorite. ODDS: 3-2
ROB M. (Season 4: Marquesas)
The unctuous sleaze STRATEGY: Finesse is for sissies. Just act like you’re in charge and people might believe you. STRENGTHS: Unapologetically cribs from "The Godfather." Hey, threats worked for the Corleones! WEAKNESS: Ensnaring himself. It takes a compass to follow his convoluted web of phony loyalties. BOTTOM LINE: Others are equally slippery and less obnoxious. ODDS: 12-1
SUSAN (Season 1: Pulau Tiga)
The hardheaded Wisconsin truck driver STRATEGY: Speak your mind. What’s the worst they can do, leave you to die of thirst with no regrets? STRENGTHS: Midwestern women who honk horns for a living are not to be trifled with. WEAKNESS: If she can’t check her famous volatility, expect a short stay. And police sirens. BOTTOM LINE: Barring personality clashes, she’s a viable player. ODDS: 3-1
TOM (Season 3: Africa)
The boorish goat farmer STRATEGY: Select strong allies and baffle your enemies with your wacky elephant impression STRENGTHS: His goofball persona could be a welcome oasis in a vast desert of self-important speechifying. WEAKNESS: Small annoyances add up. He needs to bathe, stop ogling and, at least occasionally, shut up. BOTTOM LINE: He may last a while but seems likely to fall out of contention late. ODDS: 12-1
SABOGA TRIBE
ETHAN (Season 3: Africa, winner)
The heartthrob soccer player STRATEGY: Flog everyone with charm until they beg for mercy. STRENGTHS: A lack of conspicuous flaws. WEAKNESS: The unassuming nice-guy routine loses steam once you’ve crashed the celebrity-dating circuit. BOTTOM LINE: A real force, but the others may not want to hand him any more than he already has. ODDS: 5-1
JENNA L. (Season 1: Pulau Tiga)
STRATEGY: Be nice! No one votes out a nice person! It’s not a game about treachery and betrayal or anything! STRENGTHS: The cuteness factor can disguise some stealthy plotting. Who’d ever suspect the Queen of Perk? WEAKNESS: Relentless cheerfulness gets old really, really fast. BOTTOM LINE: She’s got charm, but has she got a plan? ODDS: 8-1
JERRI (Season 2: Outback)
The self-styled iconic bitch STRATEGY: Inspire simmering, tooth-grinding hatred. Hey, you’ve heard of reverse psychology, right? STRENGTHS: She’s fearless. Remember, she even survived Corey Feldman’s wedding on The Surreal Life. WEAKNESS: Big biceps and Texas twangs. If Colby can bewitch, bother and bewilder her again, she’s toast. BOTTOM LINE: It is possible to be too unlikable to win. ODDS: 40-1
RUDY (Season 1: Pulau Tiga)
STRATEGY: The grouchy former Navy SEAL STRENGTHS: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But not in a homosexual way. WEAKNESS: The good thing about outspoken old goats is that you always know where you stand with them. BOTTOM LINE: You know that uncle you’re ready to strangle by the end of Thanksgiving dinner? Yeah, that’s him. ODDS: 7-2
RUPERT (Season 7: Pearl Islands)
Everybody’s slightly psychotic big brother STRATEGY: Reassure your tribe mates that ruthless, scavenging pirates can still have soft, mushy hearts. STRENGTHS: It’s hard not to love the guy who brings home the fish— especially when it’s eat fish or eat tree bark. WEAKNESS: Taking the game too personally. It’s not all about avenging high school slights. BOTTOM LINE: His strong survival skills would have to overcome a weak mental game. ODDS: 6-1
TINA (Season 2: Outback, winner)
The nurturing nurse STRATEGY: Befriend a loyal and virtuous hottie, and try not to make anyone hate you too much. STRENGTHS: Come on. Kicking her out would be like banishing your mom. WEAKNESS: Well…kicking her out would be like banishing your mom. BOTTOM LINE:. Her status as a previous winner could make her a target for early dismissal. ODDS: 10-1
OGO MOGO TRIBE
COLBY (Season 2: Outback)
The hunky mama’s boy STRATEGY: Monopolize immunity challenges until people start to forget they’re allowed to vote for you. STRENGTHS: He does what he says, says what he thinks and thinks for himself. Sincerity—the sneakiest scam of all. WEAKNESS: The right mother figure can wrap him around her ankles like it’s the first day of preschool. BOTTOM LINE: If he doesn’t intimidate the others as a physical threat, he’s a strong contender. ODDS: 9-5
JENNA M. (Season 6: The Amazon, winner)
The catty swimsuit model STRATEGY: Divert the men of your tribe with public sponge baths. STRENGTHS: Confidence. She’s unburdened by the doubts that plague ordinary, ugly people. WEAKNESS: Contempt for older, non-"cute" women. Wait till Susan Hawk hears about that! BOTTOM LINE: Will anyone really let her win again? ODDS: 10-1
KATHY (Season 4: Marquesas)
The take-charge artist and doting mom STRATEGY: Go all-out for your tribe. Yes, that includes urinating on a teammate’s hand in a medical emergency. STRENGTHS: Targeted diplomacy. She avoids petty conflicts by offering strategic sops to her rivals. WEAKNESS: She’s got a pushy streak, which won’t wash with this swarm of type-A personalities. BOTTOM LINE: She seems unlikely to form the bonds it takes to come out on top. ODDS: 5-2
LEX (Season 3: Africa)
The creepy control freak STRATEGY: Flash those crazy eyes like you’re about to snap. There’s no substitute for inspiring stark terror. STRENGTHS: Nutty? Maybe. But he’s not too cracked to assemble a powerful alliance and hold it together. WEAKNESS: An itchy trigger finger. His temper can drive him to strike first and ask questions later. BOTTOM LINE: He’s a skilled player with a strong personality, making it a tough call. ODDS: 20-1
RICHARD (Season 1: Pulau Tiga, winner)
The frequently naked corporate trainer STRATEGY: Create an alliance. Stick to it. Shut up about it. Deceptively simple, no? STRENGTHS: He pioneered the alliance strategy. Only a fool would underestimate the original Weasel King WEAKNESS: He pioneered the alliance strategy. Now every poseur with a pulse knows the secret. BOTTOM LINE: They should toss him early—but then, they should’ve last time, too. ODDS: 17-1
SHII ANN (Season 5: Thailand)
The self-titled "Shii Devil" STRATEGY: Enemies are enemies. Why sugarcoat it? STRENGTHS: She’ll do anything, say anything and eat anything—screw you! WEAKNESS: Thin-skinned, which is bizarre for an unrepentant troublemaker. BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately, her controversial personality is a lot to overcome. ODDS: 25-1
