Survivor Caramoan (Season 26)

[Prancer]

BTW, does anyone know if Colton was asked back for this show? I'd hate him, but he'd be at least entertaining, unlike these "Favorites".

I don't know if he was asked, but I do know he just got engaged. I find that entertaining enough .

That was a whole lot of crazy and one of the most bizarre episodes in Survivor history. Brandon's behavior was very disturbing. I, too, hope it's the last we see of any member of the Hantz family.

The before-season rumor was that Brandon punched someone and was removed from the game, then that Brandon got the boot at an impromptu tribal council and later was removed from the Ponderosa after his boot because he was completely mental and/or punched someone there. Since he's not on the jury (which he was spoiled to be), we will probably never know, but going by some of the tweets from indiscreet bootees and Russell, something happened with Brandon at the Ponderosa.

The Hantzes are one. messed. up. family. There's a thread on Survivor Sucks where the stalkers fans track everything that gets posted by current and former players on Twitter, and the Hantz stuff gets seriously creepy sometimes. Russell and Brandon have had some freaky fights.

I thought Jeff handled it amazingly well, but he had at least a hand in bringing Brandon back and you know he was thinking "This is such great TV!" the whole time, so I have a hard time giving him credit.

I think Corinne enjoys drama, positive or negative.

[Moto Guzzi]

Jeff did handle Brandon well. I was afraid the medical team was going to have to show up with a tranquilizer dart gun and bring Brandon down like a wild animal.

[genevieve]

I know that was a horrible tantrum, but I feel sorry for Brandon, always have. He seems to want to be a better person, and he just has no idea how. It's as if trying to rein in the behavior that is the norm for the rest of his family just makes him explode more. I'm not surprised at all that Brandon (maybe) got booted from Ponderosa for punching someone.

I can understand why the Fans were a bit twittery (old school definition, nothing to do with Twitter) at what was happening - they had no idea what had been going on, and they've been so very demoralized. It was really tacky for Reynold and Julia to ask for the "Gota! Wins Immunity!" from Jeff, though. By that point they knew just how serious things had gotten.

I thought Jeff handled it amazingly well, but he had at least a hand in bringing Brandon back and you know he was thinking "This is such great TV!" the whole time, so I have a hard time giving him credit.

^This

Jeff did handle Brandon well. I was afraid the medical team was going to have to show up with a tranquilizer dart gun and bring Brandon down like a wild animal.

I was afraid that he was going to come running back from around the challenge structure and cold cock Phillip

[BaileyCatts]

Good riddance. It was like watching a spoiled little brat throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way. Brandon, you did not control your fate (or whatever the hell he blathered about). They were going to get you out one way or another and you were gone regardless of what you did or did not do. Please let this be the last time we ever see a Hantz on my TV again.

[sk8pics]

I, too, thought Jeff handled Brandon really well. I wonder how long it took in reality for that to play out. And I also wonder if they thought Brandon wouldn't be quite as bad as he turned out to be. I also wonder if Brandon might be have a rapid cycling bipolar disorder, with rage in place of the mania. Anyway, I am glad Brandon is out and thankful he didn't hurt anyone, although of course dumping the rice and beans does hurt the tribe.

I think Phillip is crazy, too, but just not violent. I did have to laugh at Brandon telling Phillip his secret agent stuff was stupid and that nobody liked him. Now I wish Phillip would be gone, but I don't think that will happen for awhile.

[smurfy]

I am glad folks here think Jeff handled Brandon well, as I am thinking. I was reading on TWOP and so many thought it was creepy. I really thought Jeff was trying to help/control the situation. Getting him away from Phillip and keeping the physical contact with Brandon was the best way to prevent a physical altercation.
Just a sad situation that should have never happened - Brandon, and Phillip both should not have been brought back. I know they want crazy for entertainment purposes, but they have gone too far. They are hurting these individuals, plus making it so public! Brandon's kids will be able to see this on the web someday.

[Jenny]

Geez I'm glad I watched the Men's SP instead. Read all your comments and the summary on CBS - all I can think of is how CBS sabotaged their own game by bringing someone as volatile as Brandon back, which is really unfair to the players who came to play, and they should know better because they know him.

That kid scares me - Philip is loopy, and a lot of players (and a lot of us) have our emotional issues and inner demons, but IMO Brandon is way past that. There is something truly scary about him, and I fear that before long we will hear very sad news associated with him. I know Survivor likes players who have a spiritual journey on the show, but I think they've crossed a line casting him, twice. It's one thing to bring in interesting people and offer the experience of a lifetime, but it's another to exploit seriously disturbed people for ratings.

[dbell1]

I've watched Survivor from the first episode. Last night really went over the reality line for me. I watch for gameplay, challenges, the social interaction, the scenery. I don't watch for psychotic breaks. If they bring on/back one more Hantz, I'm done.

That inappropriate "can you raise your hands and yell that we won immunity?" was just wrong on all levels. It's not about you or your losing streak, it's about removing someone who looks violent.

Jeers to Jeff and gang for bringing lil Hantz back, but cheers to Jeff for his handling. He removed him from his tribemates and then diffused the tension.

Looks like next week is the merge?

[genevieve]

They've shown several times now that bringing crazy people on is their idea of a big draw. I think we will see someone removed for violence against another player before too long.

I do wonder what type of treatment services Survivor offers to their pet players. though. Coach came in seeming beyond deluded, but by the third time around was playing pretty decently and wasn't quite so crackpot-y. I truly thought it was cruel casting Phillip, as his participation seemed designed to make audiences make fun of him and he was most certainly NOT in on the joke. This time, while he's still got some delusions and personality quirks, he's playing the game quite well, and it seems more of a persona he's putting on than him being mired in the middle of it. But Brandon seems just as lost as he was last time - and I read a pre-taping interview with him over on EW last night, and based on what he was saying before the players left, I don't see how anyone thought he'd be able to handle this season better than the last one.

It is scary to think that Russell is the Hantz with the most control over his temper and emotions (compared to Brandon and Willie, anyway).

[Prancer]

I do wonder what type of treatment services Survivor offers to their pet players. though.

All of them see a psychologist as soon as they get the boot and during their stays at Ponderosa. Some of them get more than that and get therapy once they go home as well. Apparently they brought the psychologist in to escort Brandon away from the challenge site and Jeff said that the producers are in touch with Brandon every day even now, which implies that Brandon is still getting therapy.

Brandon, of course, says he's fine, mentally stable and proud of himself for the way he went out .

Coach came in seeming beyond deluded, but by the third time around was playing pretty decently and wasn't quite so crackpot-y. I truly thought it was cruel casting Phillip, as his participation seemed designed to make audiences make fun of him and he was most certainly NOT in on the joke. This time, while he's still got some delusions and personality quirks, he's playing the game quite well, and it seems more of a persona he's putting on than him being mired in the middle of it.

I don't think it's coincidence that both Coach and Philip are wannabe actors. Both of them function--and apparently function pretty well--in their day-to-day lives. I think they both saw the game as opportunity to play a role on TV, and were encouraged to do so by the producers. It's not that that isn't who they are, it's just that they were given a chance to let their pet fantasies about themselves run amok and they did. When the personas didn't go over the way they expected them to, they both toned it down but recognized that their personas were why they were brought back so the acts couldn't be completely abandoned.

[leesaleesa]

I haven't watched Survivor for a long time, but tuned in last night, and lo and behold, the Hantz kid is screaming about peeing in beans and saggy pink panties Phillip seems to be the target of his ire. Brandon is one messed up little monkey.

[Eden]

The producers shouldn't have casted Brandon to begin with.
I felt really bad for him. His efforts to improve the Hantrz' family image obviously didn't work out.
But for the producers it was a good TV, and it provided us - the viewers - with something to talk about, so we will move on.
I doubt Brandon will be able to do so in the near or the far future.
He will be forever remembered as that Meshugene/Crazy guy from the Survivor game.
I have to be honest with you, it was quite painful and disturbing to watch that episode.
Maybe it was a good wake up call for the reality shows as well, stop casting unstable people just for the sake of the ratings.

[Kasey]

I started watching it last night, since I'd missed it, and forgot it was supposed to be the whole "epic" thing...when the implosion at the immunity challenge began, I just turned it off. That was all kinds of levels of disturbing, not the reason why I watch Survivor (one of the few shows I actually do watch) and certainly not entertainment. I hope that all involved who had to be a part of that got some mental help as well, because I can't imagine having to live in that kind of tension-filled, walking on eggshells environment for that long.

[Sparks]

I watched it again last night because on Wednesday I just skimmed thrupgh it because I was tired after the Men's SP.
I have the feeling that there was A LOT more that wasn't shown. I can't imagine how scary Brandon was...

[my little pony]

how hard would it be for brandon to attack another contestant before some assistant stopped him?

[Prancer]

how hard would it be for brandon to attack another contestant before some assistant stopped him?

Most of the time, the only production staff on site at the camp is one or two cameramen, who are under strict orders to never, ever interfere in anything that happens. So when Brandon was dumping the rice, he could have hit someone and probably nothing would have stopped him except the rest of the cast. And the fact that the one thing they aren't allowed to do is physically attack another player, which carries a boatload of penalties. The cameramen can radio in what is going on, but they have always been told that they are there to film, period, and if they talk to or interfere with contestants, they are fired.

When Brandon was melting down at the immunity challenge, Jeff called for security--so I'm guessing that security isn't right there, either. Jeff said they had no plan in place for such events--they've never needed one and it never occurred to them that they would (um, with the way you are casting shows now, Jeff? You shouldn't probably start working on a plan.) so they were making it all up as they went.

[Prancer]

I do wonder what type of treatment services Survivor offers to their pet players. though. Coach came in seeming beyond deluded, but by the third time around was playing pretty decently and wasn't quite so crackpot-y.

Coincidentally, Coach was the guest on the Survivor After Show this week and said, among other things:

He eloped New Year's Eve and is now a very happy husband and stepfather.

He was a recruit and had never seen the show before he went the first time. He actually expected to parachute to the island and start running around like some kind of action movie . He said that he went to Tocantins with the intention of being the biggest character in the game, the one that everyone talked about later (ha!). He said that the nature of the experience is one that brings your quirks to the surface and let's them run amok.

He said that Brandon has something of a bipolar personality, always up and down, never steady, and that when Brandon got home from his first time in the game, the Hantz family beat the crap out of Brandon emotionally for being weak and emotional, and that what we saw on the show was the result of that. He and Parvati agreed that failing in the reward challenge is what set Brandon off because his ego is tied to being good in challenges and he can't stand being perceived as weak. They also agreed that he has a good heart with true sweetness in his personality, but he's always up and down.

Brandon then came on the show via Skype and basically said that he can't stand being seen as weak, that he can't stand being bullied, that he refused to let anyone walk over him any more, that he refused to let anyone make him look stupid. Parvati tried to talk to him about his anger and he (angrily) told her that she was trying to play doctor and it didn't work . Coach talked him down by flattering his ego, then Brandon kind of went away "because they lost the Skype signal." Parvati said that she shouldn't have been preaching at him and Coach told her that she was wise and said good, insightful things. but they agreed that it was the wrong place and time. Both of them said that there are many scenes on the cutting room floor of the two of them just snapping in the game because of some stupid little thing that got blown completely out of proportion because of the stress and the constant grating of personalities they didn't like, and they agreed that they were grateful those scenes ended up on the cutting floor.

At the end, Coach said that the Hantz family is a casting jackpot; Parvati said "Maybe not."

ETA: In other Survivor related weirdness:

Phillip is the co-author (with one of his brothers) of a series based on his Survivor persona. IKYN. The first one: The Specialist: The Costa Rica Job

Not to be outdone, Jeff is also co-author a best-selling series for kids: Stranded

[orbitz]

Brandon's interview in People magazine.

[Ares]

when Brandon got home from his first time in the game, the Hantz family beat the crap out of Brandon emotionally for being weak and emotional, and that what we saw on the show was the result of that.

Thank you for sharing that. I don't keep up with the aftermath of the show, but I suspected this was the case. During his meltdown at the immunity challenge one of the things that stuck out most to me was how proud he was of not crying this time around, and my first thought was that's probably due to his family's views on what it means to be a man. I'm sure he has gone through hell since his first season. Go crazy, threaten people, and ruin the game for everyone, just don't cry or be tricked = redemption for Lil Hantz. It's sad.

In South Pacific he at least had the Jesus-y focus of the tribe to give him a sense of support from a higher power, which reigned in his fragile mental state. Unfortunately, here he had nothing to fall back on except his natural instincts of rage and violence.

I hope he finds the help he needs.

[genevieve]

Brandon's interview in People magazine.

So do you have regrets?
No! My second time playing the game in 13 days was better than all 36 days in Samoa, bro. Everything you see in Samoa, it built up to what you saw this season. If I went back and played now, I'd be such a different player. I've been the hero and the villain. What's that smell like? No one else has ever done that! It worked out so perfectly. There's no acting, there's no pretending. I left the game on my terms, not anyone else's. I'd do Survivor again, and I'd be a totally different player.

egads, NO!!!!!!!!!!! Jeff, don't you dare!!!!!!!!!!!

His wife is also pregnant with their 3rd child. Brandon is just 21 and has such screwed up views of what it is to "be a man"....oy