One of the three amigos (the name of the three Survivor contestants not a part of the core alliance) was voted off the island this week. Twenty-five year old Malcolm Freberg of California fought hard to stay in the game by winning challenges and finding hidden immunity idols when he needed to. However, in this week's episode Freberg paid $480 at the 'Survivor auction' for a clue to where another immunity idol was hidden. I recently spoke with Freberg about that purchase that he was never able to cash in on.

Fifty four year old Phillip Sheppard, one of the most outspoken Survivor: Caramoan contestants, was taken out of the game this week when the three players outside of the tribe's strong alliance (known as 'Stealth R Us') all received immunity or played their hidden immunity idols. 

Over and over again, Sheppard shared with viewers and Survivor players how good he was at reading people and knowing when they were lying since he is a former FBI special agent. However, that special power wasn't enough for the remaining players to keep him around. The California native now becomes the second member of the jury, a position he's never been in before since he made it to the final three during his first time playing on Survivor Redemption Island. I recently spoke with the Sheppard and asked if he had any regrets.

Michael Snow used every ounce of his Maine ingenuity on Survivor: Caramoan but it just wasn't enough to win the million dollar prize. The 44-year-old, who now lives in New York, grew up in southern Maine and outlasted nine other contestants on the CBS reality show that tests players physical, social and mental stamina on a remote island over a 39 day period. Unfortunately during this season, Snow found himself pitted against experienced players - a tribe of past contestants known as the 'Favorites' who have shown they're all hungry for a second chance at victory. I recently spoke with Snow who was surprised to learn how difficult and deflating losing challenges week after week could be.

Big moves turned into a big blindside on Survivor: Caramoan. For weeks, Corinne Kaplan of Survivor: Gabon fame stayed loyal to her former Bikal tribe mates (a.k.a "The Favorites") even though she vocalized over and over again her desire to get rid of the tribe's dictator, Phillip Sheppard, instead of one of the opposing tribe's players. But her alliance saw her game play as too aggressive and unpredictable and decided to vote her off, unbeknownst to her.

I recently spoke with Kaplan who said she only has herself to blame for no longer being in the game.

At 21-years-old, Julia Landauer was one of this year's youngest Survivor: Caramoan contestants. But age, inexperience and bad luck proved to be a deadly combination in the game. During last week's team swap, this racecar driver from California found herself, Michael and Matt now members of the new Bikal tribe where former Survivor players - Phillip, Corinne, Cochran and Dawn ruled the roost. And when the Bikal tribe lost the immunity challenge,  there was nothing Landauer could do to convince the team to let her stay in the race for the million dollars. I recently spoke with Landauer who was disappointed that her Survivor experience included competing against former Survivor greats.

The tribes may have been reconfigured this week on the reality show Survivor: Caramoan but the results remained the same - another player from the original Gota tribe was sent home. That player was 38-year-old Matt Bischoff of Ohio. Bischoff, Michael and Julia found themselves part of the new Bikal tribe but unevenly matched against the four original members of the tribe. That meant one of them would surely have their torch snuffed out since the numbers weren't in their favor. I recently spoke with Matt who admittedly was hoping to go further in the game then he did, but still enjoyed his Survivor experience.

The Gota tribe appears to have run into a string of bad luck on the CBS reality show Survivor: Caramoan. For the second time in a row, the team lost the immunity challenge to the veteran Survivor players that make up the Bikal tribe. And that meant another trip to tribal council where one of their team mates would be voted off. However, the participants had a difficult time agreeing who should be the next to go and split the vote evenly between Hope Driskill of Missouri, Eddie Fox of New Jersey and Shamar Thomas of New York. So, the teammates had to have a re-vote where Driskill, Fox, and Thomas were not allowed to weigh in. Once the votes were tallied, 23-year-old Driskill was sent packing. I recently spoke with the Missouri native who was thrilled to have participated in Survivor, even if it was short-lived.

It appears the Gota tribe on the CBS reality show Survivor: Caramoan is a team divided rather than a team united. The 10 team mates were sent to tribal council after losing the immunity challenge to the former Survivor players that make up the Bikal tribe. 

In the season's second episode, viewers saw Reynold reveal to the entire tribe that he found the hidden immunity idol. But tempers flared more over the laziness of Shamar, an Iraq war veteran, who appears to be using his time in the game as a vacation rather than contributing to camp life and winning challenges. When the votes were cast, Shamar was spared by one vote. However, the same couldn't be said for Allie Pohevitz, a 25-year-old bartender from New York. I recently spoke with Pohevitz about her time on the show and whether or not she was blindsided by the tribe's vote to send her home.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, CBS's Survivor decided to put together another season of 'Fans vs. Favorites.' It's where the reality show's most avid followers get a chance to compete against some of their favorite contestants from past seasons - all in hopes of winning one million dollars. This season, the show takes place in the Caramoan Islands. 

She was a member of all three tribes, went to every single tribal council and never found a hidden immunity idol during her 39 days on Survivor: Philippines, yet Denise Stapley of Iowa was still able to outwit, outlast and outplay all the other contestants to become this season's sole Survivor. She sat beside Lisa Welchel and Michael Skupin in the final and when the votes were tallied, the jury felt Stapley played a better game than both Welchel and Skupin. I recently spoke to the final three contestants to get their view on how this season's game played out.