Survivor Kaoh Rong: Episode 11 Power Rankings

Not only did we NOT see a Super Idol but we watched an Immunity Idol walk out of the game with Scot. If you didn't scream at your TV during this Tribal Council, you're not a true Survivor fan. This was a turning point episode simply because there was a power shift that lead to yet another power shift. Tai now has an advantage. Does this make him the ultimate target from both sides?

#1) Aubry (7)

At this point in time if Aubry doesn't win then this season is a shame. Like her or hate her, Aubry is PLAYING. Will she go down in history as an epic winner? Nah. But she's a strong competitor. 

#2) Joe (6)

Yes, that's right. Joe has placed in the top 3 of the Power Rankings. How? He's so invisible that he is a necessity of a vote and a huge jury goat. Joe will absolutely get a vote if he makes the final but is there anyone better to take to the end?

#3) Cydney (8)

Cydney was able to get the votes off of her for a week but with Aubry being such a player, Cydney just isn't calling the shots and isn't as strong. What can Cydney do to make it to the end? Make a big move. But I don't think that's going to happen.

#4) Michele (2)

Michele is bonded to Julia. Julia is viewed as shady. Michele is in a dangerous position because she either needs to cut ties with Julia or make a pack to the end. Michele's heart will finally be tested this week.

#5) Jason (4)

Jason thought he was being cool by giving Scot his idol. He trusted Tai so much that he thought the Super Idol plan was going to work. Will Jason take his frustration out on Tai or play the game as a solo player? I think Tai (and Mark) is on the chopping block.

#6) Julia (1)

Poor Julia. Her youth is catching up to her. Where does Julia go from here? She's not as big of a target simply because she doesn't have an advantage but she's viewed as shady and needs to go. But will she? Can she work her charm to save herself?

#7) Tai (3)

Tai saved himself from making one of the worst moves in the history of Survivor. But in turn, his days are numbered. He's the lone owner of a Hidden Immunity Idol and an advantage. His target is massive. Tai has to deflect attention on someone else and make some deals quickly.

Survivor Kaoh Rong: Episode 10 Power Rankings

Oh the Super Idol. That thing gets people paranoid! So paranoid Debbie was sacrificed due to the paranoid girls. This week may be the most uncertain in where the power lies. This list could EASILY be flipped completely. It all depends on the swing votes. And that is a powerful position.

#1) Julia (1)

Julia is young but not naive. She's got a pretty good personality with a decent pulse. She knows that towing the line in the middle is a good move. Yes, she likely would have been blindsided at Tribal but she pulled out a victory and now has the power to pick a side. Aubry may want to target her but knowing that Julia did side with her, booting her would not be a good move. Julia needs to make a decision and be smart with it. 

#2) Michele (2)

If Michele's voice doesn't bother you, you're a better person than me. But Michele is making a good name for herself in the game. Her voice is present in confessionals. And that's a sign of longevity. Or a sign of a next boot. There's no reason to get rid of Michele so I pick the former. 

#3) Tai (7)

Tai is the most complex personalities in Survivor history. He was lovable and now he's despicable. Now that the Bash Brothers gave him the idol to hold on to, will he give it back? Probably. Tai will have to make a big decision, again. If Tai flips, it will be the end of him. But there's no reason for him to, unless he feels bad. He should keep an eye on Mark the Chicken in case someone gets mad.

#4) Jason (9)

You may hate this guy and his actions but he's playing the game the way he thinks he needs to. I don't like what he's doing but he's positioned himself into goat position. I see him in the end. He has power.

#5) Scot (8)

Of the trio, Scot is the one without the power of the idol. With only eight left, Tai and Jason could easily get paranoid and hold onto their own idols leaving Scot in the dust. But if he and Jason continue their reign of psychological warfare, Scot will continue to instill fear and force more paranoia.

#6) Joe (6)

Joe is powerful in the sense that no one will change plans because he won't go along with it. That is HUGE. And no one is picking up on it. He may not be steering the ship but his stubbornness is playing a big part. If the girls are smart they would use him as the next sacrifice. I just don't see the boys wanting Joe to go just yet. Especially if there are challenge threats still present.

#7) Aubry (4)

Aubry could easily have flushed out the Super Idol, secured her numbers, and paved a path to the end. That journey is much messier at this point. Aubry cannot play into paranoia or she will be axed.

#8) Cydney (3)

Seeing as Cydney was the target of the Super Idol, she is on the bottom. She is a threat and a smart player. With her still present, the boys should be scared. I will see them targeting her again. And again. And again.

Survivor Kaoh Rong Episode 9: Power Rankings

An extra three days of not going to Tribal can send anyone into a tizzy! While we'll never know if Neal would have actually been voted had he not been medivaced, the lack of Tribal caused chaos at camp and the middle man was voted out after a female alliance formed. And this caused the top to tumble to the bottom. Can't wait to see the aftermath and how it plays out! 

#1) Julia (4)

She is harmless! Being saved in the swapped tribe has placed her in a perfect position. While the preview may say otherwise, it would be pointless to remove Julia and even up the male/female numbers despite Joe likely to vote with the women. Julia is sweet and unassuming. 

#2) Michele (5)

Michele has been a strong narrator this entire season. And that's always a good sign. But Michele has seemingly been more of a target than Julia numerous times and she doesn't have the bond with the Brawn that Julia has. Should you have them in the finals together, that's two votes for Julia and zero for Michele. But right now, Michele is more of a mastermind and thus more of a target.

#3) Cydney (3)

We rarely see a power move at this moment in the game by a storm was a brewing and Cydney came a striking. This was a great move to prove her worth but in a game of numbers, Cydney still doesn't have a number two. If the guys take her back, she's the bottom of their trio. If she stays with the women, they are broken up as Michele and Julia and Aubry and Debbie. Cydney could certainly be a swing vote free agent, but how does that read to a jury?

#4) Aubry (9)

It is utterly fascinating how Aubry's position in this game fluctuates. One week you think she's about to go home, the next she's near the top. What Aubry needs to check is her emotions. She's proven that she is an emotional player, both in front of people and singularly to the camera. Aubry has a decent pulse on the action but needs to find a way to rise to the top. And fast. 

#5) Debbie (10)

Jason and Scot will certainly be gunning for a woman this vote and if an idol gets played, Debbie seems like a perfect target. Debbie is grating and thinks her placement is much better than it is. Debbie got lucky. I fear luck will dry out soon.

#6) Joe (9)

We are all waiting for Joe to do something. And I think we're going to keep waiting. Nothing much to say, sadly.

#7) Tai (6)

Tai is America's Sweetheart and thus we forgive his giant blunder which will come back to haunt him. First he reveals the information about a Super Idol at Tribal. He tries to recover by saying that's the rumor but no one buys it. To their knowledge, there has never been said "Super Idol" before so if these players are smart, they must know that Tai either has something in his possession or knows someone who does. Tai is in big trouble, but thankfully he has two buffers. The other worrisome moment is his vote for Jason. What exactly did that mean?

#8) Scot (2)

You could swap Scot for Jason in the bottom two but I put Scot ahead of Jason only because he does have more of a chance to gain sympathy from Tai and Julia due to previous relationship. We know from the previews that Scot and Jason are about to cause more chaos, but Jason is the brains of the operation. 

#9) Jason (1)

Turning yourself into enemy number one will not win you the game. I think Jason's chances of winning are officially over. But he can easily find himself as the goat to go far. That is if he can emotionally manipulate everyone into taking him. Jason is on the path of creating a legacy for himself in the game of Survivor. I don't think it's going to be a good one though. 

American Idol 15: Top 2 Performance Power Rankings

This is it folks! From Justin to Kelly to Trent to La'Porsha. Who will be the official bookend to the original Idol Kelly Clarkson? This may be one of the toughest finals in the history of the 15 seasons. In my book, it's a clear victory from Trent Harmon. But we all know that American Idol voters like to play games.

Round 1

#1) La’Porsha Renae

“Battles” by La’Porsha Renae

AGH! None of these songs are victory songs but this is the most radio worthy I suppose. The thing about this song is that’s very thin and forces some pitch problems in places. Is it a song that I want to listen to over and over again? Not really.

Score: 9

#2) Trent Harmon 

“Falling” by Trent Harmon

So Trent gets a bluesy rock song for his winner song. It’s got a JT vibe to it. It’s not “A Moment Like This” or “Home” which is strange. He does fine with it. It’s not very memorable so luckily this is only performance number 1 of the night.

Score: 9

#3) Dalton Rapattoni

“Strike a Match” by Dalton Rapattoni

Well it’s a song that is in his wheelhouse. It feels like it should be good but once again, it started off too low. The kid has some range but that has been a perpetual problem. Key and finding pitch. This was not a great way to go out but he’s got a future post Idol.

Score: 8

Round 2

#1) Trent Harmon

“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Harold Melvin

It’s a risky song choice to give to Trent but this is opportunity to show his soul. It’s actually a perfect finale song. Trent has so much stylisitic range that every genre should be fighting for him. There’s a unique spark to him that makes him unique.

Score: 10

#2) La’Porsha Renae

“A House is Not a Home” by Dionne Warwick

She looks stunning. It fits the song well. Awful lyrics aside, La’Porsha brought her power to this ballad. I think it’s the song but it felt very underwhelming. Especially in comparison to Trent. She did fine but it’s not memorable at all.

Score: 9

Round 3

#1) Trent Harmon 

“Chandelier” by Sia

He can change his look, he can change his voice, and he’s incredible every time. This was a very reserved rendition of the song and it was simply stunning. As his columniation song, I think this was a fantastic way to say goodbye. A winner to me.

Score: 10

#2) La’Porsha Renae

“Diamonds” by Rihanna

It’s a song with soul and La’Porsha continues to elevate this song. She looks much better than she did compared to the last time she sang this song. Her annunciation was a bit Ariana Grande level but this performance was all about the vibrato.

Score: 10

Overall Rankings

#1) Trent Harmon- 141.5 points

#2) La’Porsha Renae- 136.5 points

Survivor Koah Rong: Episode 8 Power Rankings

And the first person voted out of the new merge tribe is...wait, Neal was medivaced. Well that was a shock! Mount Saint Neal, the puss monster on his knee, forced him out of the game. We didn't see a giant shakeup but we did see some tribal lines get drawn. Here's how things look moving into the first official Tribal Council post merge.

#1) Jason (1)

Jason seemed to get along with everyone once the tribes were merged. That being said, we didn't really have a need for conflict quite yet. Jason was reunited with Scot which seemed to boost his energy. We haven't really seen his dynamic with Tai but we see that he and Nick have some sort of bond. But how strong is it? With his target of Neal/Aubry almost eliminated, could he try for a bigger threat like Nick?

#2) Scot (2)

Scot gets his Jason back. But he also has Tai. And now Nick. He offered the Tai information to Nick. But not the Jason information. This was a smart move but no longer makes him the knowingest idol know it all as Jason knows as much as he does. Will this backfire or is his trust in Jason pure?

#3) Cydney (3)

Cydney is in a fantastic position. She has the boys to carry her but also take any heat. She just lacks the idol power that they both have. But if she gets ticked off knowing she's at the bottom of this three, all she has to do is slip a little info about Jason's idol to the wrong person and then back away. If there are shades of an all-girls alliance, Cydney has a backup plan.

#4) Julia (7)

Julia is sitting pretty. Just a week ago she was the easy victim of fate. But she let Peter take the heat and the Brains become the target. Julia is harmless. Let's continue to watch her coast on to the end.

#5) Michele (8)

Like Julia, Michele is harmless. But the slight tiff between her and Nick could make Nick use her as target practice. Michele has a great pulse on the tribe and needs to let the big dogs fit one another and just watch.

#6) Tai (6)

Tai has some buddies! But he doesn't know his buddy Scot spilled the beans on his idol. This puts Tai in a dangerous position. If Jason wants, he can target him or use him to his advantage. Either way, Tai will be blindsided. What Tai needs to do is listen to any offer that will further his game and just play the loveable guy card.

#7) Nick (10)

Nick has done so much better than he has the first half of the game. The trouble is he knows a lot but doesn't have the true loyal alliance. He has numbers but he is a challenge threat. Nick needs to keep his options open and maintain a good relationship with all of the former beauties.

#8) Aubry (9)

Aubry lost her number one ally in Neal. And she was distraught. But this opens up her game. She can play the free agent card and float with the numbers. The trouble is if the Brawns think Neal had an idol and might have slipped it to Aubry, they will try to target her once again. Her only safety net is to go right to them and prove her idol innocence. 

#9) Joe (11)

Joe is not a challenge threat. So in a sense he's still harmless. He is in the minority and seems like the last target of the three brains. But if you let Joe slip too long, he will be forgotten until it's too late. Joe has no resume which would be cause to bring him to the end. He hasn't really made any waves so if it's a bitter jury, he could see a victory. A Pagonging of the Brains is the smartest move but this game has evolved where the logical move isn't always the best for each individual.

#10) Debbie (4)

Damn Debbie! That is not how to make new alliance members. Debbie is a perfect secondary target if flushing out an potential idol is the gameplan. But Debbie seems to be rubbing people the wrong way which could be an easy excuse to vote her off. If I were Debbie, I'd take a giant step back and shut up.

American Idol 15: Top 3 Performance Power Rankings

Can you believe we're in our final week of American Idol? I'm in shock. This is a super tough final four but it was clearly between two. And as predicted, we had to say goodbye to Mackenzie Bourg. With only two rounds standing between them and the crown, do we have a clear final two? I think so! 

Round 1

#1) Mackenzie Bourg

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

From a song perspective, it was a bit of a safe choice in the manner that it’s a perfect singer-songwriter song that will garner praise just for song alone. While we haven’t seen Mackeznie do a straight ballad in a while, it’s still too slow to push him over the edge. That being said, it was a vocally beautiful rendition. There were some new tones to his voice that came out in this performance. Mackenzie will be something when this competition is over.

Score: 9

#2) Trent Harmon

“Tennessee Whisky” by Chris Stapleton

Do I hate this song? I sure do! But this is a great song for Trent. This is a genuine performance that harkens back to his roots. I think it was a smart idea to pick this song to remind America that he can do it all. He can do rock, pop, blues, country, you name it. Did it resonate as much as last week? No way. Topping last week’s perfect performance is near impossible but it was a nice moment.

Score: 9

#3) La’Porsha Renae

“Glory” by Common & John Legend

She needed a power moment and this could be the song to do it. Did La’Porsha get her glory from “Glory”? It was fine. It was a fine vocal. It wasn’t anything special She didn’t have the oomph behind the song. She felt overwhelmed by the vocal.

Score: 8.5

#4) Dalton Rapattoni

“Calling You” by Blue October 

A shocker. A midtempo song. It’s certainly a song that is in his wheelhouse and it’s a great vocal but it’s not anything special. Dalton knows who he is as an artist. He wants to do alt rock. And you have to commend him for knowing his style. It was a bit rough around the edges pitch wise. But this is a competition. This is not getting him into the finale.

Score: 8

Round 2

#1) Trent Harmon 

“Drink You Away” by Justin Timberlake

It’s actually a shock that this is the first Justin Timberlake song in Idol history! But it’s a great one to do! Trent KILLED it. The kid has layers. He’s got depth. Give him any style and he’ll be able to do something with it. I just can’t see him losing at this point. 

Score: 10 

#2) Dalton Rapattoni

“Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Sprinsteen

Dear Scott. I highly judge your song choice. You want Dalton to rock, give him something to rock to! Of course there is a Dalton-edge to the song. It’s melodic. We hear the words. And that’s all well and good but it didn’t give him a moment. Yeah because put a super rock spin after the chorus! And it was epic! Was it finale worthy? Eh. 

Score: 9

#3) La’Porsha Renae

“Stay With Me” Lorraine Ellison

From a song perspective, it’s not a super well known song so that could have been a song sabotage. La’Porsha brought a smokiness to the song and she sounded pretty good on it. Her vibrato was a cool addition. Was this an Idol moment? Not really. It was generic. Good but generic.

Score: 9

Round 3

#1) La’Porsha Renae

“Hello” by Adele

Hello? Finale? Can you hear me? I think La’Porsha just sealed her fate to fight Trent for the final American Idol title. Love or hate Adele, it’s a great number. Hearing La’Porsha’s soul in this number was stunning. It was a really great performance.

Score: 9.5

#2) Trent Harmon

“Waiting Game” by Parson James

Who? What is this song? Is Parson James like Parson Brown? I digress. With a song that’s not well known it gave Trent an opportunity to make it his own. It was a stunning performance. In one night, Trent brought country, r&b, and pop. He went deep. Was the season rigged? Well, great debaters will have to determine whether his “group number” in Hollywood week was fair but nevertheless this kid should win.

Score: 9

#3) Dalton Rapattoni

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears

Judges! I call sabotage! Why the hell would you pick this song for him? There’s nothing to do with it! Dalton did all he could with it by putting an alternative spin on the 80s hit. But it was just far too low for him. This won’t cost him a place in the finale but it’s sad that this will be the song that he says goodbye with.

Score: 8.5

Overall Rankings

#1) Trent Harmon- 112.5 points

#2) La’Porsha Renae- 108.5 points

#3) Dalton Rapattoni- 105.5 points