OK, here we go..... data is starting to come out.

Episode 1 starts off with a nice relaxing hike through the jungle. Yeah, an 11 mile overnight hike. Nakum tribe in particular seems to have a rough time with this one.

As predicted, the 2 surprise players that return are Bobby Jon and Steph. Don't be fooled by those silhouette images - that's actually a recycle of Eric & Maggie's pictures from Big Brother!! (Ew.) Bobby Jon & Steph are playing as team captains, but cannot get voted out. They're also not eligible for the big prize at the end - speculation is that they'll play through the merge and whichever captain has the "winning" tribe may get a special reward. There's also talk that there will be at least one other returning guest/player, if not 2 - Mike Skupin is a perennial favorite for this type of comment. I could see Colby being one too, he's been pretty visible lately.

First Reward Challenge - Nakum tribe wins and gets the better of the 2 camps and flint.
First Immunity Challenge - Yaxha tribe likely to win. Amy would not be the first boot.
The first boot is not known yet but Brianna is a probable early departure and Brooke is mentioned a few times as well, so it could be either of those 2.

Looks like a tough season - Jiffy Pop said in an interview that the physically weak or those unable to deal with the 110 degree jungle heat are going to be in trouble. Should be fun!!

If I'm able to find out any more info from Margaret's husband (who works at my company), I'll pass it on. So far, I haven't found a "snitch" in that office....

Thanks EGB...so looking forward to the new season

Probst's assessment of the 'Survivor Guatemala' contestants

BRANDON BELLINGER: Has a smart mouth and pretended to be the dumb farmer. He is very likeable.

DANNI BOATWRIGHT: Is an athlete and comes from a family of strong competitors. Does not like to lose.

MARGARET BOBONICH: STAR of the first episode and was seriously concerned about ONE of the players during and after the hike. BOL CONNECTION

BRIAN CORRIDAN: Thinks he is 'Richard Hatch Lite'.

CINDY HALL: More comfortable around animals rather than people. As a zoo keeper, she knows a lot about the outdoors and the animals which populate Guatemala.

GARY HOGEBOOM: Used an alternate persona to hide the fact that he is a former NFL football player. Might not have GIVEN HIS ALL at the start to hide his athletic background.

RAFE JUDKINS: An understated personality who studied Mayan culture before he even knew he was selected to be on the series. Probst believes viewers will rally behind him.
JIM LYNCH: A know-it-all who likes things done his way.

MORGAN McDEVITT: Probst didn't have faith in her at the start. She CHANGED HIS MIND and is seen as sort of an UNDERDOG.

LYDIA MORALES: Knowledge of fish won't come into play as there is not much opportunity to fish where the camps are situated. The water there is muddy and dense. Very charming. A SURVIVOR in her own life.

JAMIE NEWTON: Has a chip on his shoulder. Always intends to do the right thing and has a good heart.

AMY O'HARA: Has a little bit of Twila in her. She has a big mouth but is very, very tough.
JUDD SERGEANT: A hot head but is a strong player because he has studied and understands the game. He knows what he has to do to endear himself to the other players.

BROOKE STRUCK: Sharp and calm. A leader.

BLAKE TOWSLEY: Most of the men involved in the casting liked him. The women didn't.

BRIANNA VARELA: She had another reason for being on the series. Probst: Something else was going on. He is not sure what she was looking for from the experience.

Can't believe we don't have the first boot yet! However, JIM looks to be a very viable pick. He spent most of the first 2 days throwing up and he's always shown in the same yellow shirt. Let's go with him for right now.

Can't WAIT for tonite!

You should be pleased, Jiffy Pop really seems to like Margaret.

Jiffy Pop = Jeff Probst

I don't know, but I think it's hilarious.

Um, like 6 seasons ago.

Yeah come on Bengals, you haven't devoted your life to Survivor like these other coolies? You should be proud!

Pretty much all board picks are in, virtually all boards going with Nakum for the RC, Yaxha for the IC, and Jim for the boot.

So far, no word on Margaret's overall standing from my in-house contacts. I'm still trying to root around for info, but - as you know - they're #1 - sworn to secrecy, and #2 - they stick around after they're booted off so no one really knows how long they lasted. I'll keep searching, and if I get any info at all, I'll share. One co-worker did say that she wasn't surprised to see Margaret on the show - she's always been very adventerous and athletic. (We had an office meeting this morning, and some people are totally clueless about the show. Cracks were made that she was already spending lots of money. ANY of us would know that the check hasn't been given out as yet!)

Meanwhile, I'll just watch her kick booty - and take care of the boys.

See if you can figure out a) did she lose a lot of weight while she was gone (usually means they stayed in country a goodly amount of time) and b) did she come back really tan, with a lot of bug bites? (another good indication of time spent in country rather than at Loser Lodge.)

If she is already spending lots of money, it could be a clue. After all, the final two know they are winning something at least....

It was a joke. The guy who said it has never seen the show. And so far, no loose lips on anything related to her involvement. I'm still trying...

Spoilers for this week:

Note - this is going to be a fun season. Unlike the last couple, we don't have a really good inside source, so it's a lot more intuitive, weird-clue sifting than it has been. So expect more errors this season - but more interesting discussions too, I think.

Reward challenge - looks like a water challenge - relays through a mini obstacle course, then collecting color-coded bags. Reward most likely fishing hooks & line. Let's go with Yaxha for the win.

Immunity - Mud Tugs. Group tug o' war into an end one, then some type of mud wrestling individual competition. Possible Nakum win.

Boot - my prime candidate is Blake, who has been consistently sick (besides, I don't like him much.) Gary is possible as well, but I think he sticks around a bit longer.

Any new mumbling today about the show tonight???

Love the spoilers, even when they are wrong!

Amy being rumored as a possible boot - most people divided between Amy & Blake. I'm still leaning towards Blake, myself.

This just in, Jeff Probst is voted out!

In an interview, April from Big Brother said "BLEEP BLEEP BLEEPITY BLEEP CAN'T BLEEP BLEEPING BLEEP HIM OVER AND BLEEPING VOTE HIM OUT!"

LOL.

Some minor rumors: Rafe & Steph rumored to do pretty well (yay Steph!) Judd should make at least the jury.

April "Bleepity Bleep Spoiler People, they bleeping made me look bleeping bad"