Russell: likely the villain of "Survivor: Samoa." (CBS)
Now that the official cast for "Survivor: Samoa" has been announced, it's time to focus individually on some of the season's new contestants. Check back daily as new ones will be featured leading up to the September 16 premiere.
Today's featured contestant is Russell Hantz.
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Name: Russell Hantz
Age: 36
Location: Dayton, Texas
Occupation: Oil company owner
Tribe: Foa Foa (yellow buff)
Strengths: Russell is one of the closest things "Survivor" has ever seen to pure evil. He's sly, cocky, manipulative, and promises to get everyone on his tribe to do exactly what he wants them to. He also has one other major advantage: he's real. You never get the impression that he is simply "playing up" his personality for the cameras (as you occasionally got with Tyson from "Survivor: Tocantins"). He could make some real friends out there and form an extremely powerful alliance.
Weaknesses: There's no easy way to say it: Russell is vicious. If anyone finds out that he is really the one pulling the strings then he will be in serious trouble. Russell is built like a tank, but it is yet to be seen if this muscle definition will lead to him being a strong player come challenge time. He doesn't have the easygoing personality of some of the other people in this game, and this could lead to other fights down the road.
Past "Survivor" comparison: Think about any major "Survivor" villain in the past and you have Russell. He's a bit more Southern than Richard Hatch, not as loopy as Jerri from "Survivor: Australia," and doesn't complain about needing a cigarette as much as Shane did during "Survivor: Exile Island." Probably the closest comparisons for Russell are Brian from "Survivor: Thailand" and Chris from "Vanuatu."
Prediction: We know through Jeff Probst that this season features "one of the best villains" the show has ever seen. All signs point to this "villain" being Russell. He's diobolical, cocky, and has the tools to go very far. My guess is that in order to be a great villain, he's got to stick around for a while. Russell won't win "Survivor: Samoa," but he will be around untill the final five.
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Other "Survivor: Samoa" spotlights:
"Survivor: Samoa " castaway spotlight: Dave Ball
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Betsy Bolan
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Mike Borassi
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Ben Browning
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Marisa Calihan
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Erik Cardona
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Brett Clouser
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: John Fincher
"Survivor: Samoa" castaway spotlight: Yasmin Giles
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Other top TV news:
"Jon and Kate Plus 8:" TLC forces the Gosselins to cancel appearances
"Big Brother 11:" the nominees for eviction
"Survivor: Samoa" spotlight: Yasmin Giles
"Jon and Kate Plus 8:" Kate Gosselin heads to the farm
Comments
R.H. - You are the biggest douchebag! How dare you insult women like that, you miserable misogynist pig!
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