‘Survivor: San Juan del Sur’ castaway spotlight: Will Val Collins arrest the competition?
On “Survivor: San Juan del Sur,” it appears that there are going to be a variety of different contestants that you are going to see compete … but there is none we are worried about more than the cop. There has to be some sort of “Tony Vlachos effect” that comes along with this show, where you suddenly end up as a target strictly due to being affiliated via profession alone with the man.
This is what makes Val Collins such an intriguing contestant right now. On the surface, she comes across as someone who could do very well in this game: She’s likable, outgoing, and she knows that she doesn’t necessarily look like a cop. The question is whether or not people are going to hold that against her.
Name – Val Collins
Age – 35
Occupation – Police officer
Location – Foxboro, Massachusetts
Strengths – She’s in great shape, but she probably will not be the top target over some of the hulky guys. She’s going to be good at reading people and making relationships early, and she seems trustworthy. All of this seems good when you want to become an alliance member.
Weaknesses – This is a bad indictment on the show’s casting, but it’s true: She is one of the older women on this season. (To be fair, two women of unknown ages dropped out before the season.) Sometimes you become a target early just because you stand out, and this could make her a target early. We hope that doesn’t happen, and we’re really scratching the bottom of the barrel to come up with a big weakness here other than that some may fear her job.
Past “Survivor” comparison – We feel like her Taj one may be pretty good, but we’d combine that almost with how Derrick on “Big Brother” is playing this summer when it comes to his job. Another good one could be Tina Wesson, who has that same sort of spirit.
Prediction – We think that both Val and her husband Jeremy are capable of making it pretty far, and while we don’t imagine that both will make it to the end, she probably has a better shot when it comes to final six or seven. We’re not sure if we would pick her to win just yet, but if she makes it to that last tribal council, she could articulate a case really well.
What’s your prediction for Val? Share your thoughts with a comment, and head over here to see our other “Survivor” spotlights! You can also sign up now to get some further news and updates via our CarterMatt Newsletter.
Photo: CBS