Survivor 42 spotlight: Meet retired firefighter Mike Turner!

Coming into Survivor 42 this week on CBS, we really want to like Mike Turner. That’s not all that hard to do when you hear him speak! He’s a retired firefighter with a big voice, lots of energy, and a passion for what he does. Even though he’s one of the oldest people on this season, we don’t get a sense that he’s going to be a pushover.

Here is the big thing we wonder: Can this 58-year old from Hoboken, New Jersey relate to people half his age, and from a totally different walk of life? There is no guarantee…

Watch our Survivor 41 finale video now! Take a look below to get a much-better sense of what transpired at the end of last season and how we thought the season was as a whole. We will have more coverage coming soon, so SUBSCRIBE to Matt & Jess on YouTube! That’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out.

The first thing that is clear to us is that it will be really hard to get rid of Mike early: He’s a hard worker! He’s a perfect guy to have at camp and someone who will probably inherit the role of leader regardless of if he wants it. He’s someone who rose through the ranks to become battalion chief during his career, so he knows a thing or two about leadership and telling people what to do. People could trust him because of his job, and it’s inevitable that some Tom Westman comparisons will come out of all of this.

What does excite us about Mike is that he does still seem okay with blindsiding and the strategic part of the game. Our main concern coming into this was that he would be all about honor and he wouldn’t want to get his hands dirty, but he insists that there’s more to him than meets the eye.

And yet…

We’re still worried about him in the game. We foresee him getting pigeonholed as a leader and targeted because people don’t like to be told what to do, even if he’s not trying to do that. We’re just worried he won’t get a proper chance, especially with some of the young players — even if, theoretically, he should be used to being around younger people at his job.

Related – Get some more Survivor coverage, including additional spotlights

What do you most want to see from Mike Turner entering Survivor 42?

Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do just that, remember to stay at the site to ensure you don’t miss any other updates that will be coming soon. (Photo: CBS.)