We previewed the Heroes tribe of Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers yesterday. Today, it’s time to look at our next group of people; the Healers. Let’s see how this group will look like they will perform both individually and as a unit against the other two tribes.

Cole Medders

Age: 24

Hometown: Little Rock Arkansas

Occupation: Wilderness Therapy Guide

Okay. If you’re looking for the perfect package to throw onto Survivor, how about a physically jacked mountain climber whose job requires him to spend hundreds of days consecutively in the deserts of Utah? Cole, at least physically, is built for this game (seriously he’s like the white James Clement) and he will be one of the few players in history who do not get phased by the living conditions. Remember when Dreamz Herd was all good with living on the island because being homeless had been rougher? This kind of like a similar situation for Cole, who chooses to live in his car.

That said, there’s definitely a preachy side to Cole about his lifestyle. He says in his video that he doesn’t believe people should live comfortably and that it makes us soft. I can totally see him talking about that on the island and rubbing some people the wrong way. He also says in his bio that he can’t stand lazy people so he might be one of those players who always want something to be done around camp.

There’s a fun side to Cole. Among the things he would bring on an island with him are Legos, which is all well and good until you step on one of them. He sees himself as a Spencer Bledsoe because, “Spencer from Season 28. He came across as a nerd or just a little awkward but he ended up being really dominant in challenges and in the mental/social game and that’s how I see myself”. I don’t know, the way he calls him a nerd makes me laugh.

Cole is so perfectly built for this game that I doubt he has much of a chance to win. Everyone is going to see him day one and realize that they have to cut him before the end-game or he could dominate his way to the end. The Healers will definitely reap the benefits of having Cole set up their camp, cook their food and help them in challenges but like Alan from the Heroes tribe, Cole is perfect fodder for a merge boot.

He’s also going to have so many creepy followers on all of his social media after this season. Guarantee people are going to call him “daddy” and it’s already making me uncomfortable.

Desi Williams

Age: 27

Hometown: Peachtree City, Georgia

Occupation: Physical Therapist

Desi is jacked and attractive. She’s been a professor at a university so she’s also smart. There are few things that Desi does that she doesn’t do well. She seems like the type of person who commits 100% to whatever she is doing in the moment and for the time being, that thing is Survivor. All in all, I should be completely sold on her as a potential winner and yet… something is amiss.

I think part of it is that she strikes me as someone who will not react well if things don’t go her way. She’s been so successful in life and isn’t used to failure. Survivor is a game where everyone will fail a few times, very few players can play a full game without committing blemishes. In her bio she also uses the word “casted” which is not an actual word so I had to dock her points for that.

Another problem I see with Desi is that she describes herself as flirty but that can anger other women. I really hope she isn’t the type of girl who “can’t get along with other women” because that would be a shame. I definitely see her aiming for a showmance strategy and outside of Boston Rob and Amber, I don’t think it’s a very efficient Survivor strategy.

She says that she’s a bit scared of the experience. I do respect that kind of honesty from her. Most people are going to be scared going, Survivor isn’t exactly a usual way of living, but most people won’t admit it. That she knows she is going to have to get through the mental fear of living in isolation is a good start.

Jessica Johnston

Age: 29

Hometown: Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Occupation: Nurse Practitioner

Another jacked woman on the Healers tribe. Jessica’s definitely got a huge enthusiasm for the experience which I will always appreciate. She says she wants everything to happen to them, storms, blindsides, twists, you name it. Saying you want it to happen and having it actually happen are two different things and we will see how Jessica deals with the game once it’s in full swing.

Jessica compares herself to Andrea Boehlke so I look forward to seeing her get blindsided during the jury phase of the game. She also says her pet peeve is “can openers” which I appreciate for being such a non-answer that it’s kind of actually funny.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about Jessica. She might be really good, she might flame out early. She strikes me as the attractive blonde that a season needs to have. It’s probably unfair of me to paint her with such a broad stroke but until I see her in the game, I am not sure I can say much more.

Joe Mena

Age: 34

Hometown: Bronx, New York

Occupation: Probation Officer

First things first, I’m not quite sure how a probation officer qualifies as a healer. Maybe they heal felons by helping integrate them back into society? Though by his own account, he spends more time sending people to jail then helping them rehabilitate. Either way, when production has to shoehorn a tribe designation in there, sometimes some people’s tribes just won’t make sense.

Joe, or Cloney as some have started calling him for his resemblance to Tony Vlachos, is definitely a character. I like him a lot. The biggest thing that stood out to me was that before being cast, Joe didn’t know how to swim. We’ve seen in the past people not really care about a glaring weakness like that and doing nothing to adjust. Joe went out and got private swimming lessons and now feels comfortable in the water. That’s huge and it shows me a willingness to adapt in order to do well.

He’s also very motivated by the money above anything else. Like he says, Joe isn’t there for the fame of being on TV and he isn’t leaving his kids for six weeks just to get some Instagram followers. He wants that cold, hard cash and I always respect people who are openly gunning for the win.

There’s definitely an air of hubris in Joe that might hurt him. It may also just be the New Yorker in him. He compares himself to Mike Holloway, Jeremy Collins and Tony. Three winners in case you hadn’t noticed. His strategy is to surround himself with people that trust and that he knows he can manipulate. I’m going to have to see that in action but upon hearing him say that, I can’t help but think of Russell Hantz and we know how that worked out for him twice.

Still, I like Joe a lot. He’s funny. The three things he would bring on an island? “Me, myself and a picture of my children”. He’s got that manic Tony energy that has him talking a mile a minute and seems likable even though it’s hard to explain. I see him taking a stronghold of an alliance on the Healers tribe and trying to ride that out to the end.

Mike Zahalsky

Age: 43

Hometown: Parkland, Florida

Occupation: Urologist

Mike is a very legitimate doctor. He has a wife and kids. He’s set for life in terms of money. The only reason Mike is doing Survivor is for the love of the show and the experience. He’s been watching since day one and even named his son Ethan after Survivor: Africa’s Ethan Zohn.

Honestly, Mike reminds me a lot of David Wright in how he speaks and in his self-deprecating ways. Like David, I think Mike’s biggest worry will be those first couple of days in the game. If he is able to skate by there, I think he has a good chance to make it pretty deep into the game because of his knowledge of the show and his maturity.

In his bio, Mike calls himself a germaphobe. I don’t know to what extent but I hope he realizes that Survivor is going to come with lots of dirt and grime. I’m sure Mike is aware of this since he is a fan but it’s a little worrisome to read. The other thing that possibly worries me about Mike is that being the lovable one who ends up betraying people is hard in Survivor. Ask Cochran his first time around, you get it a lot worse if you’re supposed to be the feeble, weak player who gets on over on people because players don’t like getting got by people they consider lower than them.

Roark Luskin

Age: 27

Hometown: Palo Alto, California

Occupation: Student

Roark is this season’s “super duper fan”. She’s met Corrine Kaplan and Max Dawson through their ATF podcast. She’s had a cameo appearance in a RHAP podcast. Basically, she’s already been around the proverbial Survivor block before even appearing on it.

In a way, it should be scary to buy into Roark stock because the pre-season favorites have flamed out in recent season. That said, it’s almost impossible not to buy into her. Her bio is easily my favorite out of anyone in this cast. Some highlights:

· Her insipiration in life is Blue Ivy Carter.

· She’s had a picture taken of her every single day of her life and that is her claim to fame.

· She tweets about the Bachelor (which is true, I’ve seen her social media before).

· She likes to read random Yelp reviews of her local Starbucks.

· On her pet peeves, “Name something. It probably peeves me”.

· Which contestant is she most like? “If Sophie Clarke and Courtney Yates found a way to have a child I would be the result”. It’s an eerily accurate comparison.

I will honestly be heartbroken if Roark doesn’t manage to do well. Both for her and for my own entertainment. She acknowledges that she can be bossy and likes to correct people so she’s going to have to watch that. She also says that she does not plan on playing a sexy, flirtatious game and would rather play a slow-burning one that catches people just at the right time.