Hello and welcome to our very first list of Listed where today we will be counting down the ten best casting decisions made by producers and casting directors of the show. Which players made the show exciting? Which players brought it to the table? Before we get to that, I'll introduce you to our panelists who came up with this list...

 

 

 

 

 

Before we kick off the top 10, we have some choices that didn't quite make the cut but deserve an honorable mention.

 

 

Jenna: Face it, when you're creating a story, you need your good guys and your bad guys. In my opinion, Jon was a good guy that just happened to get paired up with the infamous Sabrina, the villain, which made for some interesting TV. Throughout it all, Jon managed to maintain a sense of integrity, loyalty, steadfastness and ethics. He had this heroic quality to him (he almost reminds me of Survivor's Colby Donaldson)...it also doesn't hurt that he's not too hard on the eyes.

 

 

Brendan: This girl planned out her game and won it easily. She got everything she wanted not by lying and looks but by hard work and determination.

 

 

Kaytee: Taking a hit every other episode and not complaining....okay, I admit I was joking when I wrote this down but it makes sense not to limit this list to people. I mean, the Samadhi deserves a mention. It gets mispelled so many times on the board and it basically provides something for us to look forward to each Saturday. We wonder who's gonna get it. What is gonna be inside. How do you spell it? And in Sarah's case, what is it called? I think the Samadhi deserves to be on the list because it was a decision by production, therefore a casting decision. Everyone feared it, it has only been out of the show two times, out of many times. Without it, there would be no Endurance.

 

And now let's get to the list!

 

 

 

Ryan: Chelsea really had a great game plan from the get-go. Although she should have been more active at first, she knew what was really going on, despite the fact that she was so quiet. You don't have to win Endurance and be a great player. She was kind, she was emotional, she was smart. Those three qualities, although it is not all of them, are some important ones to have on this show.

 

Brendan: Well from what I saw, it seemed <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Chelsea</st1:City></st1:place> was a thinker,  She knew what was going on.  She had a lot of perseverance and she knew why she got kicked off too early.  It wasn't because she was a weak player, or that she was bad one, but because she was singled out and was picked on by people who didn't want to get rid of each other because they were friends.  I think <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Chelsea</st1:City></st1:place> had alot of potential, she just wasn't put in with a good group of kids, but a group that didn't like her.

 

Kaytee: Chelsea is the kind of person you'd want as a friend. Her actions and words were genuine as well as her sportsmanship and her pain. Real nice person you'd want to associate with.

 

Jenna: After some thinking, I really do believe Chelsea deserves to be on this list. She wasn't exactly a colorful personality, more sort of subdued but she was also someone the shy girls of the world could relate to. More sort of a universal person.

 

 

Jenna: He may not have lasted a long time but you have to admit, Scooter was a memorable character. Super competitive, tough, extremely confident. Everything about Scooter was over-the-top. What I find comical about him is the fact that beneath the tough exterior, he brought along his beloved teddy bear to Baja, Mexico and, well, what kind of macho man nicknames himself "Scooter?" One other thing that stands out in my mind is his vast vocabulary and his quotes.

 

Ryan: I wasn't the biggest fan of Scooter but he had a sense of humor that seemed to relieve the other contestants. He wasn't THE BEST casting decision but definitely deserves a spot on the list.

 

Brendan: Scooter was what every show needs:  A tough, confident, macho, who, to your surprise, actually brought a teddy bear to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> for Endurance. Although I wanted Blue to leave early, I think the producers made a good pick because Scooter was a guy who was all talk, what every show needs.

 

Kaytee: Man, Scooter needs to be on this list. That boy was funny. I think he was funny without realizing how funny he really is. As Jen said, he was sort of the alpha male, the macho guy...but he slept with a teddy bear. His vocab and quotes just made it worthwhile to watch E2 as it dragged along.

 

 

Kaytee: I have to be honest, I don't really know her. Like I can't remember her only that she is really pretty and I don't know but she wasn't like someone who would take anything from people.

 

Brendan: This tough girl fooled producers by "drinking" raw eggs to get on the show. She had all the guys in love with her and had the girls rooting her on. She learned to put aside first reactions of Monroe and learned teamwork and showed people what she was made of.

 

Ryan: She progressed GREATLY throughout the game. She was SO bummed out when she got Monroe as her partner but they succeeded more than they failed. Bryanah liked to hang out with the boys more than the girls and was a bit shunned and ridiculed for that but she proved herslef worthy, made many great friends and was able to understand that it doesn't matter who your partner is, or if you win the whole game, it's the experience you take home with you.

 

Jenna: Bryanah Bascon...I remember the Chris/Lindi partner selection fiasco and many people thought that whole incident would spell her doom and people were annoyed by her attitude but it didn't tear her down, it toughened her up. I almost like to think of her as the girl who got tougher and tougher as the season progressed. She had a lot to put up with out there...countless Samadhis, constantly being targeted for the temple, the girls being jealous of the way she clicked with guys. You ended up completely rooting for this girl and forgetting that whole partner game fiasco ever happened.

 

 

Brendan: The girls loved him and this is why I'm putting him on the list. He honestly, in my opinion, didn't play the game at all. His "hang loose no worries" attitude almost made us forget about him except the girls never did so that's why he's on here.

 

Jenna: Despite the tension and betrayal that went on in the teenage soap opera that is Endurance, Christian was able to provide some comic relief from the drama. So maybe he wasn't exactly a strategist but he was simply a good guy who stuck with his guns and morals (his strong dislike for Sabrina in the confessionals) and had some good one-liners. It also doesn't hurt that he has a cult-like following.

 

Ryan: They always need the "long haired blonde, blue eyed hot surfer guy" in each season. Christian didn't just act like that, he surfed, he played sports, he was in fact the "long haired blonde, blue eyes hot surfer guy". They attract a high number of females to the audience, and although it's not about ratings, Christian was a great choice.

 

Kaytee: Okay, I adore Christian because he did provide comic relief and is who he is. He wasn't about drama, he was a say it to your face type of person (which guy ever comes out and tells their partner that she's fat?). He led his team to the final three even only just winning an Endurance Mission. He was on the beach a long time despite losing majorly compared to the other two teams.

 

 

Kaytee: Jenna wasn't on my list as a seperate person but I agree, she was definitely a "this is who I am, like it or hate it" type of girl. It is a toss-up of her or Annie but I think she is the more dominant of the two. She had a style all on her own and knew who she was. "Nuh uh, not cool". She was very unique and I like her for that. She didn't have to force drama or be anything she knew she wasn't/

 

Jenna: As I was comming up with my picks, I had a hard time deciding between her or Annie but then I had finally made up my mind. Most of the girls we saw on Endurance were blonde girly-girl cheerleaders. Jenna was the antidote to them all with her pyramid stud belts, dog collar necklace and punk attire. She was a truly unique competitor. A tomboy yet a girls' girl. Both guys and girls liked her. I'm not sure if there will be another contestant quite like Jenna...and that Xena-esque cheer. Who can repeat that?!

 

Ryan: Jenna was Max's partner and was a strong, independent and fun player. She brought a funny/edge/overall great feel to season 2 and didn't get the time she deserved on E1. Jenna must be on this list for all of those reasons.

 

To be continued...