Past Seasons Talk: The Tribe Has Spoken

[Guest]

I don't especially need to see Michaela a third time, but wouldn't mind Jay again.

Michelle can come back whenever she wants 🥰

[LadyChatts]

13 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I don't especially need to see Michaela a third time, but wouldn't mind Jay again.

Michelle can come back whenever she wants 🥰

Despite not liking this season much, there's actually a lot of people I'd love to see return.  Michelle annoyed me the first time around, but upon second viewing, her gameplay actually has me intrigued.  There's a lot of rumors S45 or 46 might be a returning player cast, and I hope that they pluck some more people from this season, if that happens.  And it's been a few years since it was aired, so maybe some of the stronger players (like Jay, who I find underrated as a Survivor player, even if he is bad at spotting fake idols) might not stand out so much.  

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, LadyChatts said:

Despite not liking this season much, there's actually a lot of people I'd love to see return.  Michelle annoyed me the first time around, but upon second viewing, her gameplay actually has me intrigued.  There's a lot of rumors S45 or 46 might be a returning player cast, and I hope that they pluck some more people from this season, if that happens.  And it's been a few years since it was aired, so maybe some of the stronger players (like Jay, who I find underrated as a Survivor player, even if he is bad at spotting fake idols) might not stand out so much.  

Intriguing is exactly the word that comes to mind with Michelle. She talked in her interviews at the beginning about trying to figure out how to balance her faith with playing a game of deceit - how she didn't want to go the route of "I'll never lie even if it costs me the game" OR the route of "I'm going to abandon my principles completely for the game" which she saw past players of faith doing, but would try to find a middle ground. Unfortunately, we didn't really get to see that play out on the show itself, though it came out in some bonus clips. But she did show promise in her strategic chops for awhile there, and had some real challenge skills as well.

I just loved that she was a very serious Christian who was also quirky enough to believe that dragons might be real, but ALSO had enough of a sense of humor about herself to wear that fantastic dragon dress at the reunion.

And, in my opinion, she's one of the most interestingly beautiful people they've ever had on this show.

[Guest]

Speaking of Michelle Schubert (2 months later), she'd been doing some fundraising for projects in Togo, and is currently over there seeing them come to fruition. Including helping a man start a well-digging business (dug for free for those in poorer areas), and a school. Nice to see some good being done.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChR33KOMboSZYHgD9fQ0vYN4QUImTn9o_4Q11c0/

https://www.instagram.com/stories/the_exploracious/2907819670962103841/ (this is a story, so won't be there much longer, but it's Michelle talking about the school and showing the building and a class in session)

[seacliffsal]

I just rewatched season 30 with all of the collars.  I liked Mike and felt he earned the win.  I know he wasn't a popular winner for a lot of people, but once the group decided he was the enemy/villain, they never allowed him to try to rebuild relationships with them.  However, I could not believe that they never voted out Rodney, Will, or Dan earlier in the season as they all made some horrible comments.  Although I didn't care for Shirin early in the season, she did not deserve the verbal abuse that Will directed towards her and I am glad that Mike tried to get Will to stop (while everyone else just watched and listened).  

[txvoodoo]

Still going through my rewatch of everything, and the only thing that keeps me going to the end on Samoa, and suffering through Russell, is because I know that he gets his comeuppance. He never understood that you can't make everyone hate you if you actually want to WIN.  

I will also never ever understand why all those people kept him around. Never. They got what they deserved. 

[RedElf]

Nick Wilson, the winner of David vs. Goliath, has just been elected to the Kentucky state legislature.

[seacliffsal]

Just finished watching season 29-the second version of Blood v. Water.  So refreshing to watch a season when there were only immunity idols to try to strategize around.  Liked Keith more than I remembered and better understood how Natalie won after rewatching her create the final three (carefully eliminating those who potentially would take the win).  Liked several participants less than I remembered do so previously.

The longer season and harder challenges make it much more interesting to me in that it seems like it really took determination (and a bit of luck) to make it to the end.  With the much shorter timeframe it seems like alliances are much more fluid (tribes are changed every few days) and it doesn't seem to wear on the survivors as much.

[seacliffsal]

Just watched season 18 (?) that JT won.  Wow, I really, really, really didn't like Coach or Tyson.  While I grew to think that Tyson was just snarky, there really was a meanness in him that just was not called for.  I was so glad he was blindsided out.  I was also surprised by how others prejudged JT because he was southern.  Both Stephen and Spencer (the 19 year old) immediately decided that JT wouldn't like them because of who he was.  So, in labeling him for what they believed to be his prejudices all they did was show their own.  Of course, Stephen ended up seeing their compatibility instead of their differences and allied with him all the way to final 2.  

I am often amazed that some of the contestants who claim how self-aware they are really aren't.  

Really liked Taj along with JT, Stephen, and Erin.  Also liked most of the cast (except Tyson and Coach).  Felt for Joe when he had to medi-evac but am glad they caught the infection in time to save his leg.  

Also appreciated having a final two, oh, and a season in which the idols were found but not played.

[AncientNewbie]

@seacliffsal that's a good season in my memory. Maybe not top 5 for me, because my ranks constantly rearrange, but a very good one. I don't like how Stephen gets dragged at final tribal for considering very valid game moves, but otherwise it's a favorite. I do wish Erin had returned. I thought she had a lot of potential and liked she outlasted so many. 

[Guest]

Tocantins is one of my favorites, too. It helps that it followed the miserable Gabon season, but it had its merits outside of that. JT and Stephen's rep kind of suffered in their later appearances, but I liked them both quite a bit in this one. Taj and Brendan were also good, and Erinn is one of my all-time favorites.

Coach isn't great, but I found him more ridiculous than anything, so he didn't bother me as much. Tyson was the true villain of that season because, as @seacliffsalnoted, there was a meanness to him that was distinctly unpleasant to watch. It was presented as humor, but it really didn't come off that way to me. But as villains go, even he wasn't that bad (really didn't need to see him play three more times, though).

[peachmangosteen]

This is cracking me up lol.

[SVNBob]

As one who respects both their games, it is pretty funny.   Lots of other contestants are "choosing sides" (with Tyson on Team Parv...which is odd considering his elimination in HvV), Jerri  saying she's got the real tea but she wants to see how this plays out between the queens before she spills, and all sorts of other nonsense.

 

Myself and a few others suspect that this isn't a real feud, but either just the two of them joking around during the off-season and the rest playing along, or it's a potential set-up to another RI-style season, with Sandra and Parvati instead of BRob/troll or Benji/Ozzy.

[peachmangosteen]

7 hours ago, SVNBob said:

... or it's a potential set-up to another RI-style season, with Sandra and Parvati instead of BRob/troll or Benji/Ozzy.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Lantern7]

28 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

That doesn't sound as bad as Rob/Russell or Coach/Ozzy. I mean, it's not a great idea, and Sandra would put up with it to a point, but you'd know there won't be at least one megalomaniac between them.

[Guest]

It does seem kind of random for this "feud" to resurface now, but I can't see Sandra or Parvati coming back for another season...certainly not a Redemption Island-type season, given Sandra's disdain for the Exile Island concept.

[peachmangosteen]

5 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

That doesn't sound as bad as Rob/Russell or Coach/Ozzy. I mean, it's not a great idea, and Sandra would put up with it to a point, but you'd know there won't be at least one megalomaniac between them.

I don't know, they're both kind of megalomaniacs tbh. They're just WAY easier to watch than any of the other 4 lol.

I like them both, but I don't need to see either 1 of them ever play Survivor again.

[Lantern7]

2 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I don't know, they're both kind of megalomaniacs tbh. They're just WAY easier to watch than any of the other 4 lol.

I like them both, but I don't need to see either 1 of them ever play Survivor again.

Okay  neither of them are Section 8 cases.

I'm wondering how long until we get a new alumni season. There are a few players I'd like to see again, but not many.

[LadyChatts]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Okay  neither of them are Section 8 cases.

I'm wondering how long until we get a new alumni season. There are a few players I'd like to see again, but not many.

I’d have to double check but I think Probst said there wasn’t one on the horizon for a while.  Redmond also hasn’t heard anything about returnees being contacted for S45 or 46.  I feel like they go through spurts, where if newbie seasons are working well for them they’ll keep with that formula.  Considering that some pre-26 day season alumni have criticized the shorter season, they may be trying to film some more new seasons so they can have the casts have more recent contestants that are used to that formula vs those who played the 39 day seasons.  

[RedElf]

Mike White won a Golden Globe last night for The White Lotus.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by RedElf

[SVNBob]

On 1/9/2023 at 4:31 PM, peachmangosteen said:

This is cracking me up lol.

And now Cameo is getting in on the act.  They've apparently sent out an email titled "Team Parvati or Team Sandra?" with a whole bunch of links to Survivors on the platform and are suggesting you purchase a Cameo from any number of them to ask which team they're on.

Clever marketing idea on their part.

[susannot]

I just started re-watching China for no particular reason.  My God.  Just the opening episode is spectacular with Chinese scenery, a gorgeous Buddhist ceremony, and a great cast.  It's so obvious that CBS is now running a cheap, cut-rate show.

[seacliffsal]

1 hour ago, susannot said:

I just started re-watching China for no particular reason.  My God.  Just the opening episode is spectacular with Chinese scenery, a gorgeous Buddhist ceremony, and a great cast.  It's so obvious that CBS is now running a cheap, cut-rate show.

I actually think this could be a reason for the decline in viewership (although it is still one of CBS' best rated shows).  There used to be surprises about the locations.  The animals, the vegetation, the history, etc.  Now it's always the same.  Fiji is beautiful, but we've seen the scenery, animals, birds, etc., over and over so there isn't any novelty or thrill to it anymore.

[LadyChatts]

13 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I actually think this could be a reason for the decline in viewership (although it is still one of CBS' best rated shows).  There used to be surprises about the locations.  The animals, the vegetation, the history, etc.  Now it's always the same.  Fiji is beautiful, but we've seen the scenery, animals, birds, etc., over and over so there isn't any novelty or thrill to it anymore.

I’ve been re-watching old seasons too and couldn’t agree more with this.  They also used to incorporate the location when it came to challenges and rewards.  I finished a re-watch of Survivor Africa recently, and Ethan and Lex went on a reward to a local village where they bartered two goats for money that they used to buy food and supplies.  Lex won a Chevy Avalanche (back when they had car sponsors) and used that to deliver HIV testing kits, medication and supplies to a local hospital.  And before the final 3 IC, Kim, Lex, and Ethan took part in a Samburu tribal ritual.  
 

I remember one of the complaints about this season was the contestants were pretty much stuck in their shelters because of wild life.  But looking at it now, with them in that vast desert, lions roaming around at night, the elephants, and the struggle over getting water at the river (which also served as the elephants bathroom), there was just something more Survivor-esque about it. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by LadyChatts

[AncientNewbie]

Note: I'll probably touch on some winners here that I can't really call spoilers, but be warned. 

 

This week (S45 e3(? I think?)) (for those finding this long after) made me think about Survivor careers and success rates. It's a skewed data set because we often get ("boxer") jobs that don't really match up with reality for tv purposes. 

Lawyers often get sold as good at Survivor, but I think there is a mixed result, at best. I think the reputation of the profession in our culture far outstrips the actual qualifications as a contestant. Or as an actual lawyer, because it's a pretty wide swath of people in the profession. 

As far as my memory goes, Nick Wilson (then a public defender, later a prosecutor, currently elected to the KY House) and Yul Kwon (billed as a tech exec) were the only practicing lawyer winners. Wendell Holland has an impressive JD but didn't practice post-clerkship. John Cochrane went right to writing after law school. Brad Culpepper made a final, but physical prowess (as with all) certainly played a role. Eliza Orlins is noted more for being annoying.  Bobby Mason chopped fish and then drank wine in the outhouse, but never cared to out-argue the rest of Casaya. Probably to his benefit. 

If I had to nail down a thesis to this rambling post, it's that "lawyers aren't a threat, unless they are likable people" but with over 600 people playing the game there are likely some notable and not-so-notable ones I'm glossing over. 

So I'm putting it to the hive mind--what lawyers stick in your memory? Are any there notable incidents of lawyering I'm forgetting? 

 

ETA: Before I started boring myself, I meant to mention other careers. Sales--currently Kaleb, past winners Brian H. and Natalie W., at a minimum...seems to have a good share of winner skills and success. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by AncientNewbie

[Guest]

The first lawyer I remember was all the way back on Season 1: Stacey Stillman. She was not successful (3rd person voted out and the first victim of Richard's alliance), nor was she presented as particularly likeable (sort of a dry run for Jerri). I don't remember how much the other cast members commented on her lawyerness or if that was part of the reasoning for voting her out.

But her lawyer status certainly came out after the show, when she sued Mark Burnett for him supposedly influencing her getting voted out over the more TV-friendly (ironically!) Rudy.

[susannot]

Very interesting post Ancient Newbie.  I'm a (retired) lawyer too and I have often pondered how well lawyers do on Survivor.  One immediately notable fact:  no FEMALE lawyer has ever won Survivor.  Admittedly some of the female lawyers were unpleasant people (Caryn, Kass) but still, makes you wonder.  The skills needed to be a lawyer--talking articulately, asserting oneself, constructing arguments--are not universally viewed as desirable in women.

The same pattern has been observed in Australian Survivor.  Sharn, a barrister, went to the Final 2 twice but did not win.

Edited October 13, 2023 by susannot

[fishcakes]

5 hours ago, AncientNewbie said:

So I'm putting it to the hive mind--what lawyers stick in your memory? Are any there notable incidents of lawyering I'm forgetting? 

Nick Brown from Outback. I remember him because he's probably the best-looking guy ever to play, but also he's from the Seattle area, and Survivor was a big deal back then, so the local news kept mentioning him. He's currently running for State AG here.

Paschal from Marquesas. Judge and dirtbag.

Andrew Savage, who I later learned was disqualified from practicing for the dumbest possible reason to get oneself disqualified: he failed to pay his bar dues.

Alex from ... Fiji? He of the FTC jury who asked questions and then screamed SHUT UP when the finalists tried to answer.

Willard from Palau, who I think was the first person to lie about his profession, telling everyone he was a mailman. He's remembered for bearing an uncanny resemblance to that season's immunity idol.

 

[Lantern7]

7 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Nick Brown from Outback. I remember him because he's probably the best-looking guy ever to play, but also he's from the Seattle area, and Survivor was a big deal back then, so the local news kept mentioning him. He's currently running for State AG here.

Remember, his immunity win inspired Colby/Keith/Tina to vote out Jerri, because they didn't have the heart to boot Elisabeth or Rodger.

[LadyChatts]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:05 AM, tracyscott76 said:

The first lawyer I remember was all the way back on Season 1: Stacey Stillman. She was not successful (3rd person voted out and the first victim of Richard's alliance), nor was she presented as particularly likeable (sort of a dry run for Jerri). I don't remember how much the other cast members commented on her lawyerness or if that was part of the reasoning for voting her out.

But her lawyer status certainly came out after the show, when she sued Mark Burnett for him supposedly influencing her getting voted out over the more TV-friendly (ironically!) Rudy.

If I remember right, Stacey was actually trying to get the cast to rebel against attending the reunion show unless they were paid a fee to do something.  I can't remember exactly what it was, but something about the show had to pay them an appearance fee or something along those lines, but I guess the show found out she was trying to plan a revolt behind the scenes and offered everyone up $10,000 just for showing up-it was a 'take it or leave it' amount.  Stacey was actually negotiating for more and I think production found some loophole or whatever. 

All these years later, and I think Stacey was 100% justified in her allegations about the show influencing the contestants to vote her off over Rudy.  

[AncientNewbie]

On 10/13/2023 at 11:50 AM, susannot said:

Very interesting post Ancient Newbie.  I'm a (retired) lawyer too and I have often pondered how well lawyers do on Survivor.  One immediately notable fact:  no FEMALE lawyer has ever won Survivor.  Admittedly some of the female lawyers were unpleasant people (Caryn, Kass) but still, makes you wonder.  The skills needed to be a lawyer--talking articulately, asserting oneself, constructing arguments--are not universally viewed as desirable in women.

The same pattern has been observed in Australian Survivor.  Sharn, a barrister, went to the Final 2 twice but did not win.

Very interesting point. I hear similar takes on hard-charging female lawyers in practice where it's just accepted that is how some male lawyers are, so it doesn't really surprise me it carries over at all. 

I have a kernel of a thought this morning that I can't quite turn into a full-fledged theory, dealing with how male and female lawyers are presented on the show. The male lawyer players are perhaps less fleshed out in backstory pieces, but given more attention to (lawyerly) gameplay. The female lawyer players are more likely (at least in my recollection) to be a Survivor Character (tm) who happens to be a lawyer in the real world. Annoying Eliza, Curt Caryn and Chaos Kass are immediate callbacks, maybe in part because they are some of the only female lawyers to go deep into the game. Aurora on Exile was more about being out, a foster child, and being a physical threat in the game. (I mainly remember her as my pick early in the season to win. In my defense, I have a type.) 

And now my boss just looked into the office so I suppose I ought to get to real legal work instead of trying to form a coherent thought about lawyers edited into characters playing a game on tv. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by AncientNewbie

[AncientNewbie]

On 10/14/2023 at 10:34 PM, LadyChatts said:

All these years later, and I think Stacey was 100% justified in her allegations about the show influencing the contestants to vote her off over Rudy.  

I reached out to her early in my own legal journey because I was trying to do a project on law and reality tv. She politely declined, but I'll count that as a positive contestant interaction. 

The whole legal case and contrasting witnesses is quite interesting. It's almost a relic of a bygone era, when reality was new and we all* assumed it was "real" and not subject to manipulation. It's almost a "what if?" scenario if her claim had prevailed or gotten different settlement terms. 

*Speaking of the general public and not the wise sorts dwelling here. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, AncientNewbie said:

On 10/14/2023 at 10:34 PM, LadyChatts said:

All these years later, and I think Stacey was 100% justified in her allegations about the show influencing the contestants to vote her off over Rudy.  

I reached out to her early in my own legal journey because I was trying to do a project on law and reality tv. She politely declined, but I'll count that as a positive contestant interaction.

The whole legal case and contrasting witnesses is quite interesting. It's almost a relic of a bygone era, when reality was new and we all* assumed it was "real" and not subject to manipulation. It's almost a "what if?" scenario if her claim had prevailed or gotten different settlement terms. 

*Speaking of the general public and not the wise sorts dwelling here. 

Your reference to that being a time when reality was new makes me also think about how Stacey was an early example of the out-sized vitriol reality show contestants sometimes get. She was NOT well-liked in the forums at ol' MightyBigTV (early TWOP) and the recapper of the first season went on a big rant about how she knew someone just like Stacey and how she was awful...all this because Stacey didn't care for Rudy, one of the designated stars of the season, wasn't chipper or sweet like Colleen, and rolled her eyes sometimes (which...I mean, everyone on that tribe except for possibly Sonja and Kelly was eyeroll-worthy, so who could blame her).

I do think there was a bit of "she's a lawyer" behind some of it, but I believe there was probably something else at work which has played out over and over and over again in the decades since when it comes to reality show contestants of a certain type.

[ljenkins782]

On 10/13/2023 at 3:27 PM, fishcakes said:

Andrew Savage, who I later learned was disqualified from practicing for the dumbest possible reason to get oneself disqualified: he failed to pay his bar dues.

Andrew Savage is always the one who leaps to mind when I think of lawyers on Survivor. One of my least favorite cast members ever, but also quite an illustration of the premise of creating a society on the island. Andrew brought his classist values from real life to the island and watching his bubble of arrogance and entitlement get pricked were the highlight of both his seasons. 

The tidbit about getting disqualified from practice is also hilarious. 

[Nashville]

To tell the truth, I never really considered lawyers to have THAT great of an advantage on a show like Survivor.

Shows like Big Brother, yeah sure; the skill set which makes for a successful trial lawyer - talking someone into seeing a situation from a desired point of view - can be exercised on a daily basis in the BB House.  But can the same scale of oratory be exercised on the beaches of Fiji?  

 

[AncientNewbie]

Wholly agree, @Nashville. But one point in your post stuck out to me, where you distinguished "trial lawyer." There are so many different types of lawyer, within a narrow band that probably looks like from the outside, that some of the jobs have as much in common as chemist and model or civil air patroller. 

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, AncientNewbie said:

Wholly agree, @Nashville. But one point in your post stuck out to me, where you distinguished "trial lawyer."
 

Yup - and I made that distinction deliberately, because trial lawyers - the ones who actually have to stand in front of a jury and make a case - are the variety of the species for whom oratorical skills would be a definitive career necessity.

 

1 hour ago, AncientNewbie said:

There are so many different types of lawyer, within a narrow band that probably looks like from the outside, that some of the jobs have as much in common as chemist and model or civil air patroller. 

Total agreement - but it wouldn’t surprise me overmuch if most of the general public’s impressions/opinions of lawyers were almost totally based on “Law And Order” reruns.  🙄

[Lantern7]

After his victory on Challenge USA (along with Desi), should we reconsider Chris Underwood as a worthy winner? Or is there no reason to debate?

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

After his victory on Challenge USA (along with Desi), should we reconsider Chris Underwood as a worthy winner? Or is there no reason to debate?

I have no reason to debate or reconsider. He played well in the format of that season and did nothing wrong, but I hold the format against him and consider his win specious. Still the only finale I didn't watch all the way through.

Him winning another show doesn't change my opinion on that.

Edited October 29, 2023 by tracyscott76

[peachmangosteen]

I've always considered him a worthy winner.

[jsm1125]

Can’t fault him for making the most of his 6 days in the game, but I don’t think the jury was ever going to vote for someone that hadn’t returned from the Edge. Otherwise, they might feel like their time spent on that separate island was meaningless.  Because, come on, Chris returning to the game with an automatic idol AND information from those still at the edge? Totally sunk Victoria’s game. 

[Nashville]

On 10/16/2023 at 8:33 AM, AncientNewbie said:

It's almost a relic of a bygone era, when reality was new and we all* assumed it was "real" and not subject to manipulation. It's almost a "what if?" scenario if her claim had prevailed or gotten different settlement terms. 

*Speaking of the general public and not the wise sorts dwelling here. 

I’m trying to remember when the “reality”blinders came off for most viewers; was it Survivor:Australia (S2), when reports started leaking from participants about Production requiring reenactments of portions of the comps to get better camera shots/angles?

[LadyChatts]

4 hours ago, jsm1125 said:

Can’t fault him for making the most of his 6 days in the game, but I don’t think the jury was ever going to vote for someone that hadn’t returned from the Edge. Otherwise, they might feel like their time spent on that separate island was meaningless.  Because, come on, Chris returning to the game with an automatic idol AND information from those still at the edge? Totally sunk Victoria’s game. 

This is how I felt.  I realize he won based on the format of that season, but I feel like he didn't have any real blood on his hands like Gavin and Julie.  They stayed the full 39 days, they had a hand in voting people out, they didn't have all this free time to bond with the jurors and have the jurors tell them what they need to do to get their vote, and there was a super sized jury since everyone from Reem on down could stay on the Edge as long as they wanted.  Along with the other info you mentioned.  His win will always have an asterisk next to his name as far as I'm concerned. Some of the jurors seemed surprised at the backlash, but I don't know how they couldn't expect backlash.  

[TVFan1]

Chris should come back for a 39 day season with no Edge of Extinction. If he can win that, I'd consider him a worthy winner. It's fine he got the win, but his "win" doesn't feel like one to me. 

[SVNBob]

On 10/28/2023 at 8:33 PM, Lantern7 said:

After his victory on Challenge USA (along with Desi), should we reconsider Chris Underwood as a worthy winner? Or is there no reason to debate?

I don't watch the Challenge (nor do I care to), so my understanding of it comes from what I've gleaned via Reddit posts.  And it sounds like it has an RI-like feature that allows people to not get eliminated despite getting voted out/losing immunities or whatever.  And Chris had to do that 4 times on the Challenge (Don't know if that's some sort of record, nor do I care) before he won.

So from the sounds of it, Chris can't win a reality show unless it has some sort of "safety net" mechanic that allows for people (about to be) eliminated to win a challenge to stay in the game.  Until he manages to win something without getting saved like that, there's always going to be a question about his "worthiness."

Edited October 30, 2023 by SVNBob

[seacliffsal]

Chris gets a lot of blame for winning the season with the worst concept behind it on Survivor.  Edge of Extinction?  Just goes to show the producers are so excited about all of the twists and turns they develop without thinking through the potential consequences.  It is fun to watch survivors find the loopholes to the various twists and then see Jeff's reaction and how it's addressed on future seasons.  However, even though Chris won according to the parameters of the season on which he appeared, I view it as unfair to the participants who lasted the entire season without getting voted out.  Chris' win does carry an asterik with it IMO.  Even though it's not his fault that the season was poorly designed, he will continue to be labeled according to his season.

I did watch the challenge and I really resented the fact that Chris stated in a confessional that he needed to win in order to get the money to help his family.  Really?  What happened to his Survivor winnings?  And, WHY do reality competition participants think that winning a show is the only way to 'earn' money for their families?  Get a job (okay, and get off my lawn...)!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

I did watch the challenge and I really resented the fact that Chris stated in a confessional that he needed to win in order to get the money to help his family.  Really?  What happened to his Survivor winnings?  And, WHY do reality competition participants think that winning a show is the only way to 'earn' money for their families?  Get a job (okay, and get off my lawn...)!

I guess his sex socks Kickstarter didn't pan out.

[SVNBob]

16 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Chris gets a lot of blame for winning the season with the worst concept behind it on Survivor.  Edge of Extinction?  Just goes to show the producers are so excited about all of the twists and turns they develop without thinking through the potential consequences.  It is fun to watch survivors find the loopholes to the various twists and then see Jeff's reaction and how it's addressed on future seasons.  However, even though Chris won according to the parameters of the season on which he appeared, I view it as unfair to the participants who lasted the entire season without getting voted out.  Chris' win does carry an asterik with it IMO.  Even though it's not his fault that the season was poorly designed, he will continue to be labeled according to his season.

It is unfair that Chris is getting blame for his win.  It's true that he did not cheat or break any rules of the version of the game he played, so he does have a clean and "legal" win and shouldn't be getting any heat for that.  And I'm pretty sure that if anyone else from that season won, other than Julie or Gavan (the only two players to not be voted out that season), that they'd get the same flak and have the same asterisk on their win.  Even the fan favorites like Reem, Aubry, and Rick Devens.

It is TPTB that should get the "blame" for Chris's win.  But since he's the visible face of the events, he's the one drawing the heat.

Also of note, to date there have only been 5 seasons with a post-voting safety net for the "eliminated" players; 3 RIs and 2 EoEs. 

• RI (original)- BRob won
• South Pacific (RI)- Sophie won
• BvW (original; RI) - Tyson won
• EoE (original) - Chris won
• WaW (EoE)- Tony won

Of those 5 winners, 4 of them never set foot on their respective safety net islands.  Chris is the only winner that has, making him the only winner to have "lost" the game in the same season.  And until and unless another season has a winner caught by a similar safety net, he'll always have that asterisk.

 

15 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I guess his sex socks Kickstarter didn't pan out.

This is really the only other reason he should get any flak from the public; being such a "bro" that he thought this was a good idea. 

[LadyChatts]

I've always believed that EOE was created to benefit the returning players that season more and a couple of newbies ended up getting the wins.  I do think after the first round they should of sent those people off on their pre-jury trip and then let the others who made the merge and were eliminated to compete.

[ljenkins782]

On 10/31/2023 at 2:06 AM, SVNBob said:

It is unfair that Chris is getting blame for his win.  It's true that he did not cheat or break any rules of the version of the game he played, so he does have a clean and "legal" win and shouldn't be getting any heat for that.  And I'm pretty sure that if anyone else from that season won, other than Julie or Gavan (the only two players to not be voted out that season), that they'd get the same flak and have the same asterisk on their win.  Even the fan favorites like Reem, Aubry, and Rick Devens.

It is TPTB that should get the "blame" for Chris's win.  But since he's the visible face of the events, he's the one drawing the heat.

I find it fascinating when winners bellyache about flak from the public. That million dollar check still cashed, right? Seems like more than enough to me.