Survivor Insights 118: First Impression Bets in Survivor One World

THREE REASONS WHY TO LOVE SURVIVOR ONE WORLD

1) No returnees. At last, no one from the previous seasons are coming back. Those returning players only belong to All-Star season and the idea of having them back with new names makes the show so predictable – like what happened in season 22. It’s no longer a surprise to see Boston Rob won Survivor Redemption Island. I knew he would win, he deserved it, but it’s primarily because he was surrounded with people who couldn’t make better decisions for themselves.

South Pacific is three times better than Redemption Island. Although Ozzy and Coach were in the final four against Albert and Sophie, the season never ended in a downward slope. All credit to Sophie. If not for her, the jury would have given the title to either Ozzy or Coach. Sophie clearly outplayed Ozzy in that final immunity challenge and she was also successful for using Coach as a tool to win the title.

2) It’s back to men vs. women. This concept started to put into play in season six (Amazon), in February 2003. At first, I thought this idea would be a total mess but I realized, it came out just fine. It’s a better twist than young vs. old in season 21 in which only young castaways made the final three (Chase, Sash and Fabio).

After scanning all the photos in CBS.com, anyone can say that four of the nine Salani women look tougher and sharper than what is expected in them. They appear to be confident and they know who they are up against.

3) Two tribes are living on the same beach. It’s the twenty-fourth season and Survivor never gets tired of surprising me. I must admit I dislike the following twists in the past seasons (returning players, redemption island and medallion of power), though the producers and staff of the show were trying too hard to add some drama and make it more special.

I hate how “Redemption Island” is used in the game. This idea, as I see it, only gives the losers (players who have been voted out twice or thrice) the chance to win the competition even if they are undeserving. Thank God and season 23 was not as worse as season 22. The quality of some new players in South Pacific showed me a different story and honestly, they saved this season from going downhill. South Pacific was not the best season and it was neither very bad nor very predictable too.

It’s not a new idea that two tribes will live on the same camp. This idea was already used in fifth, tenth and fourteenth season.  It’s the first time for this season that this it’s used at the start of the game. Will this change the course of the game? How can these new castaways make use of this twist to their advantage? How many cross alliances will we see?

My Early Personal Bets

Manono

Matthew Quinlan (pictured above), a 33-year-old lawyer from San Francisco, couldn’t compare himself with past survivors. He wants to be unique and he is going to play his own game no matter what it takes. It’s clear to him other castaways might feel threaten with his athleticism, smarts and charisma, though – Matt still considers these traits as his asset. If he figures out how to use these assets in a non-aggressive way, he thinks becoming the next sole survivor is not impossible. When asked to describe himself, he said he’s ambitious, dependable, optimistic. Ambitious is a powerful adjective. It can either make or break him while playing the game. However, things could go well for Matt once he decides to use his ambitions to step further and by having the right people on his side.

Michael Jefferson, a 30-year-old banker from Seattle, describes himself as a driven person who has the ability to get what he wants. To do that, he needs to be closer with his enemies. Survivor, as he implied it, is a social game in which he needs to be a leader who mastered the art of listening, talking and zipping his mouth. Of all the past survivors, Michael chooses Ethan and Rupert as his personal favorites. To him, Ethan played a clean game while Rupert is the type of player who chooses to speak from his heart. Which direction will Michael go? Will he be a hero or a villain?

Salani

Kimberly Spradlin (pictured on the left), a 29-year-old bridal shop owner from San Antonio, appears to be the most independent and likable woman in her tribe. Likes to play sports and socialize with people, she can relate herself with Stephanie from season ten, Elisabeth from season two and Amanda from season fifteen. She thinks that even Survivor is a cut-throat game, she can still win this competition (like what Steph and Elisabeth did in their seasons) by treating all people with respect and honor. Reality is, this type of gameplay can work for her only if she knows when to sneak around (like what Amanda did).

Alicia Rosa, a 25-year-old teacher from Illinois, considers herself as ambitious, funny and confident. She thinks she’ll also make Good TV by not hesitating to show the ‘real’ her. By being smart and at the same time, by letting others underestimate her looks, it’s an opportunity for her to fearlessly manipulate someone to her benefit until she reaches the peak of the game.

Photos courtesy of: TV.com