SURVIVOR INSIGHTS 284: Season 41 | My Early Favorites

At last! After the delays due to strict health protocols, Survivor returns with its 41st season. Eighteen new faces divided into three tribes will outwit, outplay and outlast one another for 26 days, instead of 39.

Yes, you heard it right. “26 Days” is the show’s newest brand. No idea yet how this will change the game’s format but for sure, this new season with diverse amazing “Post-All Winners Season” characters will deliver a story that is filled with more adventure, more excitement and more unpredictable twists.

My Early Favorites

It intrigues me how will my four early favorites play a quicker, riskier and scarier game filled with social politics and physically demanding challenges. In real life, doctors are healers. Therefore, you can never blame me for rooting for David Voce, the 35 years old neurosurgeon from Chicago. Determined, passionate and stubborn, this smart physician came into a family in which his father died and his mom stands as the family leader. His mom wants him to become the best version of himself. Admitted to becoming a wounded healer as he is now, David feels confident he can win the show once he finds a way to balance his charm, wit and athleticism. He is well-aware that he can be perceived as a triple threat; therefore, he wants to downplay his strong personality while sailing a step forward.

Deshawn is a name that sounds dope. What is doper, like David, Deshawn Radden is into medicine too. He is a 26 years old medical student who loves cooking, composing songs and playing tennis. A natural empath as he says and raised well by his parents, Deshawn believes he got what it takes to win the show. He will have the winning recipe. He can analyze the situation well. The game is not made to make new friends; therefore, Deshawn prepares himself to eliminate the physical threats until he can make the individual part of the game. When this happens, fingers-crossed, Deshawn will use his social, mental and social skills to manage jury perception.

Never have I seen a student win Survivor. Will Liana Wallace make history happen? Describing herself as adventurous, loving and outspoken, Liana will choose to play like the two-time male winner, Tony Vlachos. She also wishes to have the people skills of Season 39’s Elaine Stott. Liana wants to take risk but in a more authentic way. She knows the game is about the numbers. It is about who you are with rather than who you are against with. For this, Liana will build genuine relationships who can save her when she needs most, or perhaps this relationship will break her game due to her outspoken personality. For in a game full of backstabbers and front-stabbers, it highly depends on what she can do for them and not what they can do for her. Others do not awe her anything so Liana needs to rise above the characters who may put her in grave danger.

Sara Wilson is a charismatic 24 years old healthcare consultant residing in Boston. Considering her grandmother as her hero, Sara admits that she has the fighting spirit to win. Her skill to read people can help her win. Her skill to identify liars can help her win too. She trains herself to never give up; therefore, she believes she can survive the physical and mental challenges of the game. She loves what Kim Spradlin did to win the season she was in. Kim inspires Sara to also dominate the game without putting a target on her back. This strategy is possible but it takes patience and proper timing. Will Sara succeed? Will she choose to swim along her other competitors or sink along with her regrets?

Photos Courtesy of: CBS

What Would Have Happened (Part 2)

My dad starts to have a peace of mind after a month of therapy. Full recovery is not impossible.

Every morning, I regularly see him walking with their dog – Buddy. Then, he visits me and talks about his recovery for a couple of minutes.

He feels that more positive things will happen after this journey. I smile, admiring his resiliency.

Daddy and I return to the psychiatrist the next day. This is our tenth trip together to the hospital and today, he is the one wheeling me.

This adventure is all worth it. I sense his physical and psychological improvement each session.

The psychiatrist arrives early. He monitors my daddy’s blood pressure, asks more questions about his hearing and writes on his pad paper.

Then, another session begins. Daddy continues his story,

Rolly genuinely felt happy whenever his children were together. This family reunion happened twice, in Christmas of 2015 and in 2019.

His four children had their own lives to make, and each has a job.

Filled with excitement, he wanted to recover immediately. He wanted to be with his nurse daughter in California.

Rolly admitted to his psychiatrist that he used to not believe in mental health problems. He was scared with this topic, but after reviewing his life since day one, he seemed to realize he already accomplished what his heart desires.

He knew he had been a strong father for a long time. There were times he got tired with all the finances.

There were times he got sad once he feels he was not the young active person he used to be.

“Old age is tough,” Rolly exhales deeply.

To him, getting old is an every day test but with great lessons. “It could never be this simple but this is the start of something new to me, to my family and my bond with you,”

He looks at me when an emphasis on the word “You.” I smile, feeling proud of daddy’s new proactive paradigm. Gone are the days that a professional athlete is my hero.

A living hero sits in front of me, showing his vulnerability and his fortitude.

He adds that he gets too stressed having a new business. Many times he could not sleep due to anxiety.

Probably, it is about time for her wife to take over. “She can run it. I trust her.”

* *

The year is 2023. The world is already declared COVID-19 free. About 80% of the population in each country is vaccinated.

No one wears a face mask anymore. The sales for liquor and cigarettes drop, which means more people choose to live a clean and healthy lifestyle.

All their bags with their passports are prepared. Their round-trip tickets are booked.

I wish I can go with them but I have urgent work matters to attend to. It seems not worth to take a risk for a month-long vacation, which can be extended for 12 months.

Most important character in this travel is daddy. He is well.

He is getting undistracted sleep every night and a good nap during afternoons. His self-esteem is healthy like an ox.

He interprets his new lifestyle beyond black and white. He can still sound pessimistic when having a conversation but he can layer it with such optimism. His hearing improves too.

This is the battle he chose to go two years ago, and he won.

Daddy visits me one late afternoon. He brings his iPad with him. I saw my sisters and brother-in-laws with their kids via Zoom, waving at me.

He turns off the live chat and hugs me tight, “Thank you, DR.”

“It is the other way around, daddy.”

He looks into my near-wet eyes, “What do you mean?”

“Thank you for staying alive.”