In celebration of it's milestone 40th season, CBS, Jeff Probst, and the powers that be finally gave Survivor fans what they have long dreamed of: a season featuring all winners. Beginning February 12, 20 former Survivor champions will duke it out not just for the title of "ultimate winner", but also for the most expensive prize in the history of reality television: two. million. dollars. While the theme and cast was rumored well before, the trailer premiered at the conclusion of the "Island of the Idols" reunion and provided more information. Viewers learned a new twist of "fire tokens" would be added, as well as the fact that the Edge of Extinction will be returning.
In this article, I'll go through the complete line-up of returnees for season 40. Included will be some basic statistics from their former seasons (challenges won, idols found, things of that sort) as well as a 1-10 score of how good they are socially, physically, and strategically. I'll do a brief recap of their winning seasons and some thoughts on how they might perform in Winners at War. I will go in chronological order of their winning seasons.
Ethan Zohn: Survivor Africa (Season 3)
Age: 46
Profession: Former Soccer player
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: N/A
Other seasons: Survivor All Stars (11th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
For our first cast member we must travel all the way back to season 3: Survivor Africa. The game was different then, there were no hidden immunity idols and "building a resume" with big moves wasn't a thing yet. Ethan was the nice guy, probably the nicest to ever win survivor. He got along with everyone and never did anything immoral. If this were still the 27 year old soccer playing Ethan his physical rating would probably be a 9 or a 10, but that was almost 20 years ago and Ethan has since aged and was formerly diagnosed with cancer. Ethan won his battle with cancer, making him a "survivor" in every aspect of the word.
After winning Survivor Africa, Ethan returned in Season 8 to play in Survivor: All-Stars, the first season that featured returning players. In this season, all the non-winners made it a priority to target winners, as they felt it was someone elses' turn to win and didn't want to award another million dollars to someone who had already received that prize once. Still, Ethan outlasted the 3 other prior winners to participate that season and finished 11th.
I expect Ethan to go far in Winners at War, provided he can adapt to the modern version of the game. Ethan hasn't played since season 8 and to win he'll need to be more strategic and bolder than he was in either of his prior seasons. Still, Ethan is a likable enough character with a great backstory that isn't a huge threat and other winners will want to align with. His social game is his greatest strength and I'm confident that he can make bonds with other players that could take him deep into the game and help him fly under the radar.
Sandra Diaz-Twine: Survivor Pearl Islands (Season 7) and Survivor Heroes vs Villains (Season 20)
Age: 45
Profession: Bank Teller
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: Survivor Game Changers (15th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 1/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: High...very high
Sandra boasts the title of being Survivor's only two-time winner, though that's likely to change this season unless Sandra pulls off the three-peat. Known as "The Queen", Sandra had one little three-word philosophy that she rode to her victories: "Anybody but me". If Sandra ever sensed trouble, she would quickly spin a rumor about someone in a power position being targeted by another player and throw the heat off of herself and onto somebody else. Sandra gets a 10/10 because she is a master of corralling alliances, maintaining those allies, and swaying others to her side. From the statistics you can see she was not a threat in challenges and was not a good idol hunter but that further speaks volumes to how strong her social game was to win twice with no protection needed.
It was going to be nearly impossible for Sandra to win the game a third time in Game Changers, yet she still managed to outlast 5 other players before getting screwed by a tribe swap and having her torch snuffed for the first time ever. I expect she will face similar challenges in Winners at War, no player wants to award Sandra the money a third time if it can be avoided. That being said, if Sandra is somehow able to finagle her way to the end and hide behind other big targets while continuing her strong social play, she has a very good chance of winning and solidifying herself as the best to ever play.
Amber Mariano (formerly Amber Brkich): Survivor All Stars (Season 8)
Age: 41
Profession: N/A
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: N/A
Other seasons: Survivor The Australian Outback (6th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 3/10
Strategic: 4/10
Target Rating: Medium
Unlike the first two cast members, Amber was a player who lost her first time and then won her second time. Like Ethan, she has not played Survivor since season 8. But what a season it was, as Amber not only won the million dollar prize, but found love with Boston Rob and got engaged at the live reunion. That being said, Amber should not have won Survivor All Stars. Boston Rob did all the dirty work and scheming while Amber rode his coat tails and genius game play to the end. At final tribal (back when final tribal was only 2 players, not 3) the jury was very bitter and upset with Rob for countless lies and broken promises and thus awarded Amber a victory by one vote. I believe if there were a re-vote under today's perception of Survivor, Rob would have smoked her, possibly unanimously, because Amber was dragged to the end behind Rob's dominant strategic game. Her first season was similar, where she went very far in the game because she didn't really do anything but made no enemies and was never a target.
I don't think Amber's game, barring some drastic changes, is strong enough to win an all-winners season. I do think she could go far yet again because she will fly under the radar amongst bigger personalities and threats. However the fact that she's married to Boston Rob probably makes her a moderate threat by association, given that they share a bank account and would likely vote together when on the same tribe and/or once the merge happens. My thought is these players are smart enough to break up the couple earlier rather than later, which means you should bank on either Rob or Amber being an early boot.
Danni Boatwright: Survivor Guatemala (Season 11)
Age: 44
Profession: Model/Pageant Queen/Actress/TV Personality
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Following her season 11 win, Danni Boatwright consistently said she would never play survivor again UNLESS it was an all-winners season. Fast forward to season 40 and she basically called dibs and likely was one of the first calls. Danni's win was one of the more impressive ones, she was consistently on the bottom in the beginning, but managed to lay low and fly under the radar before coming out guns a'blazing in the final weeks to knock out the stronger competitors and secure the win. Danni even frequently withheld her strategy from the cameras because she feared production could interfere with her game and hint to other players about her true intentions. Her season was the first to feature a hidden immunity idol but there was only one and someone else found it.
I could see Danni going deep into this game. Her season was so long ago that she's somewhat forgotten in the Survivor community and only playing once helped make her a less familiar face also. However it's also possible that the lack of connections makes her an outsider compared to players on this list who played multiple times. A season like this could benefit Danni assuming she plays a similar game to Guatemala, hide behind bigger targets in the beginning, then strike in the game's final acts. She will be an interesting one to watch.
Yul Kwon: Survivor Cook Islands (Season 13)
Age: 44
Profession: Lawyer/Government Official/Management Consultant
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 9/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Medium
Yul Kwon is regarded as one of the most strategically dominant players to ever play Survivor, and like Danni he had no intention to return unless it was for an all-winners season. Yul's intelligence can't be understated, his professions speak for themselves and he also had degrees from Stanford and Yale prior to his professional life. Yul was meticulous in his decision-making and was compared to a diplomat, puppet-master, and 'The Godfather' throughout the season because even when things looked bleak, Yul had a way of making others feel like he held all the cards and that his plan was in everybody's best interest. It also helped that Kwon had an easy-going personality and spoke to everyone with a calm, comforting demeanor, making allies with many and enemies with no one. Yul never won an immunity challenge, but that's because he played in the same season as Ozzy Lusth, the most dominant, athletic, challenge beast to ever play. Yul's strategy was so good, that he was able to eek out a 5-4 victory over Ozzy at final tribal despite Ozzy having won 5 individual immunity challenges. Kwon also went through many physical challenges en route to his victory, including a broken nose, infected wounds, and intestinal issues.
Yul has a good chance to go very far in this game. He's just that smart and he doesn't boast as big of a target as bolder and more recognizable players like Rob, Sandra, and Parvati. Like Danni, the fact that he is a one-time player, many seasons ago, also probably works to his advantage. If Yul can find idols/advantages I'm confident he can creatively use these to forge a path towards the end and lure allies along the way. And it just might take him to the very top.
Parvati Shallow: Survivor Fans Vs. Favorites (Season 16)
Age: 37
Profession: TV personality
Immunity Wins: 4
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other seasons: Survivor Cook Islands (6th), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (2nd)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: High
Parvati is right there with Sandra in terms of the best female to ever play the game. In fact Parvati was one vote away from defeating Sandra in Heroes vs Villains, which would have made Parvati a two-time winner and Sandra a one-time winner. Parvati initially came across as a stereotypical sorority babe, only to then turn around and win challenges, find advantages, and use her appearance to manipulate men into voting how she wanted. Her resume speaks for itself, one win, two final tribals, three top six finishes, she is the real deal. She was very skilled in all three phases of the game, but also hasn't played since season 20.
Can Parvati go 4/4 on deep runs into the game? She will have her work cut out for in this all-winners group who view her as one of the biggest threats out there. I'm also curious to see if her play style changes at all, I can't see her playing her usual flirtatious, sorority-style game now that she's a wife and a mother. Prior connections could help Parvati advance in the game, across her 3 seasons she has played alongside Rob, Sandra, Yul, and Tyson and she also is very involved in the survivor community as she used to host an after-show after each episode in future seasons. Historically she tries to ally herself with other physically attractive women, and there are others in this cast she could do that with such as Danni, Michele, and Kim. She will be targeted from the start, but is skilled enough to get herself out of trouble.
"Boston" Rob Mariano: Survivor Redemption Island (Season 22)
Age: 44
Profession: TV Personality
Immunity Wins: 9
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other seasons: Survivor Marquesas (10th), Survivor All-Stars (2nd), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (13th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Sky High
Boston Rob is pretty much the face of Survivor, quite literally after the massive statues built of him and Sandra for Season 39. This will be his 6th appearance on Survivor, 5th as a player combined with his "Island of the Idols" appearance as a mentor. He is regarded as one of the game's all-time greats and as stated earlier he should be a two-time winner. Rob is a strategic whiz, bonds with everyone, and is great at challenges, especially ones that involve puzzle-solving. His win in Redemption Island is considered one of the best games ever played, where Rob formed an alliance, formed a sub-alliance within the alliance, and then successfully blindsided and duped every member of the jury and took two players to the end with him who were not well-liked and made no moves of their own.
One thing Rob has going for him is that he has the most, and strongest connections to other players in the game. He's married to Amber, he plays poker regularly with Tyson, Jeremy, Kim, and Adam, he mentored and spent 35 days with Sandra on Island of the Idols, and he's played with Parvati and Ethan. So it remains to be seen whether these connection help Rob go far in the game, or if his large number of friends coupled with his gameplay makes him the biggest target on the island for opposing players. I'm confident people will be gunning for him but hope he does well as survivor is better with him around.
Sophie Clarke: Survivor South Pacific (Season 23)
Age: 29
Profession: OBGYN Doctor
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 7/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Sophie Clarke is the winner of Survivor South Pacific and possibly the most vanilla player in the cast. Sophie had a very basic strategy of immersing herself in a power alliance and riding it to the end. She very much preferred to lay low and stay the course while bigger threats cannibalized one another and she managed to beat a player at the end who burned too many bridges with jury members. Sophie did prove herself a worthy competitor in challenges and played a good enough social game by never really pissing anyone off.
Because of her style of play, Sophie is someone I think can go far but isn't likely to win unless she plays very differently from her prior season. I don't think other players view her as a threat and she has an introverted personality so I think she can ride the wave while the bolder personalities and bigger targets get picked off. She can help tribes win challenges and she isn't a player that will make other players paranoid with idol hunting. I don't see her winning the 2 million because I believe this is a season where a player will be rewarded for making big moves and trying to set the game on fire and she just isn't that sort of player. But she is very intelligent so maybe she's flexible enough to exceed expectations this season.
Kim Spradlin: Survivor One World (Season 24)
Age: 36
Profession: Bridal Shop Owner & Interior Designer
Immunity Wins: 4
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 10/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: High
Kim Spradlin played the most dominant game in Survivor history when she won Survivor: One World. Kim successfully engineered an all women's alliance in her season, something that had never been done successfully and has not been done as efficiently since, that picked off the men one by one once the merge hit. But Kim's social game was so good that every tribal she had options of who to vote with and even had the males believing she was willing to work with them. Kim also dominated in challenges, she was athletic enough to excel physically and had the brains to do well in puzzle-solving and mental challenges. Kim gets a 10 for strategy because her day 1 plan worked out exactly as she drew it up (something unheard of in Survivor) and never needed to improvise. From the merge on, there was NEVER a point in this season where I felt like someone other than Kim was going to win. She controlled her allies and dominated the game and made it look effortless.
Even though she has been out of the Survivor limelight for awhile, I do think other players still remember just how dominant Kim's victory was. That being said, being a one-time player who hasn't played since 2012 I think she isn't as high on other players' hitlists as Rob, Sandra, and Parvati or even as more recent winners who had to do more lying and backstabbing such as Sarah and Tony (more on them later). If there's enough bigger threats for Kim to hide behind in the game's early stages, she has the accolades to be an extremely dangerous player to win the game. She's excellent in all 3 phases of Survivor and if she's overlooked she's going to make other people pay. Some people think she'll be an immediate target, but I think there are bigger trophies to be hunted and that Kim can go far and potentially win.
Denise Stapley: Survivor Philippines (Season 25)
Age: 48
Occupation: Sex Therapist
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 9/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 7/10
Target Rating: Low
Denise Stapley has the distinction as being the only player in Survivor history to attend every tribal council in a single season, and she survived all of them and then won the game. Denise began her season on a tribe that lost 4 straight challenges, then got swapped to a tribe that lost 2 challenges, and then the merge happened. In a twist of fate, Denise was then praised at final tribal for surviving numerous tribal councils and accomplishing something that no one else has done to this day. This can largely be attributed to Denises' social game. Being a sex therapist, Denise had a quality many players hope for, the ability to make everyone feel comfortable sharing information with you. This quality translated to survivor and Denise became the player everyone was willing to work with and confide in.
For the same reasons she was successful in the Philippines, Denise can go far once again in Winners at War. She's an excellent social player, a ride or die alliance member, very intelligent, physically fit for her age. and can fly under the radar amongst the bigger players. I feel like she is someone many will be trying to recruit into their own alliances, and she can just sit back and have her pick of the litter. Denise could do well because she isn't a big target but she does play with more strategy than players like Amber or Sophie. I don't give her the same chance as players like Kim or Yul, but she falls in the middle of the pack and has a puncher's chance to win.
Tyson Apostol: Survivor Blood vs Water (Season 27)
Age: 40
Occupation: Professional Cycler
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: Survivor Tocantins (8th), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (15th)
Social: 9/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
The third time was the charm for Tyson Apostol, who learned from is errors on Tocantins and Heroes vs Villains and used that experience to help him win Blood vs Water. Tyson played with his longtime girlfriend (and now wife), Rachel, who was the fourth player voted out by the other tribe. From that moment forward, Tyson was on the warpath to avenge Rachel and he did just that picking off his competitors one by one. Tyson is also one of the most enjoyable players to watch because of his dry sarcasm and witty remarks, but he was smarter than he came off as and was able to use his humor and goofiness as a smokescreen for his strategic game, and this also made everybody like him. Tyson is another player who excels in all three phases: incredibly likeable, good in challenges, and one of the better strategists.
Tyson is another player I could see winning Winners at War. He's a great player who can use the bigger targets as meat shields and then cut them towards the end to secure the win. He specifically has a great friendship with Boston Rob, who is someone he can align with and try to go far with but other players will definitely want to cut Rob before Tyson so that plays to his advantage. It's possible that association with Rob, in conjunction with being a 3-time player and dominant winner, could make Tyson a target to some but I believe most people's perspective is that there are bigger fish to fry. Unlike many players, Tyson can win this game without adapting his game too much. Be silly, make friends, perform well in challenges, find an advantage or two, and then once it's down to 7-8 people start making game winning moves.
Tony Vlachos: Survivor Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty (Season 28)
Age: 45
Occupation: Police Officer
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other Seasons: Survivor Game Changers (19th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategy: 10/10
Target Rating: High
BBB is one of my favorite seasons and Tony is my all time favorite player, both because I think he is an elite strategist and also there's nothing he does that isn't comedic gold. Whether he was building spyshacks, speaking Llama, or using his "bag of tricks", there was not one moment in the entire 39 days that the cop from Jersey was able to chill out and go with the flow. Hell he even attempted to make a "spy-buker" in Game Changers before he got caught. But he also dominated his first season strategically. He got the Beauty tribe to turn on Jeremiah by publicly giving him a clue to an idol that wasn't even at his camp, he successfully bluffed that his special idol was good until Final 4 even though it was only valid through Final 5, and he someway somehow convinced Woo to make a million dollar mistake by taking him to the end over Kass. He orchestrated blind side after blind side after blind side and did so by bouncing between alliances and floating in the middle. While others slept or were at camp, Tony searched his ass off to find idols, probably more than every other player combined, which rather than hiding he would then dangle in front of everybody at tribal council and even use on other players if he felt like it would benefit his game. He played with ferocity and determination but also in a way that was hilarious and fun to watch, I tip my hat to him.
Unfortunately I believe Tony is someone who will be feeling the heat in Winners at War. He's not trustworthy in the slightest and he creates paranoia for others by consistently idol hunting. Speaking of paranoia that can be Tony's biggest blessing or his biggest curse. In BBB, the extreme paranoia helped Tony be 10 steps ahead of all other players. In Game Changers it caused him to crash and burn and made others paranoid of him. This game will go one of two ways, either Tony will do amazingly or Tony will do horrendously, there's no in between with how bold and aggressive his gameplay is. I pray it's the former.
Natalie Anderson: Survivor Blood vs Water 2 (Season 29)
Age: 33
Occupation: Crossfit Instructor
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
Natalie played BvW2 with her twin sister Nadiya, but not for very long as Nadiya was the first player voted out that season. Similar to Tyson, that lit a fire inside of Natalie who then slayed the competition and won the game. Natalie forged a close friendship with Jeremy and relationships with multiple alliances and kept around bigger threats like John and Keith until the very end where she cut them both and took two very beatable players in Jaclyn and Missy. Natalie played by the "keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer" mentality, frequently taking players on rewards with the intention of blindsiding them in the near future.
Natalie has an above average chance to go far in the game and possibly win. She's one of the forgotten players in the cast so she has a good chance to fly under the radar until the merge and deceive other players that she is a goat worth taking to the end. However she could wait until the final 7 or 8 to strike and start making big moves to build her resume. Outside of Jeremy, she doesn't have many connections coming into the game so that could either be good or bad depending on how the game unfolds. On the one hand you could be a swing vote for somebody, on the contrary others can team up on you. Natalie needs to lay low until the numbers get small and then resume her cut throat ways until she gets to the tippity top.
Jeremy Collins: Survivor Second Chance (Season 31)
Age: 41
Occupation: Firefighter
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: Survivor Blood vs Water 2 (10th)
Social: 9/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Medium
Jeremy Collins gets a 10/10 for startegy because he was the inventor of the "meat-shield" strategy, which many players tried to replicate after him, including future winners. By "meat-shield" I mean that rather than eliminating the big threats, Jeremy wanted to keep the big threats in the game to keep the target off of himself and then vote them out in the game's final stages. Jeremy is one of only 5 winners to receive every jury vote at final tribal, only one other individual (to be named later) is playing this season. In addition to receiving all of the jury votes, Jeremy had no legitimate votes cast against him (I say legitimate because he had one tribal where he received votes but used an idol to negate them). Jeremy is a very likeable character, a humble firefighter who played with integrity and got along with everyone, and he also performed well in challenges and found and properly used idols.
I believe Jeremy has a good shot to win again in season 40, he has friends here, he has the ability to bond with players he hasn't met, and he has plenty of meaty shields to utilize. Jeremy's fate in this game really comes down to if the other players are smart enough to not let Jeremy get to the end twice in the row using the same strategy, either by voting Jeremy off early or by diminishing the threats early on so Jeremy has nowhere to hide. Even without meat shields, Jeremy has the brains, physicality, and social skills to fall back on if necessary and I think Jeremy is a real possibility to win the game.
Michele Fitzgerald: Survivor Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty 2 (Season 32)
Age: 29
Occupation: Travel Agent
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 7/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Michele Fitzgerald proved she was not just a pretty face and was able to defeat her competition to win Season 32. Many people feel Aubry Bracco should have defeated Michele in the final tribal council, but Michele was able to persuade the jury that the game wasn't solely about making big splash moves and that the game could still be won with kindness and loyalty and forming relationships with others. In the end, Michele was praised for adapting and growing throughout the experience and won by a 5-2-0 vote over the other finalists.
Similar to Amber and Sophie, Michele is someone who has a great shot to fly under the radar and will not win unless she plays very differently from her first appearance. Michele is a player who prefers to go with the flow and adapt to the game as it unfolds, but isn't the type of player to take control of the game and become the author of her fate. I do think people will want to take her to the end because they believe they have a good shot against her, but in a season of this caliber, I just don't see this group of legends wanting to award Michele the title of "ultimate-winner". I think they will want their season represented by someone who truly outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted.
Adam Klein: Survivor Millennials vs Gen-X (Season 33)
Age: 29
Occupation: Homeless Shelter Manager
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
Adam Klein got to live every superfan's dream. Adam watched every season of survivor with his family growing up, it was his passion from a young age. He even admitted to getting his friends to play survivor challenges and then vote each other out on camping trips in grade school. Finally in season 33 Adam's dream became reality and he savored every moment. Viewers could see how star struck he was setting foot on the beach for the first time, meeting Jeff Probst, winning challenges, finding an idol, and even attending tribal councils. After the nostalgia set in, Adam made it to the end by playing a great social game and by finding 3 idols/advantages. In the game's final stages, he was able to convince players from other alliances to turn on certain individuals because they would win if they reached the end. Adam was able to facilitate the elimination of bigger threats at final 6 and final 4 and then got to sit at final tribal with two very beatable players at final 3. Adam gave a great final tribal performance where he persuaded the jury that he encompassed the qualities of both a millennial and a gen-x and, like Jeremy, Klein won a unanimous 10-0-0 vote.
I think Adam is a dark horse in this competition. He's very likable and people will want to work with him, but he has a high enough survivor IQ to orchestrate big moves and know who to blindside and when the timing is right. His passion for the game is unrivaled, while other players will be content as one-time winners and just try to have fun Adam genuinely wants to be considered in that same class as Rob and Sandra, whom he idolizes. Adam will play his ass off and always be scheming, but he's not one of the bigger targets so he can probably lay low until merge time to start implementing his plans. Klein is sneaky, it's up to other players to catch on.
Sarah Lacina: Survivor Game-Changers (Season 34)
Age: 36
Occupation: Police Officer
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: Survivor: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty (11th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
Sarah Lacina pulled off the best 180 between her first season and second season I have ever seen. In BBB, Sarah played like the cop she is in the real world, only for Tony to play her like a fiddle and found herself voted out when she became too pushy about getting her way in a merge vote. In Game Changers, Sarah Lacina flipped the script and decided to play like a criminal, trying to put herself in the shoes of those she interacted with on a frequent basis as a police officer. This worked like a charm for Sarah, who orchestrated a series of blindsides and did a lot of backstabbing to make it to the end. One of Sarah's most genius moves was orchestrating a blind side of her close ally Sierra, who had the legacy advantage, because she knew Sierra would bequeath it to her if voted out. This worked exactly as planned, and Sarah used that legacy advantage at final 6. But Sarah even double dipped, she let Cirie hold on to her advantage at one point because the fine print said Sarah could let another player hang onto the advantage but its ability still belonged to Sarah. Cirie attempted to use Sarah's fake gift against her, before Jeff revealed to Cirie that only Sarah could use the advantage. Sarah organized Cirie's elimination shortly after. At the end, despite some hurt feelings, the jury respected Sarah's savage game play and awarded her the win.
Sarah is one of the stronger female players in the cast, I put in that same tier as Natalie Anderson and Denise Stapley, not in that upper echelon with Sandra/Parvati/Kim but firmly ahead of Sofie/Amber/Michele. She's also the most recent female winner (the last 5 winners have all been male). Like Tony, Sarah will probably have trouble gaining the trust of other players in the beginning due to all the lying and backstabbing she done in game changers. If she is able to overcome that obstacle and build some relationships, she's a dangerous player who can go deep in the game. Sarah's best move is probably to find the middle-ground between her first 2 seasons, utilizing the good qualities and instincts of being a cop alongside the cunning and cut-throat mentality of being a criminal. I could see her going deep or being an early flameout.
Ben Driebergen: Survivor Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers (Season 35)
Age: 37
Occupation: Retired US Marine
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Ben is one of the most polarizing winners we have ever seen. Many viewers loved his story of being a retired US Marine dealing with PTSD and others dislike him because they believe production altered the season to make it easier for Ben to win. Basically Ben was a fan favorite early on but was being targeted basically from the final 8 onward. It is debated whether or not he found all of his idols & advantages on his own or whether production intervened and dropped helpful hints. But what really triggered fans was this was the very first season the fire-making challenge at final 4 was introduced, which many believe CBS added in when they realized Ben was going to be voted out after he failed to win immunity. CBS claims that they had a plan of introducing a fire-making challenge at final 4 when the season began regardless of who made it to that stage. Ben would go on to win the fire-making challenge and then the title of sole survivor, being praised for his restless idol hunting and for doing whatever it took to avoid elimination when he was the target the last 5 votes.
Because of the backlash Ben received from the survivor community following his win, I anticipate Ben will be coming out with a chip on his shoulder wanting to prove his victory was no fluke or was not fixed in any way. I expect him to improve his social game and strategic game and not have to rely so heavily on idols and twists this time around. While I expect improvement in these areas, I don't think Ben is a strong enough player socially or strategically to outwit and outlast some of these other legends. He also isn't particularly good in challenges and you know in a season like this one person isn't going to find all the idols and advantages. I really like Ben as an individual, and I hope he does well, but I believe there are stronger players in this cast.
Wendell Holland: Survivor Ghost Island (Season 36)
Age: 34
Occupation: Furniture Company Owner
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 10/10
Physical: 10/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
Wendell is a triple threat who nearly checked out with a perfect score. I found myself unable to give him a 10 for strategy because I feel Domenick and Wendell shared many of the same strategic moves, and they were so loaded with immunity wins and advantages that they were able to just go down a hit list of who they wanted out rather than needing to scheme and orchestrate blind sides. But everyone loved him in Ghost Island, largely thanks to subtle but effective moves on his part like building furniture for his tribemates and even saving a shell that Sebastian had forgotten at camp when the tribe swap happened. He also might be the most athletic member of the cast which made him a strong competitor in physical challenges, while being an above average competitor in challenges that required balance, endurance, and puzzle solving as well. It can be argued that Wendell and Dominick's best move was aligning with each other, as the two of them were a dynamic duo that was nearly unstoppable when they put their heads together. It's a shame both of them could not win, further evidenced by the fact that their final tribal ended in a tie. But in Survivor there can only be one winner and Wendell's flawless social game gave him a bump above Dom.
Wendell is a player that I believe could win Winners at War. He's so talented in all 3 phases and his target rating isn't all that high. It will be interesting to see if he can essentially find a Dominick 2.0 in this cast, someone he can put heads together with to mastermind their ways to the end of the game. I do believe this time around he will have to be more strategic and will be more vulnerable since he and his alliance won't have the numerous advantages that Ghost Island provided. I think he's likable enough that many people will want to work with him and the fact that he never really burned any of his allies in Ghost Island is another reason to align with him. To me Wendell has all the tools to make a deep run in this game, and if he can navigate his way to the end I think there is a strong chance he wins.
Nick Wilson: Survivor David vs Goliath (Season 37)
Age: 29
Occupation: Public Defender
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
The most recent winner of the Season 40 cast is Nick Wilson. Nick is the winner of arguably the most popular recent season of Survivor, David vs Goliath, a theme that divided their initial tribes into a tribe of underdogs against a tribe of powerfully perceived individuals. Nick was another player who utilized Jeremy's meat-shield strategy and kept larger threats late into the game so that he was never the target. This got Nick to the final 6, where he then went on an immunity challenge run and won the final 3 challenges to secure his spot in the final 3. At final tribal, Nick was praised for his social and strategic prowess and his performance in challenges down the stretch and ultimately won by a vote of 7-3-0.
Being the newest winner of the cast, Nick enters the game in a precarious position. He doesn't have the long lasting relationships that some of the more legendary winners have but he can be perceived as more of a free agent. If Nick can assume this role, he could find himself as the swing vote of many tribal councils. However it's also possible that Nick is an easy boot since he's somewhat of a rookie in a community filled with more recognizable winners and veterans of the game. I think if he survives through the first couple of episodes he has a chance to go far and possibly even win with the right game play.
Some More Initial Thoughts
One thing I immediately found fascinating is that despite this being a winners only season, almost half of the cast (9/20) have also lost the game. Three players (Rob, Parvati, Tyson) have lost more than once. I also appreciate the diversity of the time line of this cast, which was a great blend of players from Survivor's beginnings, recent seasons, and middle seasons. It's also refreshing to see an older cast than prior seasons, which lately have been heavy on players in their 20's. This cast only features 4 players still in their 20's (Adam, Sophie, Nick, Michele), all of whom are 28 or 29. The cast's oldest player, Denise, is also only 48, meaning we won't see the usual Survivor archetype of bringing in 2 or 3 more elderly contestants who often become early boots.
I'm also intrigued to see on what grounds people decide to form alliances on, other than prior relationships of course. I think it would be smart for all the players who know they are walking in as big targets to align as a necessity to survive and then cannibalize each other later on in the game. I also think commonalities in minority race & ethnicity could help create some bonds. For example Jeremy and Wendell as being the only 2 African-Americans or Yul and Natalie having similar roots to Asia. Similarly I could see alliances being formed of players who live in similar regions of the US, for example players with northeastern roots or players who live in California or perhaps even players from different variations of small-town USA. It's also possible that different walks of life could be a bonding point, for example all the women who have become mothers and started families since the last time they played (Parvati, Kim, Amber, Danni). Lastly I wonder if players could be linked by commonalities from their past seasons. For example could Jeremy and Adam bond for being the only winners in the cast who received every jury vote, or could Ben, Michele, and Amber bond over being viewed as "undeserving" winners from their seasons.
The role the Fire Tokens play could also remains an intriguing mystery. How many are there? How are they earned? What do they purchase? Can they be shared by players? Do they overlap with Edge of Extinction? The concept of a Survivor economy is something never before seen on the show and will likely add another layer to the game.
Lastly I think this is not only going to be one of Survivor's best season's, but also one of its most fun. Since everyone has already won the million dollars and many of the cast have known each other for years, I expect lots of banter and laughs between castaways. It's like sending 20 close friends to summer camp to play a game of lying, backstabbing, and scheming, but with no hard feelings because they all love and understand the game.
It's sure to be one of Survivor's most exciting season's ever and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds and who emerges as the champion of champions!
In this article, I'll go through the complete line-up of returnees for season 40. Included will be some basic statistics from their former seasons (challenges won, idols found, things of that sort) as well as a 1-10 score of how good they are socially, physically, and strategically. I'll do a brief recap of their winning seasons and some thoughts on how they might perform in Winners at War. I will go in chronological order of their winning seasons.
Ethan Zohn: Survivor Africa (Season 3)
Age: 46
Profession: Former Soccer player
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: N/A
Other seasons: Survivor All Stars (11th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
For our first cast member we must travel all the way back to season 3: Survivor Africa. The game was different then, there were no hidden immunity idols and "building a resume" with big moves wasn't a thing yet. Ethan was the nice guy, probably the nicest to ever win survivor. He got along with everyone and never did anything immoral. If this were still the 27 year old soccer playing Ethan his physical rating would probably be a 9 or a 10, but that was almost 20 years ago and Ethan has since aged and was formerly diagnosed with cancer. Ethan won his battle with cancer, making him a "survivor" in every aspect of the word.
After winning Survivor Africa, Ethan returned in Season 8 to play in Survivor: All-Stars, the first season that featured returning players. In this season, all the non-winners made it a priority to target winners, as they felt it was someone elses' turn to win and didn't want to award another million dollars to someone who had already received that prize once. Still, Ethan outlasted the 3 other prior winners to participate that season and finished 11th.
I expect Ethan to go far in Winners at War, provided he can adapt to the modern version of the game. Ethan hasn't played since season 8 and to win he'll need to be more strategic and bolder than he was in either of his prior seasons. Still, Ethan is a likable enough character with a great backstory that isn't a huge threat and other winners will want to align with. His social game is his greatest strength and I'm confident that he can make bonds with other players that could take him deep into the game and help him fly under the radar.
Sandra Diaz-Twine: Survivor Pearl Islands (Season 7) and Survivor Heroes vs Villains (Season 20)
Profession: Bank Teller
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: Survivor Game Changers (15th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 1/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: High...very high
Sandra boasts the title of being Survivor's only two-time winner, though that's likely to change this season unless Sandra pulls off the three-peat. Known as "The Queen", Sandra had one little three-word philosophy that she rode to her victories: "Anybody but me". If Sandra ever sensed trouble, she would quickly spin a rumor about someone in a power position being targeted by another player and throw the heat off of herself and onto somebody else. Sandra gets a 10/10 because she is a master of corralling alliances, maintaining those allies, and swaying others to her side. From the statistics you can see she was not a threat in challenges and was not a good idol hunter but that further speaks volumes to how strong her social game was to win twice with no protection needed.
It was going to be nearly impossible for Sandra to win the game a third time in Game Changers, yet she still managed to outlast 5 other players before getting screwed by a tribe swap and having her torch snuffed for the first time ever. I expect she will face similar challenges in Winners at War, no player wants to award Sandra the money a third time if it can be avoided. That being said, if Sandra is somehow able to finagle her way to the end and hide behind other big targets while continuing her strong social play, she has a very good chance of winning and solidifying herself as the best to ever play.
Amber Mariano (formerly Amber Brkich): Survivor All Stars (Season 8)
Profession: N/A
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: N/A
Other seasons: Survivor The Australian Outback (6th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 3/10
Strategic: 4/10
Target Rating: Medium
Unlike the first two cast members, Amber was a player who lost her first time and then won her second time. Like Ethan, she has not played Survivor since season 8. But what a season it was, as Amber not only won the million dollar prize, but found love with Boston Rob and got engaged at the live reunion. That being said, Amber should not have won Survivor All Stars. Boston Rob did all the dirty work and scheming while Amber rode his coat tails and genius game play to the end. At final tribal (back when final tribal was only 2 players, not 3) the jury was very bitter and upset with Rob for countless lies and broken promises and thus awarded Amber a victory by one vote. I believe if there were a re-vote under today's perception of Survivor, Rob would have smoked her, possibly unanimously, because Amber was dragged to the end behind Rob's dominant strategic game. Her first season was similar, where she went very far in the game because she didn't really do anything but made no enemies and was never a target.
I don't think Amber's game, barring some drastic changes, is strong enough to win an all-winners season. I do think she could go far yet again because she will fly under the radar amongst bigger personalities and threats. However the fact that she's married to Boston Rob probably makes her a moderate threat by association, given that they share a bank account and would likely vote together when on the same tribe and/or once the merge happens. My thought is these players are smart enough to break up the couple earlier rather than later, which means you should bank on either Rob or Amber being an early boot.
Danni Boatwright: Survivor Guatemala (Season 11)
Profession: Model/Pageant Queen/Actress/TV Personality
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Following her season 11 win, Danni Boatwright consistently said she would never play survivor again UNLESS it was an all-winners season. Fast forward to season 40 and she basically called dibs and likely was one of the first calls. Danni's win was one of the more impressive ones, she was consistently on the bottom in the beginning, but managed to lay low and fly under the radar before coming out guns a'blazing in the final weeks to knock out the stronger competitors and secure the win. Danni even frequently withheld her strategy from the cameras because she feared production could interfere with her game and hint to other players about her true intentions. Her season was the first to feature a hidden immunity idol but there was only one and someone else found it.
I could see Danni going deep into this game. Her season was so long ago that she's somewhat forgotten in the Survivor community and only playing once helped make her a less familiar face also. However it's also possible that the lack of connections makes her an outsider compared to players on this list who played multiple times. A season like this could benefit Danni assuming she plays a similar game to Guatemala, hide behind bigger targets in the beginning, then strike in the game's final acts. She will be an interesting one to watch.
Yul Kwon: Survivor Cook Islands (Season 13)
Profession: Lawyer/Government Official/Management Consultant
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 9/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Medium
Yul Kwon is regarded as one of the most strategically dominant players to ever play Survivor, and like Danni he had no intention to return unless it was for an all-winners season. Yul's intelligence can't be understated, his professions speak for themselves and he also had degrees from Stanford and Yale prior to his professional life. Yul was meticulous in his decision-making and was compared to a diplomat, puppet-master, and 'The Godfather' throughout the season because even when things looked bleak, Yul had a way of making others feel like he held all the cards and that his plan was in everybody's best interest. It also helped that Kwon had an easy-going personality and spoke to everyone with a calm, comforting demeanor, making allies with many and enemies with no one. Yul never won an immunity challenge, but that's because he played in the same season as Ozzy Lusth, the most dominant, athletic, challenge beast to ever play. Yul's strategy was so good, that he was able to eek out a 5-4 victory over Ozzy at final tribal despite Ozzy having won 5 individual immunity challenges. Kwon also went through many physical challenges en route to his victory, including a broken nose, infected wounds, and intestinal issues.
Yul has a good chance to go very far in this game. He's just that smart and he doesn't boast as big of a target as bolder and more recognizable players like Rob, Sandra, and Parvati. Like Danni, the fact that he is a one-time player, many seasons ago, also probably works to his advantage. If Yul can find idols/advantages I'm confident he can creatively use these to forge a path towards the end and lure allies along the way. And it just might take him to the very top.
Parvati Shallow: Survivor Fans Vs. Favorites (Season 16)
Profession: TV personality
Immunity Wins: 4
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other seasons: Survivor Cook Islands (6th), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (2nd)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: High
Parvati is right there with Sandra in terms of the best female to ever play the game. In fact Parvati was one vote away from defeating Sandra in Heroes vs Villains, which would have made Parvati a two-time winner and Sandra a one-time winner. Parvati initially came across as a stereotypical sorority babe, only to then turn around and win challenges, find advantages, and use her appearance to manipulate men into voting how she wanted. Her resume speaks for itself, one win, two final tribals, three top six finishes, she is the real deal. She was very skilled in all three phases of the game, but also hasn't played since season 20.
Can Parvati go 4/4 on deep runs into the game? She will have her work cut out for in this all-winners group who view her as one of the biggest threats out there. I'm also curious to see if her play style changes at all, I can't see her playing her usual flirtatious, sorority-style game now that she's a wife and a mother. Prior connections could help Parvati advance in the game, across her 3 seasons she has played alongside Rob, Sandra, Yul, and Tyson and she also is very involved in the survivor community as she used to host an after-show after each episode in future seasons. Historically she tries to ally herself with other physically attractive women, and there are others in this cast she could do that with such as Danni, Michele, and Kim. She will be targeted from the start, but is skilled enough to get herself out of trouble.
"Boston" Rob Mariano: Survivor Redemption Island (Season 22)
Profession: TV Personality
Immunity Wins: 9
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other seasons: Survivor Marquesas (10th), Survivor All-Stars (2nd), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (13th)
Social: 10/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Sky High
Boston Rob is pretty much the face of Survivor, quite literally after the massive statues built of him and Sandra for Season 39. This will be his 6th appearance on Survivor, 5th as a player combined with his "Island of the Idols" appearance as a mentor. He is regarded as one of the game's all-time greats and as stated earlier he should be a two-time winner. Rob is a strategic whiz, bonds with everyone, and is great at challenges, especially ones that involve puzzle-solving. His win in Redemption Island is considered one of the best games ever played, where Rob formed an alliance, formed a sub-alliance within the alliance, and then successfully blindsided and duped every member of the jury and took two players to the end with him who were not well-liked and made no moves of their own.
One thing Rob has going for him is that he has the most, and strongest connections to other players in the game. He's married to Amber, he plays poker regularly with Tyson, Jeremy, Kim, and Adam, he mentored and spent 35 days with Sandra on Island of the Idols, and he's played with Parvati and Ethan. So it remains to be seen whether these connection help Rob go far in the game, or if his large number of friends coupled with his gameplay makes him the biggest target on the island for opposing players. I'm confident people will be gunning for him but hope he does well as survivor is better with him around.
Sophie Clarke: Survivor South Pacific (Season 23)
Profession: OBGYN Doctor
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 7/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Sophie Clarke is the winner of Survivor South Pacific and possibly the most vanilla player in the cast. Sophie had a very basic strategy of immersing herself in a power alliance and riding it to the end. She very much preferred to lay low and stay the course while bigger threats cannibalized one another and she managed to beat a player at the end who burned too many bridges with jury members. Sophie did prove herself a worthy competitor in challenges and played a good enough social game by never really pissing anyone off.
Because of her style of play, Sophie is someone I think can go far but isn't likely to win unless she plays very differently from her prior season. I don't think other players view her as a threat and she has an introverted personality so I think she can ride the wave while the bolder personalities and bigger targets get picked off. She can help tribes win challenges and she isn't a player that will make other players paranoid with idol hunting. I don't see her winning the 2 million because I believe this is a season where a player will be rewarded for making big moves and trying to set the game on fire and she just isn't that sort of player. But she is very intelligent so maybe she's flexible enough to exceed expectations this season.
Kim Spradlin: Survivor One World (Season 24)
Profession: Bridal Shop Owner & Interior Designer
Immunity Wins: 4
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 10/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: High
Kim Spradlin played the most dominant game in Survivor history when she won Survivor: One World. Kim successfully engineered an all women's alliance in her season, something that had never been done successfully and has not been done as efficiently since, that picked off the men one by one once the merge hit. But Kim's social game was so good that every tribal she had options of who to vote with and even had the males believing she was willing to work with them. Kim also dominated in challenges, she was athletic enough to excel physically and had the brains to do well in puzzle-solving and mental challenges. Kim gets a 10 for strategy because her day 1 plan worked out exactly as she drew it up (something unheard of in Survivor) and never needed to improvise. From the merge on, there was NEVER a point in this season where I felt like someone other than Kim was going to win. She controlled her allies and dominated the game and made it look effortless.
Even though she has been out of the Survivor limelight for awhile, I do think other players still remember just how dominant Kim's victory was. That being said, being a one-time player who hasn't played since 2012 I think she isn't as high on other players' hitlists as Rob, Sandra, and Parvati or even as more recent winners who had to do more lying and backstabbing such as Sarah and Tony (more on them later). If there's enough bigger threats for Kim to hide behind in the game's early stages, she has the accolades to be an extremely dangerous player to win the game. She's excellent in all 3 phases of Survivor and if she's overlooked she's going to make other people pay. Some people think she'll be an immediate target, but I think there are bigger trophies to be hunted and that Kim can go far and potentially win.
Denise Stapley: Survivor Philippines (Season 25)
Occupation: Sex Therapist
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 9/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 7/10
Target Rating: Low
Denise Stapley has the distinction as being the only player in Survivor history to attend every tribal council in a single season, and she survived all of them and then won the game. Denise began her season on a tribe that lost 4 straight challenges, then got swapped to a tribe that lost 2 challenges, and then the merge happened. In a twist of fate, Denise was then praised at final tribal for surviving numerous tribal councils and accomplishing something that no one else has done to this day. This can largely be attributed to Denises' social game. Being a sex therapist, Denise had a quality many players hope for, the ability to make everyone feel comfortable sharing information with you. This quality translated to survivor and Denise became the player everyone was willing to work with and confide in.
For the same reasons she was successful in the Philippines, Denise can go far once again in Winners at War. She's an excellent social player, a ride or die alliance member, very intelligent, physically fit for her age. and can fly under the radar amongst the bigger players. I feel like she is someone many will be trying to recruit into their own alliances, and she can just sit back and have her pick of the litter. Denise could do well because she isn't a big target but she does play with more strategy than players like Amber or Sophie. I don't give her the same chance as players like Kim or Yul, but she falls in the middle of the pack and has a puncher's chance to win.
Tyson Apostol: Survivor Blood vs Water (Season 27)
Age: 40
Occupation: Professional Cycler
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: Survivor Tocantins (8th), Survivor Heroes vs Villains (15th)
Social: 9/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
The third time was the charm for Tyson Apostol, who learned from is errors on Tocantins and Heroes vs Villains and used that experience to help him win Blood vs Water. Tyson played with his longtime girlfriend (and now wife), Rachel, who was the fourth player voted out by the other tribe. From that moment forward, Tyson was on the warpath to avenge Rachel and he did just that picking off his competitors one by one. Tyson is also one of the most enjoyable players to watch because of his dry sarcasm and witty remarks, but he was smarter than he came off as and was able to use his humor and goofiness as a smokescreen for his strategic game, and this also made everybody like him. Tyson is another player who excels in all three phases: incredibly likeable, good in challenges, and one of the better strategists.
Tyson is another player I could see winning Winners at War. He's a great player who can use the bigger targets as meat shields and then cut them towards the end to secure the win. He specifically has a great friendship with Boston Rob, who is someone he can align with and try to go far with but other players will definitely want to cut Rob before Tyson so that plays to his advantage. It's possible that association with Rob, in conjunction with being a 3-time player and dominant winner, could make Tyson a target to some but I believe most people's perspective is that there are bigger fish to fry. Unlike many players, Tyson can win this game without adapting his game too much. Be silly, make friends, perform well in challenges, find an advantage or two, and then once it's down to 7-8 people start making game winning moves.
Tony Vlachos: Survivor Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty (Season 28)
Occupation: Police Officer
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other Seasons: Survivor Game Changers (19th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategy: 10/10
Target Rating: High
BBB is one of my favorite seasons and Tony is my all time favorite player, both because I think he is an elite strategist and also there's nothing he does that isn't comedic gold. Whether he was building spyshacks, speaking Llama, or using his "bag of tricks", there was not one moment in the entire 39 days that the cop from Jersey was able to chill out and go with the flow. Hell he even attempted to make a "spy-buker" in Game Changers before he got caught. But he also dominated his first season strategically. He got the Beauty tribe to turn on Jeremiah by publicly giving him a clue to an idol that wasn't even at his camp, he successfully bluffed that his special idol was good until Final 4 even though it was only valid through Final 5, and he someway somehow convinced Woo to make a million dollar mistake by taking him to the end over Kass. He orchestrated blind side after blind side after blind side and did so by bouncing between alliances and floating in the middle. While others slept or were at camp, Tony searched his ass off to find idols, probably more than every other player combined, which rather than hiding he would then dangle in front of everybody at tribal council and even use on other players if he felt like it would benefit his game. He played with ferocity and determination but also in a way that was hilarious and fun to watch, I tip my hat to him.
Unfortunately I believe Tony is someone who will be feeling the heat in Winners at War. He's not trustworthy in the slightest and he creates paranoia for others by consistently idol hunting. Speaking of paranoia that can be Tony's biggest blessing or his biggest curse. In BBB, the extreme paranoia helped Tony be 10 steps ahead of all other players. In Game Changers it caused him to crash and burn and made others paranoid of him. This game will go one of two ways, either Tony will do amazingly or Tony will do horrendously, there's no in between with how bold and aggressive his gameplay is. I pray it's the former.
Natalie Anderson: Survivor Blood vs Water 2 (Season 29)
Occupation: Crossfit Instructor
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
Natalie played BvW2 with her twin sister Nadiya, but not for very long as Nadiya was the first player voted out that season. Similar to Tyson, that lit a fire inside of Natalie who then slayed the competition and won the game. Natalie forged a close friendship with Jeremy and relationships with multiple alliances and kept around bigger threats like John and Keith until the very end where she cut them both and took two very beatable players in Jaclyn and Missy. Natalie played by the "keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer" mentality, frequently taking players on rewards with the intention of blindsiding them in the near future.
Natalie has an above average chance to go far in the game and possibly win. She's one of the forgotten players in the cast so she has a good chance to fly under the radar until the merge and deceive other players that she is a goat worth taking to the end. However she could wait until the final 7 or 8 to strike and start making big moves to build her resume. Outside of Jeremy, she doesn't have many connections coming into the game so that could either be good or bad depending on how the game unfolds. On the one hand you could be a swing vote for somebody, on the contrary others can team up on you. Natalie needs to lay low until the numbers get small and then resume her cut throat ways until she gets to the tippity top.
Jeremy Collins: Survivor Second Chance (Season 31)
Occupation: Firefighter
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: Survivor Blood vs Water 2 (10th)
Social: 9/10
Physical: 9/10
Strategic: 10/10
Target Rating: Medium
Jeremy Collins gets a 10/10 for startegy because he was the inventor of the "meat-shield" strategy, which many players tried to replicate after him, including future winners. By "meat-shield" I mean that rather than eliminating the big threats, Jeremy wanted to keep the big threats in the game to keep the target off of himself and then vote them out in the game's final stages. Jeremy is one of only 5 winners to receive every jury vote at final tribal, only one other individual (to be named later) is playing this season. In addition to receiving all of the jury votes, Jeremy had no legitimate votes cast against him (I say legitimate because he had one tribal where he received votes but used an idol to negate them). Jeremy is a very likeable character, a humble firefighter who played with integrity and got along with everyone, and he also performed well in challenges and found and properly used idols.
I believe Jeremy has a good shot to win again in season 40, he has friends here, he has the ability to bond with players he hasn't met, and he has plenty of meaty shields to utilize. Jeremy's fate in this game really comes down to if the other players are smart enough to not let Jeremy get to the end twice in the row using the same strategy, either by voting Jeremy off early or by diminishing the threats early on so Jeremy has nowhere to hide. Even without meat shields, Jeremy has the brains, physicality, and social skills to fall back on if necessary and I think Jeremy is a real possibility to win the game.
Michele Fitzgerald: Survivor Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty 2 (Season 32)
Occupation: Travel Agent
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 0
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 7/10
Physical: 7/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Michele Fitzgerald proved she was not just a pretty face and was able to defeat her competition to win Season 32. Many people feel Aubry Bracco should have defeated Michele in the final tribal council, but Michele was able to persuade the jury that the game wasn't solely about making big splash moves and that the game could still be won with kindness and loyalty and forming relationships with others. In the end, Michele was praised for adapting and growing throughout the experience and won by a 5-2-0 vote over the other finalists.
Similar to Amber and Sophie, Michele is someone who has a great shot to fly under the radar and will not win unless she plays very differently from her first appearance. Michele is a player who prefers to go with the flow and adapt to the game as it unfolds, but isn't the type of player to take control of the game and become the author of her fate. I do think people will want to take her to the end because they believe they have a good shot against her, but in a season of this caliber, I just don't see this group of legends wanting to award Michele the title of "ultimate-winner". I think they will want their season represented by someone who truly outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted.
Adam Klein: Survivor Millennials vs Gen-X (Season 33)
Occupation: Homeless Shelter Manager
Immunity Wins: 1
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
Adam Klein got to live every superfan's dream. Adam watched every season of survivor with his family growing up, it was his passion from a young age. He even admitted to getting his friends to play survivor challenges and then vote each other out on camping trips in grade school. Finally in season 33 Adam's dream became reality and he savored every moment. Viewers could see how star struck he was setting foot on the beach for the first time, meeting Jeff Probst, winning challenges, finding an idol, and even attending tribal councils. After the nostalgia set in, Adam made it to the end by playing a great social game and by finding 3 idols/advantages. In the game's final stages, he was able to convince players from other alliances to turn on certain individuals because they would win if they reached the end. Adam was able to facilitate the elimination of bigger threats at final 6 and final 4 and then got to sit at final tribal with two very beatable players at final 3. Adam gave a great final tribal performance where he persuaded the jury that he encompassed the qualities of both a millennial and a gen-x and, like Jeremy, Klein won a unanimous 10-0-0 vote.
I think Adam is a dark horse in this competition. He's very likable and people will want to work with him, but he has a high enough survivor IQ to orchestrate big moves and know who to blindside and when the timing is right. His passion for the game is unrivaled, while other players will be content as one-time winners and just try to have fun Adam genuinely wants to be considered in that same class as Rob and Sandra, whom he idolizes. Adam will play his ass off and always be scheming, but he's not one of the bigger targets so he can probably lay low until merge time to start implementing his plans. Klein is sneaky, it's up to other players to catch on.
Sarah Lacina: Survivor Game-Changers (Season 34)
Occupation: Police Officer
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: Survivor: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty (11th)
Social: 7/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
Sarah Lacina pulled off the best 180 between her first season and second season I have ever seen. In BBB, Sarah played like the cop she is in the real world, only for Tony to play her like a fiddle and found herself voted out when she became too pushy about getting her way in a merge vote. In Game Changers, Sarah Lacina flipped the script and decided to play like a criminal, trying to put herself in the shoes of those she interacted with on a frequent basis as a police officer. This worked like a charm for Sarah, who orchestrated a series of blindsides and did a lot of backstabbing to make it to the end. One of Sarah's most genius moves was orchestrating a blind side of her close ally Sierra, who had the legacy advantage, because she knew Sierra would bequeath it to her if voted out. This worked exactly as planned, and Sarah used that legacy advantage at final 6. But Sarah even double dipped, she let Cirie hold on to her advantage at one point because the fine print said Sarah could let another player hang onto the advantage but its ability still belonged to Sarah. Cirie attempted to use Sarah's fake gift against her, before Jeff revealed to Cirie that only Sarah could use the advantage. Sarah organized Cirie's elimination shortly after. At the end, despite some hurt feelings, the jury respected Sarah's savage game play and awarded her the win.
Sarah is one of the stronger female players in the cast, I put in that same tier as Natalie Anderson and Denise Stapley, not in that upper echelon with Sandra/Parvati/Kim but firmly ahead of Sofie/Amber/Michele. She's also the most recent female winner (the last 5 winners have all been male). Like Tony, Sarah will probably have trouble gaining the trust of other players in the beginning due to all the lying and backstabbing she done in game changers. If she is able to overcome that obstacle and build some relationships, she's a dangerous player who can go deep in the game. Sarah's best move is probably to find the middle-ground between her first 2 seasons, utilizing the good qualities and instincts of being a cop alongside the cunning and cut-throat mentality of being a criminal. I could see her going deep or being an early flameout.
Ben Driebergen: Survivor Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers (Season 35)
Occupation: Retired US Marine
Immunity Wins: 0
Idols/Advantages Found: 3
Other seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 6/10
Strategic: 6/10
Target Rating: Low
Ben is one of the most polarizing winners we have ever seen. Many viewers loved his story of being a retired US Marine dealing with PTSD and others dislike him because they believe production altered the season to make it easier for Ben to win. Basically Ben was a fan favorite early on but was being targeted basically from the final 8 onward. It is debated whether or not he found all of his idols & advantages on his own or whether production intervened and dropped helpful hints. But what really triggered fans was this was the very first season the fire-making challenge at final 4 was introduced, which many believe CBS added in when they realized Ben was going to be voted out after he failed to win immunity. CBS claims that they had a plan of introducing a fire-making challenge at final 4 when the season began regardless of who made it to that stage. Ben would go on to win the fire-making challenge and then the title of sole survivor, being praised for his restless idol hunting and for doing whatever it took to avoid elimination when he was the target the last 5 votes.
Because of the backlash Ben received from the survivor community following his win, I anticipate Ben will be coming out with a chip on his shoulder wanting to prove his victory was no fluke or was not fixed in any way. I expect him to improve his social game and strategic game and not have to rely so heavily on idols and twists this time around. While I expect improvement in these areas, I don't think Ben is a strong enough player socially or strategically to outwit and outlast some of these other legends. He also isn't particularly good in challenges and you know in a season like this one person isn't going to find all the idols and advantages. I really like Ben as an individual, and I hope he does well, but I believe there are stronger players in this cast.
Wendell Holland: Survivor Ghost Island (Season 36)
Occupation: Furniture Company Owner
Immunity Wins: 2
Idols/Advantages Found: 1
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 10/10
Physical: 10/10
Strategic: 9/10
Target Rating: Medium
Wendell is a triple threat who nearly checked out with a perfect score. I found myself unable to give him a 10 for strategy because I feel Domenick and Wendell shared many of the same strategic moves, and they were so loaded with immunity wins and advantages that they were able to just go down a hit list of who they wanted out rather than needing to scheme and orchestrate blind sides. But everyone loved him in Ghost Island, largely thanks to subtle but effective moves on his part like building furniture for his tribemates and even saving a shell that Sebastian had forgotten at camp when the tribe swap happened. He also might be the most athletic member of the cast which made him a strong competitor in physical challenges, while being an above average competitor in challenges that required balance, endurance, and puzzle solving as well. It can be argued that Wendell and Dominick's best move was aligning with each other, as the two of them were a dynamic duo that was nearly unstoppable when they put their heads together. It's a shame both of them could not win, further evidenced by the fact that their final tribal ended in a tie. But in Survivor there can only be one winner and Wendell's flawless social game gave him a bump above Dom.
Wendell is a player that I believe could win Winners at War. He's so talented in all 3 phases and his target rating isn't all that high. It will be interesting to see if he can essentially find a Dominick 2.0 in this cast, someone he can put heads together with to mastermind their ways to the end of the game. I do believe this time around he will have to be more strategic and will be more vulnerable since he and his alliance won't have the numerous advantages that Ghost Island provided. I think he's likable enough that many people will want to work with him and the fact that he never really burned any of his allies in Ghost Island is another reason to align with him. To me Wendell has all the tools to make a deep run in this game, and if he can navigate his way to the end I think there is a strong chance he wins.
Nick Wilson: Survivor David vs Goliath (Season 37)
Occupation: Public Defender
Immunity Wins: 3
Idols/Advantages Found: 2
Other Seasons: N/A
Social: 8/10
Physical: 8/10
Strategic: 8/10
Target Rating: Low
The most recent winner of the Season 40 cast is Nick Wilson. Nick is the winner of arguably the most popular recent season of Survivor, David vs Goliath, a theme that divided their initial tribes into a tribe of underdogs against a tribe of powerfully perceived individuals. Nick was another player who utilized Jeremy's meat-shield strategy and kept larger threats late into the game so that he was never the target. This got Nick to the final 6, where he then went on an immunity challenge run and won the final 3 challenges to secure his spot in the final 3. At final tribal, Nick was praised for his social and strategic prowess and his performance in challenges down the stretch and ultimately won by a vote of 7-3-0.
Being the newest winner of the cast, Nick enters the game in a precarious position. He doesn't have the long lasting relationships that some of the more legendary winners have but he can be perceived as more of a free agent. If Nick can assume this role, he could find himself as the swing vote of many tribal councils. However it's also possible that Nick is an easy boot since he's somewhat of a rookie in a community filled with more recognizable winners and veterans of the game. I think if he survives through the first couple of episodes he has a chance to go far and possibly even win with the right game play.
Some More Initial Thoughts
One thing I immediately found fascinating is that despite this being a winners only season, almost half of the cast (9/20) have also lost the game. Three players (Rob, Parvati, Tyson) have lost more than once. I also appreciate the diversity of the time line of this cast, which was a great blend of players from Survivor's beginnings, recent seasons, and middle seasons. It's also refreshing to see an older cast than prior seasons, which lately have been heavy on players in their 20's. This cast only features 4 players still in their 20's (Adam, Sophie, Nick, Michele), all of whom are 28 or 29. The cast's oldest player, Denise, is also only 48, meaning we won't see the usual Survivor archetype of bringing in 2 or 3 more elderly contestants who often become early boots.
I'm also intrigued to see on what grounds people decide to form alliances on, other than prior relationships of course. I think it would be smart for all the players who know they are walking in as big targets to align as a necessity to survive and then cannibalize each other later on in the game. I also think commonalities in minority race & ethnicity could help create some bonds. For example Jeremy and Wendell as being the only 2 African-Americans or Yul and Natalie having similar roots to Asia. Similarly I could see alliances being formed of players who live in similar regions of the US, for example players with northeastern roots or players who live in California or perhaps even players from different variations of small-town USA. It's also possible that different walks of life could be a bonding point, for example all the women who have become mothers and started families since the last time they played (Parvati, Kim, Amber, Danni). Lastly I wonder if players could be linked by commonalities from their past seasons. For example could Jeremy and Adam bond for being the only winners in the cast who received every jury vote, or could Ben, Michele, and Amber bond over being viewed as "undeserving" winners from their seasons.
The role the Fire Tokens play could also remains an intriguing mystery. How many are there? How are they earned? What do they purchase? Can they be shared by players? Do they overlap with Edge of Extinction? The concept of a Survivor economy is something never before seen on the show and will likely add another layer to the game.
Lastly I think this is not only going to be one of Survivor's best season's, but also one of its most fun. Since everyone has already won the million dollars and many of the cast have known each other for years, I expect lots of banter and laughs between castaways. It's like sending 20 close friends to summer camp to play a game of lying, backstabbing, and scheming, but with no hard feelings because they all love and understand the game.
It's sure to be one of Survivor's most exciting season's ever and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds and who emerges as the champion of champions!
