RHAP Cast Wishlist for Survivor 50: 43, 44, 45, 46
Summary:
Welcome to the homestretch of Mike Bloom's Wishlist series. This week, we will cover the last of the most recent seasons of the New Era of Survivor. As was mentioned last week with 41 and 42, the New Era has presented a good problem for many of the guests on the Wishlist series in that the casting for the New has been relatively on point. Starting with season 45, we're getting 90-minute episodes in which contestants shine more and reduce some of the purpling that happened in previous seasons.
On Saturday Mike and Rob C will be hosting the next wildcard round so if you have any preferences you'd like submitted, make sure to get them in!
Links to previous episodes:
Borneo, The Australian Outback, Africa
The Amazon, Pearl Island, All-Stars, Vanuatu and Palau
Guatemala, Panama, Cook Islands, Fiji
China, Micronesia, Gabon, Tocantins, Samoa
Heroes vs. Villians, Nicaragua, Redemption Island
South Pacific, One World, Philippines, Caramoan, Blood vs. Water
Cagayan, San Juan del Sur, Worlds Apart, Cambodia, Kaôh Rōng
Edge of Extinction, Island of the Idols, Winners at War, 41, 42
Summary: A season with a controversial finish. As Mike and Chappell noted, this season is ranked lower in the current stack of New Era seasons due partly to a somewhat bland premerge, to the postmerge being mainly directed by a couple players to Gabler's controversial win over Cassidy. Mike and Chappell discussed how this season might end up like Redemption Island, One World, and Worlds Apart in that they could have been better received. Still, each contained a cast of characters who returned for later seasons and could perform better and/or deliver better TV. Chappell noted that as time distances itself from 43, it allows folks to think more about what cast members brought to the season individually and might help get some folks to return.
Mike, about a third of the way through the episode (around the discussion of Owen), brings up a relatively solid point of analysis for looking at returnees. He noted that there tend to be two types of returnees: plot returnees and character returnees. Plot returnees tend to be folks brought back because of something or something that happened in past seasons that they want to address, overcome, or challenge. Character returnees tend to be the folks who are brought back because they make for good TV or bring more entertainment value to the show, with some individuals, like Cirie, filling the archetype for both (in that she keeps coming back after falling short and is a fun confessionalist).
Cassidy Clark: The runner-up of the season, and depending on who you ask, the person who was unfairly robbed of a victory in 43. Mike noted that Cassidy would be more of a plot returnee in that while she was fun in confessionals, her overarching story to come back to play again would be to resolve her unfinished business in her loss. The two discussed how she did well in challenges in the game (and has since appeared on The Challenge) and did make some social moves in the post-merge, but her gameplay was a bit more reactive than proactive.
Owen Knight: The season's zero-vote finalist and the "Charlie Brown." Once the post-merge hit, Owen was shut out mainly by the rest of the contestants, and despite trying to make swings and moves, he was mostly unsuccessful despite his many efforts. Owen was unafraid to show who he was while on the island, and while his efforts sadly didn't net him the win, he did show someone willing to try and play to the end. Mike and Chappell discussed how a potential issue for Owne will be his struggles in the game, which also mirror those of Jake from season 45, and since 45 tended to be a more well-received season, that might make it more difficult for Owen to be cast again.
Jesse Lopez: The strategic mastermind of the season, Jesse is a person that both Mike and Chappell feel is a lock to return to Survivor again if he wants to play. Jesse orchestrated several key votes this season, managed to work a play to steal Dwight's idol right before voting him out, and ran the postmerge with Cody until he initiated a shocking blindside on him. Had Jesse not been eliminated in firemaking, he likely would have won the season.
Karla Cruz Godoy: the other strategic powerhouse of the season, Karla was a dominant force on her tribe in the pre-merge, and while her gameplay was a little shakier in the post-merge, she was still in the strategic center of several votes along with Jesse. She also put up a respectable performance in several of the challenges, although he took a physical beating in the game, having to leave with a number of bandages and a walking stick. Her game is a bit colored by her final conversation with Cassidy, where she threatened if she was eliminated, Cassidy might not get the votes to win at FTC.
Cody Assenmacher: The man who was Livin! Cody, the elevator salesman from Hawaii, was a big personality in the season and was Jesse's number-one ally before Jesse blindsided him in a move that is, in all likelihood, the most remembered thing from 43. Chappell and Mike noted that Jesse's move makes a lot more sense when one considers that Cody's gregarious personality led to several people on the island seeing him as the strategic force, which meant if he went to FTC with Jesse, he stood a chance of winning. Cody had several fun moments in the season, from bargaining for stuff to steal from the other tribe to convincing his tribe to vote out Justine because she was a salesperson as well. Mike and Chappell noted that if Jesse or Cody returned for season 50, having to see the other also appear would be interesting, and going by past returnee seasons, Production does try and put in rivals or folks who have history when they can.
Considered but not selected:
Mike Gabler: The aligabler himself, the shouter-outer to Idaho and second oldest person to win the game. Chappell felt that viewers underrated Gabler's game, which, after he stepped up at the merge to direct Elie's boot, saw him recede into the shadows, which Chappell noted, involved him building bonds with all his tribemates to the point that no one wanted to eliminate him. Chappell felt that Gabler's story was done, and since his game was subtle, and if he were to return, seeing him try the same subtle strategy would be less interesting unless he played like Gabler did in the premerge, which was more messy. Mike also pointed out that Gabler has two issues in coming back. First, he'll have the Yul problem in that the players will know he will probably donate the money again and will work to eliminate him early. Second, because his game was so subtle the first time and relied on that under-the-radar approach, players would also work to get him out early so he wouldn't go far.
Sami Layadi: One of the youngest players of the show, the pet cremator was only 19 when he played this season. Chappell noted that out of all the teens who've played on Survivor, Sami probably played one of the more vigorous games out of the crop of them. While his gameplay could be seen as erratic, he managed to constantly negotiate a place between the various alliances and votes until he was finally zeroed out. While Chappell pulled hard for him, in the end, he was just under the cut, though he is hopeful that Sammy might make the wildcard addition.
Noelle Lambert: An amputee Paralympian, Noelle was a strong competitor in many of the physical challenges of the game, which, combined with the fact she did make some strategic moves in the early postmerge during the split tribal council, does give her some strength in consideration. She is slated to participate in the 2024 Paralympics along with Ryan Medrano from this season as well.
May not return:
Elie Scott: An early power player on her tribe, Ellie initially was an ally of Gabler's until she and Jeanine went through his bags, causing him to turn on her and form an acrimonious relationship. As Mike noted, she was initially well positioned in the middle of her tribe and, with her skills as a therapist, could get along with most of the folks in her tribe. Chappell said that her game was funny to watch, especially when she tried to pull off goofy moves like trying to convince Gabler his advantage didn't work anymore. Mike discussed how, though, given some of the negative reception people had towards her. Her edit this season, she has primarily pulled away from the Survivor community and is very limited on social media, leading him to think that she's likely one of the rare New Era players who would not want to return (though is open to putting her in a wildcard spot if he can show evidence that she actually does want to play again).
Summary: Leading off the discussion, Mike and Liana discussed 44's position in the New Era, how initially, after it aired, it was well received, but how potentially, with 45 and 46 emerging as the current top seasons of the New Era, if there was some concern that some of the 44 players who might have stood out might have been outshined. As Liana noted, due to the somewhat odd nature of the pre-merge (with the medivacs and some of the idol's plays) and the dominance of the Tika 3 in the post-merge, the season has some solid untapped potential with some of the players who were on.
Yam-Yam Arocho: The season winner. Yam-Yam managed to negotiate through several difficult spots in the game and stay ahead. He was one of the pivotal Tika 3 who controlled much of the postmerge. As the two noted, Yam-Yam gave 81 confessionals in his season, a record amount for any New Era player.
Carolyn Wiger: The zero-vote finalist but arguably the season's fan favorite and breakout character. Carolyn, the drug counselor, was unapologetically herself the entire season and, despite her kooky exterior, had a large amount of strategic cunning, from working a play with a fake idol to formulating ways to eliminate Brandon and Danny to be one of the Tika 3. Carolyn also had a solid emotional journey in the show, especially in her confessionals about her journey and struggles with addiction. While Liana did add Carolyn to the vote, she did make an interesting case for potentially leaving Carolyn off 50, noting that most of her personal story has now been told and being someone who made it to the end of the game, what more is there to explore from the perspective of what more does this person need to do on the show? Both agreed that she was a fun character to see and would be happy to watch her interact with more people.
Danny Masa: A firefighter and surprising agent of chaos in the season. Danny was a player who, on reflection of the season, did a lot of whacky stuff, from rolling around in the jungles like a video game character to farting at Jeff during a challenge; Danny was one of the more prominent personalities in 44. Mike and Liana also discussed how Danny was not a passive player in the season and was constantly going out to make his own actions, be it leading others to fake immunity idols or trying to rapidly build alliances. Between his personality and fast-paced play style, both felt he'd be a solid addition from 44 for a return.
Frannie Marin: Liana noted that Frannie's character archetype at the show's start was that of the slightly nerdy girl who is usually targeted in the early merge. Instead, she ended up being one of the biggest challenge beasts of the season and was targeted in the merge out of concern she might be able to fight all the way to the end. She was also noted for her showmance with fellow jury member Matt Blankinship, which is still going strong as of August 2024.
Matthew Grinstead-Mayle: A medical evacuation/quit from the season. Matthew was injured early in the game after he fell off a rockwall he was climbing by his tribe's beach. Despite his injury, he pushed hard in challenges and was a strategic force on his tribe, directing moves such as burning his shot in the dark to hide his voting loyalties and making a fake idol to pin on Jamie the whole season. Mike and Liana both agreed that he had a lot of potentials, which was cut short due to him leaving the game due to his injury and while that was somewhat self-inflicted, both felt that if he could come back, he'd bring a lot of exciting gameplay.
Considered but not selected
Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt: The runner-up for the season, Heidi was a little quieter than some of the other players but still had some interesting moves. She used her steal-a-vote advantage partway through and is the current record holder for the fastest fire-making at the final four to date. However, compared to some of the other players of the season, Mike and Liana felt she didn't pop as much.
Carson Garrett: The third member of the Tika 3 who went out at the final four fire-making, Carson was the strategic glue that helped hold the alliance together. His relationship with Yam Yam and Carolyn was one of the bigger stories of the season. Mike noted that initially after 44 aired, the Tikka 3 was a group people assumed would be a lock to return. However, in Carson's case, he noted that more recent seasons have had individuals who fit into his young nerdy superfan archetype and who have stood out more (such as Drew in 45 and Charlie in 46)
Jamie Lynn Ruiz: Another whacky character from the season, Jamie was not the biggest strategic player of the season and, in many ways, was one of the folks who was clowned on the most in the edit. Mike brought up how, unlike others who've not reacted well to perceived negative edits, Jamie has been more than willing to embrace and laugh about her antics from the season, which, while maybe not the best gameplay, was highly entertaining to see.
Summary: The start of the 90-minute episodes for Survivor 45 was seen by many as a refreshing season after the first four episodes of the New Era, which were somewhat advantage-heavy. Combined with the well-regarded cast, has painted the season in a reasonably positive light. Mike noted this season also benefitted from having somewhat of a structured arc to it, with the first third being the destruction of the Lulu tribe, the second being the Belo implosion, and the end with the Rebas turning on one another.
The final choices were fairly well-debated, amount Mike and Pooya, so while a couple prominent characters weren't selected, there is always the option ot add more during the wildcard if folks think they should be added.
Dee Valladares: The season's winner, Dee, was a bit like how Kim Spradlin-Wolfe was in One World, someone who was good at all the different facets of the game, from the physical challenges to the strategic vision and the social gameplay management. Dee was at the center of the Reba 4 alliance, which dominated the pre-merge
Drew Basile: One of the strategic movers of the season and a close ally of Austin. Drew was one of the cunning minds in the Reba 4 alliance and helped plot several of the coalition moves throughout the season before sadly being eliminated after Austin shared some information with Dee. He's gone on to play on Jeopardy. I had a Napoleon Dynamite joke in here somewhere but felt like that was a cheap shot.
Bruce Perrault: To date, the only New Era returnee, Bruce was originally in 44 but was medically evacuated 11 hours into the game after suffering a brutal concussion and was brought back for 45. In 45, Bruce was one of the more prominent characters of the season; he got on many of his tribemates nerves with her stories and antics, and his allies were ready to cut him, but his individual immunity wins kept him in the game before he went home with an idol in his pocket. Pooya noted that regardless of whether folks liked Bruce or disliked him, he was entertaining TV, and he still has unfinished business in the game since he did leave because of the intrigue of others and him not playing that idol (before it was cool to do so in 46).
Kellie Nalbandian: The biggest blindside of the season, Mike and Pooya discussed how Kellie was many folk's winners' picks for the season and how at least going into the merge, she seemed to be well positioned to go towards the end before the machinations of the Reba 4 saw her and the audience get shocked by her elimination right after Kaleb's. As Pooya noted, Kellie had many of the similar qualities Dee had in terms of physical, social, and strategic sense and, was knocked off early, and still has a lot of potential to come back and do well.
Kaleb Gebrewold: One of the prominent personalities from the pre-merge, Kaleb was a person who quickly could connect with folks and start working the social side of the game, to the point where in the pre-merge, Sabiyah tried to vote him out due to that perceived threat. He famously landed his shot in the dark at the merge, nullifying the unanimous vote against him before being eliminated in the next episode. He was also noted for his partnership with Emily, helping coacher her in the game to build up her skills and connections after her near elimination in the first tribal council.
Considered but not selected:
Austin Li Coon: The runner-up of the season, Austin was an alternate for 45 who was brought on at the last moment and managed to almost take the whole game home, losing out to Dee partially because he was unwilling to cut her out and shared crucial information with her. Pooya discussed how he thinks that while Austin did make a solid run in the game and was fun to see, others in the season have more potential to give for a milestone season like 50. Even with the suggestion that he could come on with a pair with Dee or Drew, Pooya felt that other pairs/rivals from this season might pop more if brought on to play again.
Jake O'Kane: The zero-vote finalist and Charlie Brown of the season. Jake was a continual target in the game, and despite wanting to make moves and take charge of the game, he was frequently shut down in one way or another. Pooya noted that he doesn't think Jake and Owen from 43 would be competing for the same slot, and the show would have only one of them for a season if they were cast, pointing out that while they both had the struggle edit, their personalities were different.
Katurah Topps: Katurah was a divisive player to many, which Mik and Pooya discussed. On the one hand, her on-island edit didn't portray her moves in the most favorable light, especially regarding her interactions with Bruce. However, she was also the source of many of the interesting moves that enabled the Reba 4 and her own personal struggle with her family and escaping an abusive cult, combined with her explaining more of her moves in-depth in the postseason, did a lot of shine a light on her and her game.
Sabiyah Broderick: A very early mover and shaker on her tribe, Sabiyah was eliminated after she had just acquired her idol, but she took a gamble and sacrificed her vote to try and make it fully powered, only to be eliminated that vote. In those early episodes, the edit made it seem like she would go far, so her elimination was surprising. Mike and Pooya agreed that out of the pre-merge players for 45, she stands the best shot of someday getting a callback.
Would not return:
Emily Flippen: One of the surprising fan-favorite characters of the season, Emily started the game on the wrong foot with her tribe and would have gone home had Hannah not quit. After that, she pulled a 180 and experienced tremendous growth. She was considered a big threat towards the end of the merge. In post-game interviews and recent discussions with friends, Mike can confirm she still does not want to return to Survivor.
Summary: The most recent season! I don't have a ton of the summary as I am sick as of the time of writing this, but Mike and Taran noted that this season feels like a New Era Cagayan in that it is a season full of interesting people who are fun to watch and an interesting game which plays out.
Charlie Davis: The runner-up of the season, Charlie infamously was one vote away from potentially winning the entire season, but the vote switch by his erstwhile ally Maria contributed to his loss. Between his challenging performances, his social plays, and his strategic mind, Charlie seems like an excellent pick to return. As Mike and Taryan noted, despite being similar to Carson and Drew, Charlie's performances do differentiate him from them. He also has a strong story about coming back to settle his unfinished business.
Q Burdette: The most significant character of the season, Q was a force of nature for his time on the show, initially being the center of his tribe, to mastermind an alliance of top players only to immediately turn it in on one another. This was on top of his antics, such as playing the alphabet game in a challenge and playing hide and seek with the merged tribe to prognosticate their skills.
Venus Vafra: An outcast from her tribe and an agent of chaos, Venus was unafraid to speak her mind, regardless of how messy it made her game or post-game on social media. She had a bit of the Charlie Brown edit in that many of her schemes didn't go her way, and the one time she ended up in a position of power, she went out with an idol in her pocket. Taran and Mike agreed that Production might be cautious about bringing her on for a return since she's a bit of a loose cannon on social media and might be nervous that she'd spoil things.
Tiffany Nicole Ervin: A big mover and shaker and Yanu tribe survivor alongside Q and Kenzie. Tiffany played a strong game and was willing to take big swings at the game, which didn't always land. Mike and Taran agreed Tiff would be a phenomenal player to return, between her fun personality, excellent ability to make quotes, and strategic mindset. Their one worry was that she might get lost in the shuffle in a season of already existing prominent personalities.
Tevin Davis: The opening narrator of the season, Tevin was a little more understated in some of the edits, but he was one of the earlier prominent personalities of the season who made the most of his screen time and was entertaining to see. As Mike and Taran noted, he also seems to be well-liked by Production, which might see him return.
Considered but not selected
Liz Wilcox: A wildcard of the season, Liz was a little quieter at the beginning of the game, with her two big things being her perceived wealth and her large number of allergies, but she started to play hard in the merge, with her blow up about not being taken to Applebee's becoming a bit of an internet meme.
Maria Shrime Gonzales: Part of a strategic pair with Charlie, Maria was a key player in her tribe and, alongside Charlie, worked to influence the post-merge before the two finally went after one another towards the end of the game. Being an older woman who also did well in challenges, the point Liz and Kenzie teamed up to beat her in the penultimate challenge, Maria had a lot of potential in her game, and Mike pointed out, for a season that has a rivals theme, casting her and Charlie might be interesting. Taran agreed but also felt that Maria was somewhat understated in her edit, which might indicate Production isn't as high on her, and combined with the other bigger personalities of this season, left her just short on the ranking.
Hunter McKnight: The McGuyver of the season and the winner pick for a lot of people. Hunter dominated the challenges in the pre-merge, came out swinging physically in the post-merge, and managed to find and solve his island's idol puzzle. He didn't make the cut since he does have a reasonably laid-back personality compared to some of the others in this season, and there was also a concern that, from Production's viewpoint, he'd be competing with Jonathan from 42 for an archetype slot and Jonathan is much more prominent.
David Jelinsky: The infamous first boot flame-out of the season. Jelinsky was the source of the several equaling seven jokes that persisted over the whole season, and apparently, there was a ton of extra stuff that went down for him that didn't even make the edit.
Would not play again
Kenzie Petty: While Kenzie was happy to win her season, she stated that the fan intrusions into her personal life have been a bit too much for her and that she would not want to play on the show again.
Posted Aug 8, 2024, 9:18 PM UTC