Column: Survivor goes the wrong direction with late-game rules twist

One of the best things about Survivor over the years has been the show’s ability to introduce new wrinkles to keep it fresh without detracting from its credibility as a competition.

But the producers took a giant step back this season with the twist introduced after the last immunity challenge in Wednesday’s finale, and it left a bad taste in my mouth after watching it play out.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Before we go any further, you should know I was rooting for Ben to win this season and actively rooting against Chrissy, who I thought was arrogant and condescending toward the other players. So this isn’t an anti-Ben opinion, because I wanted him to win it all; he was my favorite player.

But the way he won? Yikes. It didn’t feel right.

After the upside-down U in the word puzzle cost him in the final immunity challenge, I was absolutely heartbroken for Ben. I felt sick to see him lose it that way. You could tell based on the reaction he knew the mistake had been a game-ending one, and Survivor showed us the raw emotions from both Ben and Chrissy — one defeated, one victorious — to illustrate how important that moment was.

Except…it wasn’t. Ben wasn’t out of the game, thanks to the “secret advantage” Chrissy won. As it turned out, the producers had a rule twist where Chrissy could pick who sat next to her at final tribal, but the other two players had to do a fire-making challenge for the last spot.

That is disturbingly unfair. As much as I hated the moment for Ben and was completely disappointed that Chrissy was about to become Sole Survivor, she won the right to eliminate her competition fair and square by succeeding in the final challenge.

Instead, the producers took that away from her under the guise of an “advantage.” Some advantage that was! Could she have ripped it up and said, “No thanks?” I’m guessing not, but surely she would have preferred to not have “won” the advantage since it really only helped Ben.

Ultimately, that was a game-changing, million-dollar decision by the producers. They took $1 million out of Chrissy’s hands. And that’s wrong. The one thing that has remained constant on Survivor over the years is players eliminate other players by voting each other off; Chrissy deserved to be able to vote Ben off in order to set the final three, but she was not given that opportunity.

Again, I was going to be absolutely pissed that Chrissy won. Ben had a miracle run to make it that far by finding the three idols. But he came up short. It was very unfortunate, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

Instead, Survivor threw him a lifeline and gave him another chance. And of course, he capitalized.

The producers seemed to know how bad it looked during the finale. Jeff Probst went out of his way to tell viewers the twist was a permanent addition to the game (See? It wasn’t just for Ben!) and the producers aired a highlight package of Ben’s journey immediately after the vote (See? He deserved it! The best player won!).

Sure, you could argue, “This twist is positive because it puts the players’ destiny into their own hands.” Yes, but Ben already had his destiny in his own hands at the final immunity challenge — and lost.

Survivor has continued to be successful over the years because it maintained the integrity of a real-life game while also providing drama and excitement. But that drama can’t be overly manufactured, or it will harm the competition and turn people away.

Ben has raced at his local short track and said he plans to buy a race car with his winnings, so he will understand this analogy: Despite spinning out while leading late in the race, the producers put him back on the front row for the final restart.

A decision like that doesn’t feel right — both in racing and Survivor.

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Season Finale

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ve been ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Ashley was voted off after being ranked No. 6 of the six remaining players.

Power Rankings heading into season finale: 

1. Devon (Last week: 2): The $1 million is likely going to come down to Devon or Chrissy. Both of them believe they can beat the other, and it could be close — but I’m leaning toward Devon because of Chrissy’s potentially weak jury management (see a more in-depth explanation below). People have underestimated Devon all season, but he’s played a very solid game, has been likable and acted on his gut when he needed to (like ditching Ryan to go with Ben after Ryan broke his trust). As far as his resume, he also orchestrated two very smart moves as the final seven approached, then jumped on a potential final three with Chrissy and Ryan. It’s been a subtle game and not outwardly strategic, but he’s had to make a lot of adjustments. He could be overlooked by his surfer bro nature, but I think Devon may be crowned the winner tonight.

2. Chrissy (Last week: 4): I was very pro-Chrissy at the start of the season, but then she made a series of missteps. She was too cocky as the final seven approached (twice whispering in front of other players and then being on cruise control before Ben flipped) and has made statements accusing people of being unsportsmanlike or too personal — which could alienate some players. That said, she’s obviously very smart and is now in a strong position to make the final three. But can she win it? Well, there are going to be eight people on the jury, and I’m not sure she can muster up four votes based on who may be against her from the start (like Lauren and Joe). Plus, if Ashley gets over the bitterness toward Devon, Chrissy might not have that vote, either. That leaves Chrissy needing a sweep of votes from Desi, Cole, JP and the two players she votes off tonight (perhaps Ben and Dr. Mike?). This is a lot of projecting based on unknown events, but I think Devon beats Chrissy head-to-head with Ryan getting no votes in their potential final three. (Side note: Remember, if it’s tied 4-4, then the third person in the final three casts the deciding vote — which is good for Chrissy if that person is Ryan.)

3. Ryan (Last week: 3): I’ve enjoyed Ryan as a character this season, but I expected him to be more of a player. Instead, he got too comfortable with Chrissy and ultimately seemed to take a backseat to her as she led and made the decisions. He seems headed for the final three, but I’m not sure he has a winning resume unless he pulls out some big moves late in the game. His best chance is to go along with others as they eliminate Ben, then take out Chrissy and make the case for himself against Devon and Dr. Mike — which could still be a losing proposition.

4. Mike (Last week: 5): It’s been a fun ride for Dr. Mike, but the end of his journey likely won’t result in the $1 million. I have a feeling he’ll jump on the “Vote Ben Out!” train to save himself in the first vote tonight and then he’ll be a victim of the final cut before the three at the end. Even if he does make it to final tribal, the jury hasn’t respected his game enough to reward him with the Sole Survivor title. To win, he would probably need to team up with Ben for a vote to get Chrissy out, then flip and take Ben out to end up in a final three with Ryan and Devon. Even then, he would probably finish third.

5. Ben (Last week: 1): There’s no way Ben can possibly make it to the final three. Right? Right?!? The players speak openly amongst themselves about how he’s the biggest threat and everyone knows if he makes it to the end, he will win. So these smart players can’t possibly pass up an opportunity to get him out. Right? Right?!?! That means he would have to win the two remaining immunity challenges, which seems like a longshot because he’s not particularly great at those. I guess it’s possible if he keeps pulling out miracles like the last two weeks, but he’ll likely be the first boot tonight.

 


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Week 9: Cole (ranked No. 10 of 10 remaining players)

Week 10: JP (ranked No. 9 of nine remaining players) and then Joe (ranked No. 7 of nine remaining players going into the double episode)

Week 11: Lauren (ranked No. 2 of seven remaining players)

Week 12: Ashley (ranked No. 6 of six remaining players)

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Week 12

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ll be ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Lauren was voted off after being ranked No. 2 of the seven remaining players.

Week 12 Power Rankings: 

1. Ben (Last week: 3): Everyone wants Ben out of the game, and yet none of them seem to be able to do it. Now, with Lauren gone, does Ben actually have an opening to make something happen? There are two strong pairs — Chrissy/Ryan and Ashley/Devon. So it feels like Ben and Dr. Mike are suddenly in the middle. If Ben and Dr. Mike can team up, they potentially could have a say in how the final three ends up — which would allow Ben to pull off an improbable victory after everyone gunned for him in the final weeks.

2. Devon (Last week: 1): Losing Lauren was a major blow to Devon’s chances of winning this season. Now he’s down to a tight alliance with Ashley, is on the outs with former ally Ryan and saw his once-great bond with Ben dissolve. So now what? He needs to rally and do some damage control. Devon can win if he gets to the final three, but he can’t let Ben get there with him.

3. Ryan (Last week: 5): It’s certainly not looking great for Ryan, but he’s hanging around and still has an outside shot if things fall the right way. I can almost see his game being somewhat similar to Adam, who won a few seasons ago in part because the bigger threats kept taking shots at each other.

4. Chrissy (Last week: 6): I’m still down on Chrissy, although her chances certainly improved with the shocking Lauren elimination. But she’s taking things too personally and not playing with her head on straight, so it might be too late to craft enough of a resume to where the jury would recognize her game as winner-worthy. Would she be willing to work with Ben for one vote?

5. Mike (Last week: 7): You can never count out Dr. Mike, as he reminded us once again in the most recent episode. But here’s the thing: Has he really done enough to win? Aside from being unpredictable, like throwing Lauren’s idol in the fire (#wow), what is he really doing strategy-wise that would result in the $1 million? I think he could get to the final three, but there’s little chance he could actually win.

6. Ashley (Last week: 4): Lauren’s departure might hurt Ashley more than anyone. Now she has no choice but to play second fiddle to whatever Devon decides, and there aren’t any big moves she can orchestrate by herself. Even if she wins out on the rest of the immunity challenges, the jury isn’t going to reward her with the Sole Survivor title.

 


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Week 9: Cole (ranked No. 10 of 10 remaining players)

Week 10: JP (ranked No. 9 of nine remaining players) and then Joe (ranked No. 7 of nine remaining players going into the double episode)

Week 11: Lauren (ranked No. 2 of seven remaining players)

Survivor Healers vs. Heroes vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Week 11

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ll be ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, JP (No. 9 of nine remaining players) and Joe (No. 7) were voted off in a double episode.

Week 11 Power Rankings: 

1. Devon (Last week: 2): He snuck up on me this year, but the surfer dude is one smart bro and now takes over the top spot for the first time. He orchestrated both of the moves in last week’s episode and claimed to be “sitting in the best possible seat in the game.” Sometimes those comments come back to bite players, but I believe this one. Devon’s plan to split the vote and then tell Joe to vote Ben — while getting Ben to act like he was doomed — was next-level stuff. Now, can he keep it up?

2. Lauren (Last week: 1): She has some really strong play going right now. Lauren has worked well with Ben all season, but you can see she’s not just going to ride that alliance — she was already seen talking with Ashley about when to flip on Ben. So it really seems like the Lauren/Devon/Ashley show at the moment, and Lauren also has the extra vote in her pocket.

3. Ben (Last week: 3): You can see how this is going, and Ben’s alliance already sees he’s a threat with a great story — which means they’re getting ready to come for him. Unfortunately, he won’t make it to the final three. If he somehow does, he will win (and his competitors fully realize that, which is why he’s in trouble).

4. Ashley (Last week: 8): Last week, Ashley showed us she’s not done yet. “I feel like I’m finally playing Survivor,” she said. “I honestly feel like this is my game to lose.” I wouldn’t go that far, but she’s certainly on the right side of the numbers for now. If she can keep herself in the game without being a target, she’ll end up in the final three thanks to her link with Lauren and Devon (but she won’t win).

5. Ryan (Last week: 4): I really don’t see how he escapes this situation. Devon isn’t going to suddenly return to trusting him, and Chrissy is all Ryan really has left. He tried to pitch to Mike last week and it was met with deaf ears, so they’re not really on the same page. It’s been fun to watch Ryan, but I can’t see him pulling it out.

6. Chrissy (Last week: 5): If she somehow makes it to the end, it will be a James Bond-style escape. Honestly, it’s been disappointing to watch her game fall apart. As I’ve mentioned the last few weeks, she was No. 1 in the rankings for awhile but got too cocky and comfortable, and now she’s potentially the next person headed home if she doesn’t pull out another immunity win. If she comes back to play another season, I hope she learns from her mistakes in relying too much on her alliance and letting off the gas, because she’s obviously a very smart player and capable of winning.

7. Mike (Last week: 6): He seems to vote in whatever direction is necessary to keep himself alive, which is why he might stick around a couple more weeks (and potentially outlast Ryan and Chrissy). However, his chances of actually winning are all but gone at this point.


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Week 9: Cole (ranked No. 10 of 10 remaining players)

Week 10: JP (ranked No. 9 of nine remaining players) and then Joe (ranked No. 7 of nine remaining players going into the double episode)

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Week 10

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ll be ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Cole was voted off after being ranked No. 10 of the 10 remaining players.

Week 10 Power Rankings: 

1. Lauren (Last week: 2): As all the frontrunners keep making mistakes (Ryan telling too many people about his idol, Chrissy getting too cocky, Ben being too bossy), Lauren’s chances improve. She’s tight with Ben, and now Devon is in their mini-alliance; she also has an extra vote to use when she wants. Obviously she’s playing quietly and under the radar, but that only helps her chances of reaching the end.

2. Devon (Last week: 5): I’m putting him up high for the same reason as Lauren — I’m frustrated with Ben, Ryan and Chrissy making mistakes right now and am starting to doubt their long-term chances. Devon wisely chose to team with Ben after hearing about Ryan’s big mouth, and can you blame him?

3. Ben (Last week: 4): Still the best of the frontrunners, but I didn’t like how he was being so controlling of the vote and not listening to others. That “chief” label has burned many players.

4. Ryan (Last week: 1): He’s going to have to scramble now that he broke Devon’s trust (and doesn’t even realize it yet). But his game was always going to be about scrambling, so he still has a shot.

5. Chrissy (Last week: 3): She just seems way too comfortable with the seven-person alliance. I don’t feel like she’s playing a winning game right now. Ben has slipped away to be tighter with Lauren, and who does she really have aside from Ryan? Plus, I’m still stunned she didn’t count the votes correctly last week when Lauren used the advantage. She’s supposed to be a math whiz!

6. Mike (Last week: 6): Really, Mike? REALLY? He talked like he was making this game-altering move…and then he totally misplayed his idol. Just wasted it! And he apparently flopped in trying to draw more votes his way, which made people mad in the process. I feel like perhaps he just got too antsy and impatient; maybe if he waited a few more days, cracks would have formed in the seven-person alliance.

7. Joe (Last week: 8): C’mon. No one is going to vote for Joe to win a million bucks at this point. He might get dragged to the final three, but I can’t picture him winning after making so many people mad.

8. Ashley (Last week: 7): I felt bad for her after Joe called her out as being a goat, but…dang, he’s kind of right. What is Ashley doing strategically to win the game? Not much that we’re seeing. She’s sort of becoming a floater as the alliance cruises along, and I can’t see that being rewarded in the end if she doesn’t make some big moves.

9. JP (Last week: 9): Hello? JP? You know you’re still out on the island, right? You can start playing now. Annnnnytime now.


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Week 9: Cole (ranked No. 10 of 10 remaining players)

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Week 9

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ll be ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Desi was voted off after being ranked No. 8 of the 11 remaining players.

Week 9 Power Rankings: 

1. Ryan (Last week: 1): Guess who is playing the best game the last few weeks and now has an idol to go along with it? I’m feeling better about Ryan’s chances as Ben and Chrissy show cracks in their game.

2. Lauren (Last week: 5): It’s pretty clear there’s a Ryan-Chrissy alliance and a Lauren-Ben alliance now, and Lauren made a good move with her voting advantage last week. By the way, how in the world did the other players not notice there were only 10 votes cast instead of 11? Math genius Chrissy? Hello??

3. Chrissy (Last week: 3): Keeping her at No. 3 against my better judgment. She’s shown some serious cracks in her game recently. I wish she’d stop playing so cocky and doing things like whispering in front of other players. She is smart, but now everyone knows she’s smart. Fortunately, she has a strong alliance to keep her safe for now.

4. Ben (Last week: 2): He’s getting sidetracked by being drawn into yelling matches on the beach with Joe. I understand why he wanted to defend himself, but how often do you see Survivor winners engaged in such antics? It typically doesn’t work out well.

5. Devon (Last week: 4): He’s playing a solid game and I don’t see him being a target anytime in the next couple weeks. The key for Devon is to stay under the radar as long as possible.

6. Mike (Last week: 6): He flipped on Joe/Desi — along with Cole — and seems desperate to integrate himself into the majority alliance. Perhaps he has done that now, but he’s still probably on the bottom — though he does have that idol.

7. Ashley (Last week: 7): There’s no reason to get rid of Ashley at this time, so she’ll probably continue to stick around. That said, what’s her long-term future in the game?

8. Joe (Last week: 9): Joe is pretty much screwed. Even Dr. Mike and Cole flipped on him last week. However, Joe as a wild card could still make something happen, and he could find another idol. I’m not ruling out some more craziness before he gets the boot.

9. JP (Last week: 10): Here’s how clueless JP is about what’s happening in the game: He sees Ryan frantically digging in the sand and walks by like it’s no big deal. He will probably make the final three but get no votes.

10. Cole (Last week: 11): This bum finds a clue to the idol, leaves the plate for other people to find (under a napkin!) and then immediately takes a potty break after he gets back to camp. Then he pretends to have found it after the wrestling battle in the sand. Why?! This guy…ugh.


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)

Week 8: Desi (ranked No. 8 of 11 remaining players)

Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Power Rankings: Week 8

Each week during this season of Survivor, I’ll be ranking the castaways in terms of best chance to win the game. Last week, Jessica was voted off after being ranked No. 9 of the 12 remaining players.

Week 8 Power Rankings: 

1. Ryan (Last week: 2): Ryan is making the same moves as Chrissy, but yet he’s not being talked about or viewed as a target like she is. And now he’s in the majority alliance with good numbers — and has bigger targets with him, to boot.

2. Ben (Last week: 3): He was briefly in the middle, but now Ben has shown his cards by going against Yawa and siding with the majority Chrissy/Ryan alliance. That should protect him for weeks to come, because Chrissy seems determined to work with him and she’s actually a bigger target than he is.

3. Chrissy (Last week: 1): This is the most concerned I’ve been about Chrissy’s long-term game. She showed herself to be too smart last week, which got her a ton of votes, and then she was openly talking game with Ben at a group setting where he was basically trying to shush her. I hope she doesn’t get too cocky and sink her own game by becoming a target.

4. Devon (Last week: 6): He ended up in the majority alliance and showed he is willing to be a leader and make moves (there was one scene where he was sort of rallying the troops). Since he gets along well with people and isn’t a target, he could slip under the radar as bigger threats go home.

5. Lauren (Last week: 8): Even though she’s probably on the bottom of the new majority alliance, Lauren should be safe for a few more weeks now. And that might give her time to make some more inroads and relationships with her new group.

6. Mike (Last week: 4): It’s going to be pretty tough for Mike at this point since he doesn’t have the numbers anymore, but I’ll rank him the highest of those in the minority alliance because he seems like a guy who can scramble (and he still has an idol).

7. Ashley (Last week: 7): She ended up on the majority alliance in the merged tribe. That’s great for her and she’ll probably last a few more weeks, at least. But I don’t see her playing the type of game that would be rewarded by the jury in the end.

8. Desi (Last week: 10): Hey, she won immunity. Nice work! This is the highest she’s been in the rankings all year. But I still don’t see her making it to the end, especially now that she is in the smaller alliance. She seems full of surprises, though.

9. Joe (Last week: 5): Welp, Joe is back down the rankings after misplaying his idol and exposing himself as a target yet again. Now he has no protection and is in the minority alliance. I would guess they will come for him soon.

10. JP (Last week: 11): He ended up with the numbers because he’s a loyal guy, but I’m still keeping him toward the bottom of the rankings because he’s simply not playing the type of game that would result in him winning in the end. No jury would go, “Yeah J.P., we’ll give you the money.”

11. Cole (Last week: 12): This guy. Ugh…


Eliminated: 

Week 1: Katrina (ranked No. 6 of 18 remaining players)

Week 2: Simone (ranked No. 17 of 17 remaining players)

Week 3: Patrick (ranked No. 16 of 16 remaining players)

Week 4: Alan (ranked No. 13 of 15 remaining players)

Week 5: Roark (ranked No. 10 of 14 remaining players)

Week 6: Ali (ranked No. 5 of 13 remaining players)

Week 7: Jessica (ranked No. 9 of 12 remaining players)