What were the producers thinking? It's season 20 and they knew they would have to go big! Did Russell's game play during season 19 catch their attention and give them the idea? Or was it some random stroke of "genius" on someone's part?
I don't know but at first I thought it was a great idea. As the list of cast members leaked I began rethinking my "great idea" theory. First of all, there have been 17 original seasons of the show (one all stars and one fan vs. faves). There have been more than 300 contestants; yet, this season's cast is largely a rehash of contestants who have played in two previous seasons!
The Villains:
Rob Mariano - Survivor 4 Marquesas and Survivor 8 All Stars
Ben “Coach” Wade - Survivor 18 Tocantins
Tyson Apostol - Survivor 18 Tocantins
Randy Bailey - Survivor 17 Gabon
Russell Hantz - Survivor 19 Samoa
Parvati Shallow - Survivor 13 Cook Islands and Survivor 16 Fans vs. Favorites
Jerri Manthey - Survivor 2 Australia and Survivor 8 All Stars
Danielle DiLorenzo - Survivor 12 Panama
Sandra Diaz-Twine - Survivor 7 Pearl Islands
Courtney Yates - Survivor 15 China
The Heroes:
Rupert Boneham - Survivor 7 Pearl Islands and Survivor 8 All Stars
Colby Donaldson - Survivor 2 Australia and Survivor 8 All Stars
James Clement - Survivor 15 China and Survivor 16 Fans vs. Favorites
James "JT" Thomas - Survivor 18 Tocantins
Tom Westman - Survivor 10 Palau
Stephenie LaGrossa - Survivor 10 Palau and Survivor 11 Guatemala
Amanda Kimmel - Survivor 15 China and Survivor 16 Fans vs. Favorites
Cirie Fields - Survivor 12 Panama and Survivor 16 Fans vs. Favorites
Jessica "Sugar" Kiper - Survivor 17 Gabon
Candice Woodcock - Survivor 13 Cook Islands
I don't know what they were thinking in terms of casting but to me there were so many possibilities, and so many potential match-ups and here we have nine players with two seasons under their collective belts.
Every season, people enjoy the "spoiling" that goes on and trying to figure out boot order. This season, as last, was spoiled quite awhile ago. Not just weight loss information or random information from locals. Someone SPOILED EVERYTHING, from boot order to winner. So I already knew that Sugar was the first to go and Stephenie would follow.
It's somewhat anti-climatic. I won't spoil it here for those that may not know. Suffice it to say, there are going to be very few surprises this season for anyone who reads the internet sites.
The reasons behind these eliminations (or what the producers would have us to believe) were interesting, inconsequential facts but more on that later.
First, the premiere lived up to the expectations. The Villains fought hard and sometimes dirty. Stephenie suffered a dislocated shoulder while Rupert broke his toe. The Heroes were victorious and everything seemed to be going there way. They had food, shelter and water.
The Villains, on the other hand, were a hot mess, with no clear leader. They made a shelter but as Rob observed, no one was really doing anything. Rob stepped up to play the role of a "hero" when he managed to start a fire the old fashioned way.
Meanwhile
, an interesting subplot was introduced featuring Colby and Sugar. Apparently, Colby felt chased by Sugar and complained that she was following him everywhere. (An interesting side note: Sugar claimed on Twitter to have slept with JT prior to the game and had an alliance with him. She said that she was interested in the guy with the beer belly not the tall cowboy!)The Heroes arrived at the immunity challenge with a definite swagger. They were feeling good and for good reason! They were fed and dry.
Off to a quick start and a huge lead, the Heroes found themselves faced with a puzzle that defied their collective brains. Their lead quickly disappeared and the Villains took home the first immunity.
Time for the Heroes to decide who should go home. Sugar was a scape goat, an easy vote. Colby wanted her gone. Everyone wanted her gone but who should have gone home? In my opinion, Rupert would have been the best choice. He's hobbled with an injury and might be a hindrance to the team later on.
Rupert is definitely not getting his previous edit, but not many are so maybe it does not matter. Two weeks in a row, he's seemed less like America's favorite and more like the Great Complainer.
Sugar, on the other hand, proved that she's competitive with the loss of her top to secure a win. Seems to me, she might be worth keeping around because she's not likely to let little things stand in her way, like say, a broken toe.
So the decision was made, and Sugar was sent packing, a bit prematurely in my opinion.
After seeing the first two episodes, I'm kind of hoping we've seen the last of some of these survivors on Survivor!
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