Game Changers Season 34
Season 34 of Survivor, titled Game Changers brings back 20 players and starts on March 8th.
In the runup to the season premiere, I have been reviewing previous seasons to get a feel for the game play we can expect.
I'll start off by saying I don't like returnee seasons, although I feel the last returnee season Cambodia: Second Chance was one of the best returnee seasons, so I will keep an open mind.
Over the next few weeks, I will have capsules on the players based on their game play and my thoughts on their chances in game changers.
But before that, I'll give an overview of the Tribes:
First, like Fans vs. Favorites II, where the "Favorites" just seemed to be people who were willing to come back (and in the end was not a very good season) . Game Changers seems to be a theme they came up with and are trying to make it fit.
First of all, I don't know what the term means. So I looked it up on Dictionary.com:
The second definition:
"a person or thing that dramatically changes the course, strategy,character, etc., of
something"
So how does this apply to this cast of characters?
Cirie--Get up off the couch, make it far, but still lose.
Sandra--Two Time Winner, by staying under the radar?
Ozzy--Big Provider, 3-time loser
Tony--Spy, Lie and be random and win without any alliances.
Tai--Double cross your alliances enough to get no votes at FTC
Andrea--Be a pawn and a flirt and be disposed of when they are done.
Sierra--Kind of the same as Andrea, but even lower key.
Cierra--First person to vote their Mom out
Michaela--Shell game that led to her downfall.
Jeff--Finds a way not to make it to the Jury--Twice, but still revered.
J.T.--Champ to chump in one easy lesson. (Although his Bro alliance with Stephen in
Tocantins, was a great play)
Aubry--Overthink and give the title to somebody else.
Hali--No brains, no brawn, but beauty on No Collar.
Troyzan--second fiddle to Tarzan in same season. Piss off all your tribemates and make them vote you out.
Zeke--Let's be wishy-washy on my alliance and get blind-sided in a season of blind-sides.
Sarah--Victim of circumstances, playing with another cop, who was a true game changer.
Debbie--Appear to be nuts, allegedly with a brain.
Malcolm--Play on a team that wipes itself out in 4 challenges, claw your way back then get an advantage in the final immunity and still lose.
Caleb--Removed from the game for heat stroke. But he was on Big Brother so there's that.
Brad--Be a leader, Deny being a leader, then get booted early because they knew you were a leader, and were tired of you.
True Gamechangers: Tony, J.T., Cirie, Ozzy,
Arguable Gamechangers: Sandra, Zeke, Malcolm, Tai, Aubry,
Not Gamechangers: Andrea, Jeff, Cierra, Sierra, Debbie. Jeff,
No Game (People who weren't in the game long enough to change it) : Hali, Caleb, Sarah, Brad, Michaela
One of my problems with returnees is that many of the people who play on Survivor become friends or at least know each other because they play. It's more unfair on Fans vs. Favorites type shows where only half of the players are new and the returnees are on the same tribe.
In addition to that players who have played on the same season know each other well, and can usually team up. The most blatant example of this is Amanda and James playing together in China and then returning for Micronesia, and Heroes vs. Villains always starting out together on a tribe.
When all the players are returnees, it's more fair, but these relationships can alter the dynamics of the game. Who is friends with whom and will work together is a big question which will affect any predictions on the season.
When nobody knows anybody (all new players) it seems like the season are generally better.
Cambodia Second Chance was one of the few all returnee seasons that was intriguing to me at least, but every single player was a 2nd time player. This year with 2-4 repeat appearances, I don't expect it to be a great season, as some group will take it and run with it.
Here are players who have played together coming back in Season 34:
Four Returnees:
Aubry, Tai, Caleb and Debbie from Kaoh Rong
Three Returnees:
J.T., Cirie and Sandra from Heroes vs. Villains
Two Returnees
Michaela and Zeke from Millenials vs. Gen X
Cierra and Jeff from Cambodia
Sierra and Hali from Worlds Apart
Tony and Sarah from Brawns vs. Beauty vs. Brains
Brad and Cierra from Blood vs. Water
Malcolm and Andrea from Caramoan
Ozzy and Cirie from Micronesia
We'll see if they band together and have an effect on the game
Here is Jeff Probst's Introduction to the game
In the runup to the season premiere, I have been reviewing previous seasons to get a feel for the game play we can expect.
I'll start off by saying I don't like returnee seasons, although I feel the last returnee season Cambodia: Second Chance was one of the best returnee seasons, so I will keep an open mind.
Over the next few weeks, I will have capsules on the players based on their game play and my thoughts on their chances in game changers.
But before that, I'll give an overview of the Tribes:
First, like Fans vs. Favorites II, where the "Favorites" just seemed to be people who were willing to come back (and in the end was not a very good season) . Game Changers seems to be a theme they came up with and are trying to make it fit.
First of all, I don't know what the term means. So I looked it up on Dictionary.com:
The second definition:
"a person or thing that dramatically changes the course, strategy,character, etc., of
something"
So how does this apply to this cast of characters?
Cirie--Get up off the couch, make it far, but still lose.
Sandra--Two Time Winner, by staying under the radar?
Ozzy--Big Provider, 3-time loser
Tony--Spy, Lie and be random and win without any alliances.
Tai--Double cross your alliances enough to get no votes at FTC
Andrea--Be a pawn and a flirt and be disposed of when they are done.
Sierra--Kind of the same as Andrea, but even lower key.
Cierra--First person to vote their Mom out
Michaela--Shell game that led to her downfall.
Jeff--Finds a way not to make it to the Jury--Twice, but still revered.
J.T.--Champ to chump in one easy lesson. (Although his Bro alliance with Stephen in
Tocantins, was a great play)
Aubry--Overthink and give the title to somebody else.
Hali--No brains, no brawn, but beauty on No Collar.
Troyzan--second fiddle to Tarzan in same season. Piss off all your tribemates and make them vote you out.
Zeke--Let's be wishy-washy on my alliance and get blind-sided in a season of blind-sides.
Sarah--Victim of circumstances, playing with another cop, who was a true game changer.
Debbie--Appear to be nuts, allegedly with a brain.
Malcolm--Play on a team that wipes itself out in 4 challenges, claw your way back then get an advantage in the final immunity and still lose.
Caleb--Removed from the game for heat stroke. But he was on Big Brother so there's that.
Brad--Be a leader, Deny being a leader, then get booted early because they knew you were a leader, and were tired of you.
True Gamechangers: Tony, J.T., Cirie, Ozzy,
Arguable Gamechangers: Sandra, Zeke, Malcolm, Tai, Aubry,
Not Gamechangers: Andrea, Jeff, Cierra, Sierra, Debbie. Jeff,
No Game (People who weren't in the game long enough to change it) : Hali, Caleb, Sarah, Brad, Michaela
One of my problems with returnees is that many of the people who play on Survivor become friends or at least know each other because they play. It's more unfair on Fans vs. Favorites type shows where only half of the players are new and the returnees are on the same tribe.
In addition to that players who have played on the same season know each other well, and can usually team up. The most blatant example of this is Amanda and James playing together in China and then returning for Micronesia, and Heroes vs. Villains always starting out together on a tribe.
When all the players are returnees, it's more fair, but these relationships can alter the dynamics of the game. Who is friends with whom and will work together is a big question which will affect any predictions on the season.
When nobody knows anybody (all new players) it seems like the season are generally better.
Cambodia Second Chance was one of the few all returnee seasons that was intriguing to me at least, but every single player was a 2nd time player. This year with 2-4 repeat appearances, I don't expect it to be a great season, as some group will take it and run with it.
Here are players who have played together coming back in Season 34:
Four Returnees:
Aubry, Tai, Caleb and Debbie from Kaoh Rong
J.T., Cirie and Sandra from Heroes vs. Villains
Two Returnees
Michaela and Zeke from Millenials vs. Gen X
Cierra and Jeff from Cambodia
Sierra and Hali from Worlds Apart
Tony and Sarah from Brawns vs. Beauty vs. Brains
Brad and Cierra from Blood vs. Water
Malcolm and Andrea from Caramoan
Ozzy and Cirie from Micronesia
We'll see if they band together and have an effect on the game
Here is Jeff Probst's Introduction to the game
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