Here are my rankings from 20-1 of the Caramoan cast according to their physical, strategic and social play during Season 26.
20: SHAMAR
A real piece of work in this season. Shamar played the game by insulting his tribemates, even his allies. He would of added nothing to the game apart from being a goat for someone like Sherri.
19: BRANDON
Much like Shamar, Brandon had zero chance of winning the second he opened his mouth this season. If he was relying on antics and attitude to win, the million would easily be his.
18: HOPE
Didn't really get to hear much from Hope. Felt too comfortable in an alliance she believed to be the majority.
17: ALLIE
Allie and Hope were interchangeable, I saw a little bit more 'oomph' in Allie, I think she probably had the heart to play the game hard.
16: FRANCESCA
Her stats label her the worst ever but for the second season in a row she was taken out first as a threat. Fran was good in the challenges she was in and had a good strategy in place. I think it would have been much smarter to take out Andrea first instead of Fran.
15: MATT
Matt, along with Michael, made a smart move early on to side with an alliance of numbers rather than the tight alliance Eddie and Reynold created but that was all we really saw. The 3 fans needed to stick tight during the switch and Matt was a reason why this didn't happen.
14: MICHAEL
Interchangeable with Matt. Made a smart move by voting out Hope and Allie but that was about it. Wasn't able to recognise the tensions going on with his switched tribe and didn't even consider the possible blindside of Dawn.
13: JULIA
It was upsetting that Julia was ousted by Michael, only because she intended to keep the 3 fans strong and try and find a crack in the favourites during the switch, whereas he was quick to turn on her. Had her plan to get rid of Dawn worked (see secret scenes) Julia's came could have been a lot different. Was labelled a strong woman by the original fan tribe.
12: LAURA
Little strategic Laura. Was so tuned in to the game, had a good alliance but it was her physical hiccups that lead to her eventual elimination. Played a pivotal role in the weakening of Eddie and Reynold's alliance and if she held her end physically, would have made it far with Sherri.
11: CORINNE
Always running her mouth but never running the game. Corinne attempted to make a big move but told the wrong person in Dawn. Everything seemed to be in place for her and you have to give her credit for building a tight friendship with Michael during the switch, building her relationships with the fans and with Malcolm but when it came down to it, Corinne didn't have the numbers to make her move. Story of her Survivor 'career' really? Jeff said it best when he said, "she was good at making friends, but even better at making enemies."
10: REYNOLD
If you're going to build an alliance of four in a tribe of ten, do not make yourself out to be exclusive and label yourself 'the cool kids' and not let anybody else 'sit with you'. Well they didn't, and Reynold was sort of in a hopeless situation from the start. He was a let down in immunity challenges which I thought he would excel in but, to his credit, seemed to understand the game and at least gave it all he had. "I think things would have turned out a lot differently for you if you had been a little more humble in this game." - Brenda
9: ERIK
Erik performed well in challenges but that's about it. He was always in pivotal positions but sided with Cochran every time but didn't seem to have a strong loyalty to Cochran. I'm unsure of his game plan and the same goes for both his seasons. But he did make it quite far and credit needs to be given for that, plus his immunity wins. However, if you are going to do minimal strategising, do not fault the finalists for not strategising, Erik.
8: ANDREA
Andrea is a sweetheart who just nearly has what it takes to take her game all the way to the end. I think Andrea overthought a lot of situations and it lead to her trying to make a move a little too soon. She held her end in challenges, made some close bonds and was very likeable, but her ability to strategise and assess every single situation is what got her blindsided in the end.
7: EDDIE
Fun player to watch and was probably a vote away from a million dollars. It may have appeared that there wasn't much going on between the ears for Eddie but when it came down to it, he made it so close to the million dollars. He was a jury threat but a let down in challenges. Eddie tried to work the possible Andrea angle and he ended up outlasting a lot of other competitors.
6: BRENDA
Poor Brenda :(. She put so much trust in her alliance with Dawn and it didn't pay off for her, with Dawn eventually choosing to finish the game with Cochran and Sherri rather than Brenda and Erik. Brenda was a threat in challenges despite injury, and really identified her mistakes from Nicaragua and changed them this time around. Would have loved to see her take the win.
5: DAWN
Played an alright game strategically but probably didn't deserve the votes she didn't get in the end. Frustrating to watch her break down after every event and her layers of fakeness were so obvious to the audience. However, Dawn aligned herself with the right people and did everything in power to protect herself and those working with her. Played a crucial role in Cochran's victory, but nothing she did was ever really going to help herself in the end because of how the jury perceived her.
4: SHERRI
Sherri played a better pre merge game than anyone else this season. She identified the tight alliance of four and it was her who set up a counter alliance to take them out. Eventually, Sherri outlasted that tight alliance and her entire fans tribe to make it to the end for second place. After the merge Sherri knew she had to lay low and did, as other threats from the fan tribe were taken out. She built a strong relationship with Cochran and Dawn but in the end was portrayed as a goat, which I perceived as unfair but understandable from a jury perspective.
3: MALCOLM
I'm not really all aboard the Malcolm fan club but there is no denying his talent in the game. Malcolm was in the majority alliance for the entire pre merge and it wasn't until he tried to make a move with Corinne that his game came crashing down. He was then targeted as a big threat and after making some impressive moves at tribal, was voted out. Played the game hard and was rewarded with the fan favourite award.
2: PHILLIP
Controversial, I know. I think casuals buy into the edit that Phillip is a lunatic with no idea is going on, but really study the show, really study Phillip's gameplay. Have a read of this forum before you criticise my choice to have him at two. Go ahead and hate, I will stick by my decision to have Phillip at the number two spot. http://survivorsucks.yuku.com/topic/114744/Phillip-Sheppard-Good-Player?page=1#.U8YJ8Y2SyFY
1: COCHRAN
Cochran is one of my least favourite players ever, basically because I just felt like the season was handed to him. All Cochran had to do was not do anything wrong, which he didn't. He was in a cast with his friends and a really weak fans tribe, let's be honest. The writing was in the wall from episode one but he didn't get a single vote cast against him, won four individual challenges and won unanimously, as much as I'd love to have him lower down, you can't criticise his actual game.
I'd love to read everybody's opinions on the gameplay this season, just because of the varying opinions there are on players like Cochran, Brenda, Dawn, Sherri and Phillip! Do not neg for a difference of opinion, simply let me know yours and I will read and respect yours like you too have done here. Thanks for the read :)
Here are my rankings from 20-1 for gameplay in Season 27: Blood vs Water (Ranked according to my perspective on their strategy, physical ability and social play).
20: COLTON
No surprises, much like my Cagayan rankings the quitter is last. Quit for no reason other than he couldn't be bothered with the uphill battle he put himself in.
19: RACHEL
Rachel just didn't seem to have the 'oomph' that's required to play Survivor. I respect her decision to not allow Tyson to switch with her, but she was a sitting duck with very little impact on the season. Nice girl though.
18: RUPERT
Rupert made a selfless decision to allow Laura to play instead of him, basically. The move didn't work out so it's hard to judge his performance. From interviews I gathered he was very helpful on Redemption Island in terms of camplife.
17: KAT
Kat received a hugely different edit this time around compared to One World. Kat didn't really strategise at all, apart from telling Monica's closest ally that they should vote out Monica. Kat was quite weak this season and her antics at Redemption Island Arena and the union had us laughing at her, instead of with her, this time around.
16: CANDICE
Poor Candice. She was never really given a go and who knows how far she could have gone had it not been for her vote out on the beach. I loved her this time around mainly for how strong she was in duels and her strategy in the distribution of the hidden idol clue.
15: BRAD
Brad played the game hard but what good is it playing hard if you are disliked by nearly your entire tribe. On top of that, he seemed shocked when people revealed how they felt about him, so I perceived him as being not self aware at all, in fact quite clueless. The physicality of Redemption Island duels should have played to Brad's favour but it didn't. His tribe came together and won their first immunity after Brad was voted out.
14: MARISSA
Marissa was, to me, one of the standouts in terms of new players. She had so much potential and her game was cut short due to the antics of her uncle. Marissa straight out the gate realised Brad as a threat and voted for him on the beach after he said he would throw a challenge to aid Monica. She performed well in her challenge and duels and just fell short in the puzzle. If Marissa played in a normal season, I'd see her going far.
13: JOHN
John was the victim of the first blindside of the season. He was loyal to the men's alliance who, through no fault of his own, turned their back on him. He showed great strength at redemption, but was unable to capitlize when it counted most.
12: LAURA B.
After being voted out first on the beach and then given a second chance on a tribe of returnees, Laura quickly became an underdog. She surpassed my expectations of her by how far she made it in the game and how strong she was in challenges. I expected her to be out first so it became fun to watch her fly through week after week and just fell short at the final duel.
11: KATIE
I love Katie to bits as a person, however she seemed to just float through the game without having to do much and often relying on others (i.e. Tina or Hayden). She held her end in challenges though, and was a very likeable person. I wish we could have seen her show courage and vote against Tyson in the end, because he really didn't deserve Katie's vote at all.
10: VYTAS
There was a lot of hype by fans around Vytas but when it came down to it, he couldn't get the job done. He played the game hard but we've seen people play hard and fail before, so he was nothing special in that respect. Came across as bitter and self righteous too.
9: GERVASE
Gervase was solely responsible for angering Marissa's tribe and her eventual vote off at the start of the game. Rubbing a victory in the losing tribe's face was a horrible way to start the game, especially when you were the worst performer in that challenge. He recovered well for the mid-section of the game and did well in challenges and who he aligned himself with. In the end, however, his temper seemingly got the better of him again and he became a goat for the final three.
8: ARAS
Aras played probably the best pre-merge game and up until the merge I believed he would win it again. He wasn't afraid to make moves if he thought it would benefit him (e.g. voting out Laura M) but became too comfortable after the merge. It was his likeableness and his strength that got him voted out in the end but it was another good showing by the Panama winner.
7: HAYDEN
Hayden seemed to cruise along most of the game but played hard before being voted out. His ability to work to Ciera's weaknesses to flip her vote was extraordinary to watch and him surviving that vote was a miracle. He was strong in challenges and likeable, but the majority alliance got him and his allies before he could get them.
6: CALEB
Caleb possessed a key quality in Survivor and it is knowing when to make moves and knowing when to lay low. He made his moves at the right time (the attempted Tyson blindside and the sensational blindside of Brad) but laid low in other parts of the game. Caleb had a good showing in challenges and was unlucky in his duel. One of the most likeable players the game has seen.
5: TINA
Another player to surpass my expectations, Tina was fun to watch this season as she showed her ability to strategise and compete in challenges. Before the merge Tina was always on the right side of the numbers and making big calls (i.e. vocal in her beliefs to vote out Kat and Laura). Her crucial error was informing Monica she was bottom of the alliance and it cost her. However, she fought her way back into the game and was a vote away from the million.
4: LAURA M.
Laura initially didn't really fit in with the Galang tribe but was always assessing her options and always had her head in the game. She was flawless on Redemption Island and earned her way back into the game, where she found herself in the majority alliance and involved in decision making. The Blood vs Water twist worked for and against Laura. She was fueled and motivated by her love for Ciera but it was the fact that the two were the last remaining pair that she had to be voted out again. She made it all the way to the final duel where she just fell short. Laura was a standout this season and won a lot of fans over.
3: CIERA
Ciera flourished after the merge and morphed into one of the biggest strategists of recent seasons. She wasn't afraid to make moves and played an active role in the blindsides of John, Brad, Aras, Caleb and even her own mother (knowing if it weren't Laura, it would be herself.) Ciera even put her own game on the line to try and get herself into a better position by flipping on Monica to draw rocks. In the end, things came crashing down for her and the alliance of Tyson, Monica and Gervase decided to vote her out instead of Tina due to her being a jury threat and a great strategist. I expect to see Ciera again on another season.
2: MONICA
It wasn't until I rewatched the season that I agreed with those on numerous Survivor forums who claim Monica should have won Blood vs Water. Monica played a game that was almost flawless. She removed her threats (i.e. Kat and Laura), she dominated immunity challenges, winning three, which was the highest for the season, she flipped when she had to and went against her original alliance was Aras and Tina, she remained loyal to her alliance when pressured to flip in the end and gave compelling answers at tribal. I think others perceived her as fake but would have deserved the game if she won it.
1: TYSON
You can't argue with Tyson being top of the list. Again, self explanatory. The million dollars (arguably) went to the right person. Complete reversal to the Tyson we saw on his other seasons, always had control, played the hardest and was rewarded.
In my opinion, here is the rankings from 18-1 of the gameplay in Survivor Cagayan with explanations. In such a huge strategic season it was difficult to do but I assessed the strategic, physical and social play of each person and my rankings are as followed:
18. LINDSEY
Perhaps due to her edit but we saw nothing from Lindsey in any components. Although she seemingly fulfilled her role as a 'brawn', she was always on the wrong side of the numbers, involved in arguments and had 0 social skills which was evident by how she was so easily intimidated into quitting.
17. DAVID
David made an enemy within the first five minutes of the game and it was a horrible strategic move. Socially he was only able to persuade Kass to work with him and the only challenge he was involved in he lost. He also said dumb things at his only tribal council such as stating that J'Tia would be voted out.
16. GARRETT
Garrett made an awful, awful move by trying to control the rest of the tribe and force them all not to strategize. Yes, he had a huge build but lost both challenges he was a part of. Socially, he made a friend in Spencer but even Spencer talked down upon Garrett's strategy.
15. JEREMIAH
Jeremiah seemed like an extremely likeable person however, strategically, he underperformed and made some heinous moves. When you are in a position to be in a 3 person majority or 4 person majority, you pick the 3 person majority i.e, he should have stuck with Brice and Morgan. He told lies and after his first tribal was never taken seriously by anyone else. The Beauty Tribe told the truth in how he couldn't be trusted and was a sitting duck.
14. J'TIA
J'Tia was one of my favourites this season due to her big personality and that she became an underdog. Her physical game was horrible but she was loyal and the others knew straight away they could count on her to help make moves which would move them up the hierarchy (i.e. Garrett using her to blindside David and Tasha/Kass using her to blindside Garrett). If it weren't for the rice incident I'd have her higher.
13. ALEXIS
Alexis didn't play a bad game, finding herself on the right side of the numbers during the beauty tribal council and was seemingly liked by both her tribes. She performed OK in most challenges but came across a bit too forceful in her approach to get rid of Jeremiah. If it weren't for Alexis the beauty members of New Solana would of had more of a chance of bonding and used Sarah as a swing vote.
12. CLIFF
Cliff really helped his tribe out physically. The fact that he was able to pretty much single handedly beat the entire brains tribe when his own brawns were trying to throw a challenge proves this. Cliff wanted to stay loyal to the brawns and socially seemed like he could deal with people to progress his game (i.e stating he wanted Trish to hobble back to the alliance, despite not liking her). I don't believe Cliff ever did anything wrong, he was just a victim of a great blindside.
11. BRICE
Brice had such potential to move forward. He was liked by his tribe, he put himself in a good position to have the numbers, performed well in challenges and was able to recognise what was going on at all times. He saw the guys were close and that the girls were close so solidified Morgan as soon as possible to make sure he too had an ally. Brice was the victim of Jeremiah's stupidity and Brice, Morgan and Jeremiah probably would have made it far together.
10. KASS
For her age, Kass had a good showing in challenges and was awesome in puzzles. Kass was very strategic and made moves but I have never seen a person with such terrible social skills. I don't even think I need to go into detail. Would not have received a single vote had she made it to the final.
9. SPENCER
Spencer's three challenge wins and likability were the only reason I had him this high. Spencer was always on the wrong side of the numbers and unable to find himself in a strategically good position. He was an underdog, but that does not make him a good player. If it weren't for his huge heroic edit, more people would realise how bad of a player he actually was (voted the wrong person on 6/12 occasions)
8. JEFRA
Not a bad player at all, Jefra identified moves that had to be made but never really made them. She knew Tony had to go but never did anything about it on several occasions. Jefra was OK in challenges and was a very likeable person who was on the right side of the numbers throughout the game, until she was viciously blindsided.
7. TASHA
Whether it was a fluke or not I'm not sure, but Tasha performed well in individual challenges and enjoyed a great pre-merge game. However I'm just not so sure about the 'goddess' status people attribute her with. I think a lot of her 'moves' were just for the sake of making moves, with little strategy behind them. Socially she came across as fake to me and played herself up to the cameras and other contestants noticed. However, there is no doubting she played hard to the end.
6. MORGAN
I compare Morgan's game to Parvati in Cook Islands. She won some people over with her charm and most people liked her but in the end it didn't stop them from voting her out. Unlike Parvati, however, Morgan was labelled as useless around camp. On the flip side, Morgan wasn't afraid to make moves early on in the game and really was controlling the vote until Jeremiah flipped on her and Brice. She was labelled weak early and proved people wrong. She wasn't afraid to vote out Alexis as Alexis had been against her in the past and was just the victim of arguably dumb moves by Jeremiah and Kass.
5. LJ
Up until his blindside, LJ was always in a power position. He was huge in challenges, he found an idol, was loyal to any alliance he was part of and was always tuned in strategically. Socially he always had allies to count on and was just a victim of Tony.
4. SARAH
Sarah had a flawless pre merge game. She won all but one immunity challenge, was in control at the Brawn tribe and seemed to of made friends with most castaways. She identified potential threats such as Cliff and planned to take them out. It wasn't really her indecisiveness that cost her the game, it was Kass' jealousy of her power. It became pretty clear that she was going to stick with New Solana after the merge but Kass perceived her as a threat and perhaps she was. Sarah was a great power player and deserved her strong edit.
3. WOO
Woo is one of the most loyal players the game has ever seen. He stayed true to Tony throughout the entire game, knowing Tony would do the same for him. When he received information that someone was against him, such as LJ, he had no problem in voting them out. His loyalty to Tony may have got the better of him in the end, which cost him the million. With huge performances in challenges, some showing of strategy and his likeableness, Woo would have received a much bigger edit had he of taken Kass instead of Tony.
2. TRISH
Extremely underrated player. Trish was critical in the outcome of Cagayan. She orchestrated the blindside of Cliff pre-merge and managed to convince Tony to do so and developed a friendship with LJ to allow herself the numbers. At the merge, Trish convinced Kass to vote with New Appari. When Kass said that it was too late to pull the Sarah vote together, Trish was quick with a white lie that her alliance were already going to vote Sarah. She made Kass feel important and played to her weaknesses and without Trish there is no way Kass would have flipped. She stayed loyal to New Appari + Kass throughout and reeled her allies back in when Tony was making them paranoid (i.e. Kass and Jefra). Her only flaw was the amount of trust she put into someone who I didn't even think would betray her. Trish ruled the game and was the only competition to beat Tony in the end, if she owned these moved. Oh, did I mention she manipulated an enemy into quitting?
1. TONY
Self explanatory. If you watched the season, there is no question why Tony is here. Played the game harder than anyone else and was a deserving winner and easily a top 10 player of all time. Wasn't my favourite, but you can't argue he owned the season.
Don't think I've been this depressed in a while!