So around the time of MvGX was airing I decided to try and do a full rewatch of survivor, while keeping a system where I would rank castaways every ep from a scale of Hate (-3) to Love (+3) so I could see if I could rank all the castaways of survivor. Plus, I ranked episodes similarly and tracked the average score of each episode and cast of the episode to 'score' each season. Recently I rewatched MvGX and just felt like ranking them here.
20th - Paul (Dislike) - I felt like Paul had potential pre-game, this random try-to-be-cool-dad who thinks he can relate to the youths, he looked like Rupert on like meth. Unfortunately he sucked as a character, his one-liners weren't funny, and he just seemed like a cringey villain.
19th - Zeke (Dislike) - I actually liked Zeke for the majority of MvGX, but then near the end he became a complete gamebot and his confessionals just seemed too much like he was a try hard, a lot of my issue with his GC character. He ended up just being cringey, like Paul, and his BIG MOVEZ outlook on the game really changed the narrative into way too much gamebottyness for me.
18th - CeCe (Neutral) What can I say about CeCe? No really, I have no idea. She was severally undereditted and was just a number for David and Ken but David clearly didn't care about her that much considering he just let her go.
17th - Mari (Neutral) I feel like a lot of people hated that Mari left when she did but I was #TeamFigtails, but other than the fact that she plays video games ONLINE for a living idk anything about her. Although that 'Hannah is probably talking about unicorns or butts or something' line got her above CeCe, so there's that.
16th - Rachel (Neutral) Felt bad for her going, and her exit press was extremely depressing as she clearly cared about the game. But I am only factoring what I saw on TV and she was just kind of annoying but not in a fun way to the rest of the tribe so eh.
15th - Chris (Neutral) If I factored in ponderosa, he'd be higher, because we saw his actual personality in that. Instead on the show, all we got was this gamebot narrator who didn't really contribute much outside of a few good lines.
14th - Sunday (Neutral) Post game I like Sunday, but on the show there was nothing besides her being a neat lady, and not even in a Monica Culpepper way. She was just kind of there because of her purple edit, and if they gave her a proper one I feel like she'd be much higher.
13th - Lucy (Neutral/Mixed) Those first 3 episodes we saw no Lucy whatsoever. Then she had her breakout (and boot) episode! I kind of liked the randomness of dictator Lucy but I think she gets a bit overhyped, if anything that was a Ken breakout episode for me.
12th - Jessica (Like) Another gamebot, but we at least got to see the social aspect of her game and getting tight with Ken/David, and I liked her in Post Swap Takali. I also felt bad for her drawing that rock but she really didn't add too much.
11th - Will (Like) The first 10 episodes we saw more of Mari talking about playing video games online for a living than we saw Will. Then we saw #BIGMOVEZ Will who I appreciated because of how delusional he was, he had this entitlement all the sudden that I just loved. The reason I prefer this over Lucy is because I feel like with Lucy, she just offended Ken but didn't even mean to. Ep 11/12 Will just had this hatred for Ken, and such a random arc that I loved. However, he can't be higher because he was basically on the show for an episode and a half.
10th - Michelle (Like) God if I judged things by secret scenes and ponderosa Michelle would be higher. Instead we saw this amazing move by her at her first tribal, and then... She didn't like how the guys in her tribe burped? She kinda faded away, which sucks because we never got to see Michelle talking about dragons on the show or being as quirky as she is. Michelle is probably the most interesting person on this cast yet they just let so much out.
9th - Figgy (Really Like) Everyone talked her up like she'd be the next Parvati, but instead we got a #FigTails trainwreck. I much prefer Taylor, and this is probably the only time that I can think of when I prefer the guy in a showmance, but Figgy just kinda had the 'straight man' role with Taylor while also having a really fun energy and being somewhat socially unaware, but not enough for her to be higher.
8th - Adam (Really Like) Adam goes back and forth between my fav character and gamebot throughout MvGX. Personally, I lost my mom a few months before this season aired so I feel like I never really connected with a story on survivor more than Adam's. I really loved that, and his random 2 episode merge arc when everyone just says how stupid he is and he randomly creates an alliance with Taylor then they just throw each other under the bus. Other than those moments, which are really huge, I don't love him because he was just kind of there for so long and didn't add too much, plus I'm bitter that he won over really anyone in the final 6.
7th - Bret (Really Like) Aw Bret, another underedited character, but he still got tons of moments. From him opening up about being gay, to him being frustrated over Trust Clusters, to him being drunk at every opportunity, Bret was the funniest guy of the cast. If he just got more of an edit, he could really be my favorite from this season, and if he didn't go after David for his social anxiety during that one tribal.
6th - David (Really Like) David's growth storyline was amazing when we saw it, but during the end of the pre-merge to early merge David was just a gamebot. During the early and late portions of the game, he was an amazing character, plus he is a great player. I also connected with his social anxiety storyline as I have extreme social anxiety, so it was fun to see that growth arc.
5th - Ken (Really Like) Ken was such a throwback to early survivor contestants. He was fairly well developed, and had so many sides to him. On one hand he is extremely attractive and seems like he would be a douche (which he kinda is, but just a bit) on the other, he has anxiety just like, well, 90% of this cast. Ken had so many quirky moments that my friends and I just loved, because he is such an enigma. He could be arrogant randomly ('testing' Will) while also really seeming to care (like every other moment), and he was such an amazing character, plus he played old school in the most new school newbie season, it was refreshing. However, he just like disappeared near the end of the pre-merge and I feel like they missed out, yet again.
4th - Michaela (Love) Michaela has such a unique way of giving confessionals, idk what it is, but I just love them. She may have went early, but she was such a great character. From the #ChallengeBeast to her getting on everyone's nerves, to her amazing confessionals and staredown at tribal, I'm so glad she got to return for GC and has had some great moments in there too.
3rd - Taylor (Love) Idk how Taylor is perceived by others, but I just loved him. He was such a fuckboi but in the fun way, and had great moments pre-merge. Then after Figgy goes, we see the best of Taylor. Wanting revenge for Figgy, and stashing food, then being completely unaware of how he is perceived by the rest of the cast, plus going after Adam at tribal despite his secret being much more damning than Adam's, so unaware he was amazing. Plus those eyes tho.
2nd - Hannah (Love) While David went back and forth between gamebot and growth arc, I felt like with Hannah we got to see the best of both. She has so many quirky moments, from medical checking on her while she was sitting out, asking how Adam's idol search is going after he just orgasmed over finding the idol, having Jeff check on her when she voted, her relationship with Ken, and then becoming the kingpin at the very end of the game. Although I never think there is really a 'wrong' winner because the game is about swaying the jury, I do get annoyed that they gave her (and also Ken, but mainly her) no credit in the end. I felt like she played a really great game but just couldn't beat the perceptions of others and that sucked.
1st - Jay (LOVE) Jay is just so fun. He is one of those people who give such unique confessionals, and if other people said the things he said, I probably wouldn't find it funny. However, he has an amazing delivery and just seemed like a fun guy. It also helps that he was an underdog the entire merge (the only person he voted for that went home was his #1 ally, Taylor). He had a really fun attitude, and him during the Michaela boot and his own boot are excellent examples of why he's amazing. The staredown with Michaela, then the cockiness of the idol play until he realizes he is fake and just has a really commendable exit is why he is a great character.
Some of these are probably odd placements, but I feel like this was a season with a solid cast that had some great moments, but also focused a bit too much on BIG MOVEZ, although it was a huge step up from Cambodia doing that 24/7.
18th - CeCe (Neutral) What can I say about CeCe? No really, I have no idea. She was severally undereditted and was just a number for David and Ken but David clearly didn't care about her that much considering he just let her go.
She was always voted for and never really edited it was infuriating
