What a season. Whether you were a fan of the players or not, this season was full of twists and turns and made for an entertaining few months. Here are my 10 favorite moments of this season.
Honorable Mentions: Jessica’s Blindside; Joe’s Idol Shocker; Patrick vs. Lauren; The Firemaking Showdown; Chrissy’s Final Speech
10. Ashley Finding Her “Thing”- This wasn’t a moment on the actual season, which is why I’m placing it at 10, but Ashley on Ponderosa was the best of Ashley all season. Everyone on Ponderosa has a “thing.” Desi taught a worker how to walk the model catwalk, Cole traveled to a waterfall, Joe saw his sister, Lauren went fishing. But Ashley didn’t have a thing. And so her thing was finding her thing. And it was entertaining and amazing to say the least.
9. Ryan’s Super Idol- Ryan’s first advantage put him as an early front runner. He used his idol to perfection, securing a bond with Chrissy AND Devon, two people who went with him all the way to final 4. You have to acknowledge the smart decision making, as it set the course for the long-term game this season.
8. Lauren’s Meeting- Lauren holding a special reward meeting with Ben, Devon, and Ashley looked like something out of a movie, crafting their plan to perfection. It was great seeing Lauren, someone who seemed like an underdog in the early stages, take charge. This would be higher on the list if the plan actually played out, but we still include it for being so cool to watch.
7. Lauren Sneaking the Extra Vote- The extra vote ended up being a bust, but seeing Lauren sneak it during tribal was so cool and gut-wrenchingly nerve wracking. This was the closest thing we got to an idol hidden at tribal council, and it makes me excited for all of the other possibilities Survivor can take their secret advantages.
6. Ben Finds and Plays His Third Idol- Ben dropped a lot of Ben bombs. I was entertained by them, even if it came at the expense of my favorite players like Lauren and Mike. But I have to give him credit. His third idol find was the most miraculous one, seeing him give every last ounce of his time left to stay alive. Whether you like Ben or not, this was impressive and a cool thing to see, knowing how much of a target he was.
5. The Idol Scramble- Seeing everyone charge the flag for the idol was so cool, seeing Ryan slip it in his pants and walk away calmly while Chrissy and Cole wrestled. But the best part was seeing JP stroll by, not noticing anything and doing his “JP thing” while all the chaos ensued.
4. Chrissy’s Final Immunity Win- Not only was it awesome seeing Chrissy win and tie the record for immunity wins, but the challenge itself was just so much fun, seeing everyone get so close only to lose it all in the end. The upside down U was heart-wrenching, but so so entertaining, providing one of the best final immunity challenges ever. Congrats to Chrissy for truly being a beast this season.
3. Lauren’s Blindside- Poor Lauren. Perhaps the best player of the merge blew it all when she exposed too many secrets. I have to give Ben credit for keeping his first “Ben bomb” a secret, because it made for a very epic conclusion of this tribal council. But my favorite moment was definitely Mike throwing his half of Lauren’s idol in the fire. A smart move to knock down a top dog, and despite her amazing performance this season, Lauren should have known it would’ve come back to bite her. This was a great memorable moment, despite making me sweat and making me angry with the outcome. Hopefully Lauren gets a second chance soon.
2. A Veteran Reunion- Perhaps the biggest tear jerker came with the reunion show, when Jeff Probst surprised Ben with his buddies from the military. I know it isn’t anything gameplay related, but it was still an incredibly heartfelt moment in such a season with chaos and backstabbing. While Ben may not be everyone’s favorite winner or player this season, this moment didn’t leave a dry eye in the viewers’ eyes.
1. JP’s Blindside- JP wasn’t much of a power player, but his blindside was just epic. It was the first time we saw the 7 go against each other. Devon and Lauren crafted the plan beautifully, proving their strategic chops and really setting a course for the rest of the game. Chrissy and Ryan got knocked down a peg, Ben got to play double agent, and Joe and Mike got a few more days to be coco-NUTS! We knew a blindside was coming, but we weren’t sure if Chrissy, Ryan, or JP would be the victim of the blindside. Seeing JP, someone who really hadn’t been on anyone’s radar, getting sent home was just as much of a shock for us as it was the contestants. And for that, it becomes my favorite moment of the season.
What a season. Whether you were a fan of the players or not, this season was full of twists and turns and made for an entertaining few months. Here are my 10 favorite moments of this season.