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Survivor S36 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

Feb 28, 2018 by PowerRankings101

A new season of Survivor is upon us, and it looks like it could either be the best or worst season of all time. For a Survivor fan like myself, the “Ghost Island” concept is sure to be full of so many throwbacks to past seasons, which will excite. But the fact that there are so many past twists and idols coming into play, I hope the game doesn’t get consumed with too many twists that throws off the groove and flow of the season like some past seasons have done. These initial rankings are based on first reactions based on pre-show interviews, videos, and overall physical observations from cast photos. Here are my pre-show rankings for season 36: SURVIVOR: GHOST ISLAND.

20. Stephanie Johnson- Stephanie wants to play the game as a cool, spunky mom, but she’s coming across as a little too eager and loud. It’s going to rub her tribe the wrong way from the get-go. This could be Debbie 2.0, and she could rely on an early alliance to get her to the merge, but even Debbie had a way of talking to people that seems to be a little more self-aware than Stephanie. If I have to predict anyone from Malolo Tribe to go home first, it’s her.

19. Kellyn Bechtold- Kellyn is so sweet and adorable, but I can already tell that her tribe is going to peg her as the weakest link early on. She’ll need to prove herself, because I really think she can do well in this game. But right now, her social game seems to be the only thing going for her. If anyone from the Naviti tribe is going home, I guess she’s the prime candidate.

18. Jacob Derwin- I like Jacob a lot, but he seems like he’ll be an immediate outsider on his tribe. He knows he’s not a people person, and knows he’s not very strong. He knows he’s got a lot stacked against him. But that can either be a strength or a weakness. If he lets his insecurities show, he’ll be the first one gone. But if he can acknowledge those differences and make a change, he may fit in and become someone to watch this season. I’ll get a better read on him after the first episode.

17. Chelsea Townsend- Chelsea is pretty quiet and bland, which is going to either let her fade in the background and coast into merge, or will put her on the outside as an immediate target. She seems sweet, but doesn’t scream “winner” to me. I predict she goes pretty early on.

16. Chris Noble- This is the first big blindside of the season waiting to happen. Chris seems like he’s going to be a jerk and annoying right off the bat. Sure, challenge strength is always needed, but there’s a point where you have to get the bad blood out. I’d love to see Chris blindsided early on, and the sooner the better.

15. Libby Vineck- Libby is going to be a good ally to people, as she is trustworthy and friendly, but I don’t think Libby can win this game. She claims she’s athletic, but seems like an obvious target if her tribe loses, and even if she makes the merge, she’s not cutthroat enough to make it to the million dollar check. I’d love to be surprised, but I just don’t see it.

14. Donathan Hurley- Donathan is going to win over a lot of people (fans and players). Some of the bigger, tougher guys may not click right away with Donathan, but some people may want to team up with the nerdy, bubbly, younger guy for their strategy. Right now, I think he’ll struggle, but his likability alone will probably keep him around for a few votes. After that, he’ll need to find a solid alliance or make some moves to stick around and become a contender.

13. Brendan Shapiro- Brendan is a stereotypical “strong guy” on Survivor. He’ll probably make the merge, and become the biggest target for being strong and likable. I could see him being a tribe leader, but going home early merge in a pretty epic blindside. Those are always fun, especially when the strongest people are the ones being blindsided.

12. Michael Yerger- Michael is only 18 years old, but is going to lie about his age to make him fit in more. If he can pull it off, he could win this thing. But I really don’t know if he’ll be able to keep up the lie, and may let some of his inner teenager show. And like Cole from last season, being the guy who is always complaining about being hungry could lead to trouble. If he starts taking extra rations, he’ll become public enemy number one.

11. Morgan Ricke- Morgan is one of my favorites. Morgan has grown up around water her whole life, which will keep her strong in challenges, and she’s an incredibly positive person. The only negative, however, is that she is a more obvious threat and probably won’t keep it hidden. She’s too threatening to take all the way to the end, but I still think she’s likable enough to make some alliances and make it into the merge. Once she’s in the merge, I expect her to be a little too bold in her gameplay, and whether or not she’ll be able to tone it down will be the big question for her.

10. Laurel Johnson- Laurel is so intriguing. She comes across as the quirky outsider, and while she may not be in her element in camp life, she is going to be a huge threat. She is a Yale graduate, so she’s got the brains. She was a Divison I athlete, so she’s got the brawn. The only thing she needs is the social game, and I think that may be where Laurel falters a bit. She’s going to need to show her athletic prowess in the early stages of the game. She’s one of the biggest superfans out there, so she can’t let herself come out of the gate too strong, and will need to settle in to her tribe before pulling out all of the strategic play. She’s right in the middle for me.

9. Domenick Abbate- Domenick says he wants to play like Tony (winner of Survivor: Cagayan). Joe from last season wanted to play like that, and it worked for a little while, but it eventually took over and made him the biggest target in the merge. If the same is true here, Dom won’t win this game, but will make it far enough to leave his mark.

8. Bradley Kleihege- Bradley seems like a nerd type, but not a weak, scrawny nerd like Ryan from last season, or famous winner Cochran. Bradley will be fine in challenges, and will probably be kept around for challenge purposes. However, he does have a bit of an ego and if he becomes a little too cocky out there, people will be annoyed quickly. He reminds me of Spencer Bledsoe (from Cagayan and Cambodia) in a way, with his cockiness. Spencer did well, but never enough to win. I could see him getting his groove, and then losing it all with a few missteps late in the game.

7. James Lim- James seems a little bit bland, but is the perfect fit for Survivor. He’s intelligent (a Harvard grad) and built for challenges. I don’t know if his strategy is off the charts, but he seems like he could be a good ally for someone and go to the merge. What will happen when he gets there, we’ll have to wait and see.

6. Desiree Afuye- Desiree is a very strong woman and seems to really have her priorities straight. She is playing for high stakes, fighting a life of homelessness and poverty, that will earn her a lot of support and respect from the viewers at home. I hope the contestants on the island will also see that. She comes across intimidating at first glance, but once you hear her talk, there’s a warmer side to her. I hope she goes far, because she’s someone I enjoyed from her pre-show interviews.

5. Sebastian Noel- Every season has their Ozzy or their Joe or their Malcolm. This season, it’s Seb. He’s going to be funny and audiences are going to love him. But these guys rarely win Survivor. Maybe the fact that he’s a superfan will give him that edge and push to win, but I still don’t think he’ll quite make it. Expect to see him for a while though. He’ll be a fan favorite.

4. Stephanie Gonzalez- Gonzalez is definitely going to be a flirt, which is going to serve her well in the tribal stages of the game. She’ll be able to build alliances and work her way into many of them. When it gets down to the wire, some of the more savvy players may catch onto her, and I think Gonzalez may need to rethink her strategy. She comes across as the next Parvati from a strategic standpoint, and if she can match it with the physical endurance, Gonzalez could be a dark horse to go deep in the competition.

3. Wendell Holland- Wendell is by no means a threat to many people, and I think people are going to love having him around as an ally. If he can lay low and fit in, he’ll go really far in this game. If he wants to win, he’s going to have to put a little extra oomph into his strategy, but for now, I think he’s the most genuine, likable guy out there and should use that charisma to make it deep in the game.

2. Angela Perkins- Angela comes across as the Chrissy type from last season, a strong mom with a smart mind. But then we find out that Angela is also a military vet and incredible strong like last season’s winner Ben. Ben came in first, Chrissy came in second. So Angela’s chances look dynamite right now.

1. Jenna Bowman- I like Jenna a lot. She is not over-the-top competitive, so she won’t stand out as a threat. But she’s not a girly girl, and won’t stand out as a weaker target. She seems very personable and trusting, and if she can build those personal connections, Jenna will be standing there in the end.

I really love this cast. The people at the top of my rankings are those who stood out the most from their videos as true Survivor contenders. with Jenna being my early pick to win. Even those I don’t think will do well (Jacob, Kellyn, Donathan, Libby) are super likable. Stephanie is the obvious person in my book that I think will rub people the wrong way early on, so she’s my safe bet for elimination (though I did predict the same with crazy-Debbie from a few seasons back).

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Stephanie Johnson

#survivor

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Survivor S36 Power Rankings (Pre-Game: Top 20)

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