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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#90-81)

Jul 23, 2020 by PowerRankings101

Last time, we ranked the top 91-100 contestants (Sabrina, Davie, Brad, Devens, Chris Underwood, SDT, Zeke, Michaela, Christian, and Elaine) and had you guess for the next batch. Today, we’re gonna look at the 81-90 ranked contestants on my list. Again, it’s a huge honor to make the list regardless of placement. You WILL disagree, and that’s okay, please be kind, polite, and respectful in your discussions. I love having a healthy discussion, and can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Here we go.

*Number 90: Chelsea Meissner (One World)- I just had Sabrina at number 91, but I feel like Chelsea and her are about neck and neck in terms of belonging on this list. Kim outplayed them both, but they each brought an interesting dynamic to both the alliance and the season. Whether Chelsea or Sabrina is the better player, who’s to say? But I do put Chelsea above because I think I was more attached to her story arc, and felt like she really embodied the survivalist aspect of the game. She was one of the best athletes on her tribe, was great at camp, and she used her beauty and charm to make relationships with men from the other side in the tribe swap. She had a tougher road to the end than Sabrina because she had to betray these allies in Jay and Michael in the merge, and made some enemies along the way. This may be why she gets no jury votes, but the fact that she was willing to cut ties with some alliances to put herself in the winning combination, even if it let to Kim’s victory instead, puts her on this list. It’s also worth noting that she heavily campaigns for Kat to be blindsided over Sabrina in final 7. Her jury moment with Tarzan’s speech was also beautiful to see, and showed the great person that Chelsea was. I was a huge fan of hers, and if you are too, she appeared in Bravo’s “Southern Charm,” hence the clue I gave in the last blog.

*Number 89: Brenda Lowe (Nicaragua; Caramoan)- Brenda is such an interesting Survivor villainess, and one I loved seeing come back. She had the unfortunate distinction of playing on one of the more negatively viewed seasons, Nicaragua, but the fact that she is the only returnee from that season shows that she had the potential. She was a huge figure in the pre-merge, recruiting people into a majority alliance, starting with swaying Chase over to her side. This put people like Alina and Kelly B on the outs, which sent them home after the swap and merge hit, giving her tons of momentum in the merge. She really only goes out because she WAS such a dominant force, and was probably the biggest threat out there amongst the original La Flor members. She became a villainess in the way she manipulated people, made some tribals live, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. I loved watching it all unfold. It sucks that following her boot, Na’Onka and Kelly Purple BOTH quit the game, which could be why she was so validated for a return. Brenda’s return was heavily under-edited, which is why I think people don’t give her much credit. However, Brenda made good social bonds with people, such as Dawn and Erik, that helped excel her in the game. After being on the outs of the first vote, Brenda was still able to find a spot in Stealth R Us, and was part of sending Andrea home when Andrea targeted her. She is blindsided by Dawn when she emerged as the biggest jury threat, giving up the Loved Ones Visit. However, her moment in the jury speeches may be her most memorable, where she makes Dawn take out her teeth at tribal. It’s a bit of a dirty move, and one I think crossed the line, but just shows how emotionally Brenda plays this game, which is both an attribute and weakness. I’d love to see her get a third shot, because I think she is always an interesting dynamic to a season, and didn’t get a worthy edit in Caramoan.

*Number 88: Candice Cody (Cook Islands; Heroes vs. Villains; Blood vs. Water)- Candice has the honor of playing three times, but never actually went to tribal on her third go. She was an alternate on Blood vs. Water, and was screwed by a “Day One vote out” twist which sent her straight to Redemption Island. I think her Blood vs. Water game, however, isn’t really worth talking about further. Her impressive games come prior from Cook Islands and Heroes vs. Villains. Candice may not always make the best moves, but she still makes bold moves nonetheless. She mutinied on Cook Islands, and she flipped on the heroes in HvV. Again, these moves aren’t necessarily the best moves, but I have to appreciate someone who plays hard, and plays boldly every time they’re out there. Another important attribute to Candice’s game play is her physical game. She was probably the best female challenge competitor on the Heroes side, and saved herself with immunity when she needed it most, thus resulting in James going home. Up until then, she was mentioned as a target, but managed to use her social bonds to avoid going home, like when she joined up with Cirie in voting out Steph over Amanda in episode 2, which brought her into the majority and put people like Tom and Colby further on the outs. The last remaining female hero, I think Candice went further than a lot of people expected her to, and earns a spot on the list for being a solid physical competitor, and making risky moves in general.

*Number 87: Taj Johnson-George (Tocantins)- Taj is one of the players I most want to see get a second shot that probably never will. Her moment from the auction alone—“see you back at the camp”—is one of my favorite moments of the series, as it is a pure, raw, emotional outpouring of love. She was in the dominant alliance with JT and Stephen, but you can’t forget about the Exile Alliance, which was also extended to Brendan and Sierra. Nobody had ever made cross-tribe alliances without a swap. Taj made allies with the other tribe’s players before a switch, swap, or merge, and managed to use those bonds to integrate her Jalapa tribe into the merge nicely, despite a numbers minority. Her only real downfall in the game is that JT and Stephen were closer than she thought, and she happened to be on the outs once final four came around. That’s literally all she did wrong. She was an incredible personality, probably intended to be stunt casting to bring Eddie George into the conversation, but she ultimately proved that she was a worthy player, and had some serious game. I wish she could come back.

*Number 86: Gervase Peterson (Borneo; Blood vs. Water)- Gervase was pretty controversial on his first season, but I also have to admit that the cast of Borneo was the foundation of the show’s existence, and Gervase is a big piece to that puzzle. He had memorable moments throughout, even if some were cringey, and getting a second shot to come back in Blood vs. Water was an incredible casting choice—it’s also interesting worth noting that Hayden Moss wasn’t the only person from BvW to play on Big Brother, Gervase had gone in the house for a special episode back in season 2 of Big Brother. As much as Tyson is a villain in his earlier seasons, Gervase is definitely the bad cop to Tyson’s good cop on Blood vs. Water. Gervase says whatever is on his mind, and became a distraction for his alliance to slip through an end up sitting in the final three. Even if Gervase didn’t play the best of most Survivor runners-up, I was impressed that someone all the way back to season 1 would be able to make it all the way to the finals. And Gervase didn’t float there. He fought there, he made alliances, the COCONUT BANDITS OF COURSE. He proved that Old School could adapt to New School, and managed to make it all the way (something not even Ethan, Wiglesworth, Amber, Varner, etc could do in their later seasons). He’s not the most amazing player strategically, but definitely remains one of the original season’s biggest characters, and a fascinating sidekick on Blood vs. Water as well.

*Number 85: Jay Starrett (Millennials vs. Gen X)- I think Jay would be higher on other people’s lists because he made that epic blindside on Michaela (who appeared on the last blog). I do feel, however, that this only maximized his target going into the merge, but put him on the minority more often than not. What impresses me the most with Jay, though, is that he was able to still defy the odds and make it all the way to the finale. He was on the wrong side of the Michelle boot, the Chris boot, the Zeke boot, the Will boot, AND the Sunday boot. However, he still managed to remain in tact, winning immunity twice, and managing not to be targeted until final six. Of course, his final six blunder is a bit difficult to justify, though watching him play David’s fake idol is pretty entertaining. I think entertaining is the best way to describe Jay. He plays such a scrappy game, but managed to be relatable and likable through it all. While it probably came too early in the game, his blindside on Michaela is ruthless. He shows no mercy, showing that he really is a cutthroat player, but at the end of the day, he’s still the nicest guy and you can’t help but root for him—even if his response to the Michaela blindside is rather cold and villainous. The moment I’ll remember most is the emotional moment with Adam, bonding over their mothers, which is a huge factor in the audience rooting for Adam and Adam’s winners edit. I think Adam had the game in the bag either way sitting next to Hannah and Ken, but Jay’s bond with him only helped make him look better in the jury’s eyes. He’s a great player that I’d love to see get a second chance.

*Number 84: Joe Anglim (Worlds Apart; Cambodia; Edge of Extinction)- There have been many challenge beasts in the history of Survivor, but few as popular as Joey Amazing. He’s my mom’s favorite, he’s my sister’s favorite. There’s a reason he comes back so often. He’s a fan favorite. For simply just being a really good survivalist. The reason Joe doesn’t rank amongst the top of the charts closer to the Ozzy’s and Terry’s of the world is that Joe hasn’t really shown much strategic prowess at all. In his two returnee seasons, he is booted as soon he is eligible at the merge, and in his first season, he survives the pre-merge tribal councils, but suffers the same fate in the merge once people see his threat level. Joe made relationships in all three seasons, but nobody could ignore his threat level. He does make a fake idol, but that almost seems like the last resort for so many contestants that it doesn’t seem all that impressive. If I’m being negative, then why is Joe even on the list? Well, he is nearly unstoppable in challenges. He is so purely and successfully physical, that I had to include him, as rarely do we see someone as well equipped for the physical game. In Outwit, Outplay, Outlast, he defines the “outplay” portion. Watching Joe in the tribe phase is so entertaining because he’s so good, and if there’s anyone I’d want to see on my island if I played, it’s Joe. He’ll carry a team to victory, and take the bullet in the merge. A great character strictly for being so good at a core fundamental part of the game.

*Number 83: Peih-Gee Law (China; Cambodia)- Peih-Gee was such an iconic figure on her first season because of her story arc in regards to the China location itself. Rarely do we see the location of a season play into someone’s emotional arc as strongly as we do with Peih-Gee, who felt connected from the minute she stepped foot in China, wanting to honor her late grandfather. She was an immediate fan favorite from then on, and went on to leave her mark. She was on a season with huge characters in James, Jean-Robert, Todd, Amanda, and Courtney Yates, but she still found ways to stand out and make an impact. She made an incredible move at the tribe swap in throwing the challenge to get rid of Aaron, which could have severely handicapped the other tribe’s morale and alliances. Peih-Gee has a much tougher time in the merge, but it’s not her fault. A lot of the players she was playing with just didn’t want to flip on her side, and her allies were picked off one by one. Luckily for Peih-Gee, she won TWO immunities, which is super impressive, and consistently voted for Todd, seeing his threat level, and sending him a message that would further boost his winner’s journey. I can’t say she’s a better player than the Fei Long members later on this top 100 list, as she didn’t end up swaying the numbers in her direction, and failed to vote correctly most of the time, but I have to admire her fight and her impact on the season. She came back for Cambodia, but fell victim to Abi-Maria’s rivalry with her. She didn’t do too well, which bumps her down here to the 80s, but I still think she was worthy of a return and I loved seeing her for the short bit we did. China was the first season I watched, so I have a special place in my heart for its cast and for Peih-Gee. Glad she made my list.

*Number 82: Ben Driebergen (Winner of Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers; Winners at War)- Ah Ben, one of the more divisive winners out there. Listen, I liked Ben, and probably would’ve loved Ben had the fire-making twist not been introduced when it was. Because of the twist, I think Ben’s win has this huge asterisk next to it. And in some ways, I agree. I think Ben would’ve been easily out in fourth place had it been like any season prior, which was the fate of players like David Wright, Malcolm Freberg, and Kelley Wentworth, who fairly went out in 4th. The winners that followed (Wendell, Nick, etc) all knew about the fire making twist, which means they could plan their strategy around it, whereas Ben got lucky in the fact that nobody found out about it until final four. Because of this fire making twist, I just can’t help but think that Devon truly deserved to win the season. And even in final three, I felt CHRISSY was still a better player because she got far with her strategy and social game rather than strictly idols—or Ben Bombs, as he’d say—and used other tools to make it to the end. This is my issue with Ben. All of that being said, Ben did find those idols fair and square, which cannot be undisputed. He was a target, knew it, and did something about it. His double agent playing is so exciting and fun to watch, before he was in his “do or die” situation later in the season. I wish he was a bit more socially aware, and didn’t need to play those idols, but I guess that’s the name of the game. He got to the end one way or another. In Winners at War, I think Ben’s stock dropped even more. His social bonds were better with some people, but he did tick lots of people off the wrong way: Rob, Jeremy, Adam. He made some questionable moves and tattle-taled a lot. It seemed to work, as he made final five, only for him to ask to be voted out to redeem his image. I respect the decision, and thought it was admirable from a human standpoint, but wished it hadn’t been so late in the game, and hadn’t been on an ALL WINNERS season. These things just annoy me greatly, and despite Ben being a great third ally to Sarah and Tony, his final moments tarnish his impressive alliance building in the merge. Ben is a winner, so I had to include him on the list and give him his due. He used what the season gave him, and benefited from it, so I think he deserves to be on this list regardless of how he won and how he ranks against other winners.

*Number 81: Chrissy Hofbeck (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers)- I mentioned it above that I felt Chrissy should have won in the final three against Ben. I just found myself more of a fan of her gameplay and strategy, and think she more control in the endgame than Ben did. She found herself on the top at times, and at the bottom at times, but she always had one through-line the entire season: Ryan. I feel like she had Ryan in her back pocket, and because of that strong bond, she was able to fight her way to the end with him, and always had his number on her side, with no threat of him turning on her. She had a similar path in Ben, except she won challenges rather than finding idols, something I feel is more impressive. The difference with Chrissy is that I don’t think she necessarily needed those wins, whereas Ben needed his idols, as she had the social bonds and strategic prowess to carry herself through. That’s why I prefer her to Ben. It’s also worth noting that Chrissy tied a record for FOUR immunity wins in a season, and she’s the oldest woman to do so. Pretty impressive. Both had interesting paths to the end, and deserve credit for getting there. Where Chrissy takes a few knocks is in the fact that she did get blindsided a few times in the season, especially with the JP vote. She wasn’t always in control, but always had some bonds that would easily integrate herself back in within the group. I put Chrissy above Ben because I think I personally gelled with her game moreso and felt she played a more seamless endgame, but looking ahead, you may see someone ELSE from HvHvH that may have played a better game than BOTH of them and found themselves in lots of control throughout the season, not relying on idols or challenges.

That was my top 90-81. So here are some clues for the next batch of contestants on the list. Let’s see if you can guess.

80. This person tied a record for the second earliest discovery of a Hidden Immunity Idol by a woman.
79. A winner, this three-time player won their second season, but lost their first and third seasons.
78. Unfortunately, this contestant is one of the six castaways to have passed away since airing on the show. However, this player left their legacy, and is regarded as one of the most memorable the show has seen.
77. This player won the final immunity challenge in their first season, and the FIRST immunity challenge of their final season.
76. Despite not winning their season, this player played more days than the person who won!
75. This person held a pretty big record on the show, only to be dethroned by two legends in Winners at War who NOW hold the record.
74. I HEAVILY hinted this one in the list above. In my opinion, better than their season’s winner and runner-up. Fell victim to a newly introduced twist that is now mainstay for the game of Survivor.
73. Unlike Gervase, who only played an exhibition day on Big Brother, this player actually PLAYED on Big Brother before coming onto Survivor and doing well.
72. An alternate for a returnee season that wasn’t chosen, and still hasn’t gotten to play again. This player had an under edited pre-merge, but helped pull off one of the show’s greatest blindsides.
71. This contestant adopted 11 puppies, and named them all after their fellow castmates from their first season.

If you have any guesses for the next installment of the list, please drop them below. What do you think of numbers 81-90 on the list? Looking forward to sharing 71-80 next time.

#survivor
#casting

Comments

80 - ??
79 - Amber
78 - Rudy
77 - ?
76 - Gavin
75 - Ozzy ?
74 - Devon
73 - Definitely Caleb!! Jk Hayden
72 - Natalie Bolton
71 - No idea but I love that LOL

Sent by GrrrImABear,Jul 24, 2020

GrrrImABear I know the answer to 71...and wait till you see...it's amazing

Sent by SurvivorGames,Jul 24, 2020

New list is coming tonight!

Sent by PowerRankings101,Jul 29, 2020

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Top 100 Survivor Players Power Rankings (#90-81)

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