I had a bit of a different experience with this season. Being busy with school and theatre, I didn't watch the show along with everyone else as I usually do, and I'm pretty blind to how people feel about everyone in the game. I binged it all in this past week however, and I decided to comment on how I feel about each person. Spoilers for how the season has progressed up until the final 7.
18th - Katrina - Kat didn't really get any screentime, probably one of the most forgettable Survivor contestants of all time. RIP.
17th - Simone - I can only ever really recall Ryan badmouthing Simone in a confessional. The scene where they try on her clothes was funny, but overall Simone was forgettable too.
16th - Patrick - I thought Pat was hilarious in an obnoxious way. The way he pissed everyone off, I knew he wouldn't last long but he was surely entertaining for the 3 episodes he did. (To be honest, I'd probably get sick of him if he stayed any longer than that.)
15th - Alan - I had high hopes for Alan. I thought he was hilariously intense; especially when he had JP strip down. I suppose Joe was just a little better at being the intense bald alpha male, but Alan would have been fun to watch.
14th - Roark - Very forgettable. Pretty invisible up until her boot episode. Stupid name.
13th - Ali - I was a fan of Ali. She seemed like she had a good head for the game, but was placed into some unfortunate circumstances and couldn't stay in the game. Definitely wish to see more of her.
Merge
12th - Jessica - I never really cared for Jessica. I thought she was annoying, especially when she talked about her feelings for that lump of Cole.
11th - Desi - We didn't see much of Desi, but it was fun to see her rock the individual challenges while she was still around. She seemed nice, but just wasn't overly entertaining or important to the season.
10th - Cole - Cole was just a not-as-entertaining Taylor from S33. As fun as it would've been for him to go on an immunity run, I just don't care to see him return.
9th - JP - Kind of funny early on, but in his last episodes he really turned invisible. Not much to say about him, a bit forgettable, but fun to watch in challenges.
8th - Joe - What an entertainer! I know he was casted to fit the tired Hantz/Tony archetype, but I still enjoyed him. He was a fun character, and I was sad to see him go.
The Final 7
Ashley - She hasn't done a ton so far. I can see her losing in the final tribal. Not much airtime for her, but she hasn't played an awful game.
Ben - Definitely one of my favorites this season. Strategically he's doing amazing, and as a character he's an easy hero with his Marine background. HvV2 anyone?
Chrissy - I like Chrissy, I thought she'd be a Denise Stapley but her social game has gotten worse as the game has progressed. She got too cocky, and although she still has a shot, she has some work to do if she wants to get to the FTC.
Devon - My winner pick. His spy plan was fun, and he seems like he's currently in the best spot. Character wise, there's nothing too amazing about him, but I don't hate him.
Lauren - One of my favorite characters since the beginning when she feuded with Patrick. Very good strategically as well. I would love to see her return.
Mike - He reminds me of Tai Trang, in that although he's not a great player, he's a lovable guy, and I'm going to root for him even though he doesn't quite have the strategic chops to win.
Ryan - I thought he was the tired nerd archetype, and I was correct. I was hoping he'd become the season villain but that didn't really happen. His social game is awful, and he's pretty much doomed. I don't hate him, but after this season I don't see any reason to invite him back.
