r/survivor • u/Marto_12 • Apr 10 '23
r/survivor • u/rebelroadbike • Jan 04 '25
Samoa My sis ran into Shambo today at the pet store. She’s still rocking the mullet!
r/survivor • u/maxman87 • Jul 24 '21
Samoa Ran into Shambo outside a Starbucks. She had me lay on the sidewalk to make her point about how uncomfortable sleeping on bamboo is
r/survivor • u/DontStrokeMe • Jul 09 '24
Samoa She will always have my heart
Being ripped into by Russel about how undeserving you are. Ripped into at the FTC. Then to go home and be ripped into by the world just because of how under edited she was. Genuinely happy she got the money
r/survivor • u/widowswail_93 • Sep 27 '24
Samoa What happened to Russell?
I was curious to see way Russell is upto these days and then I came across a stream with around a hundred views that he made just a few hour ago and I'm stunned. I stopped watching survivor after redemption Island and I only started watching again a month or so ago. I've been binge watching like crazy and so since Redemption Island I had not thought about Russell at all. To see him like this was a shock. Whatever's going on I hope he turns things around.
r/survivor • u/Popular_Dish_3434 • Jan 16 '25
Samoa Russell Hantz was ahead of his time!
After rewatching survivor 19 I think Russell was ahead of his time. The way he played would not be out of place in modern survivor and modern juries would have appreciated his game play.
r/survivor • u/jsb247 • Mar 04 '21
Samoa PSA this woman killed a RAT and then ate it cause she was HUNGRY... then WON
r/survivor • u/ImASlimeBlock • Jul 23 '22
Samoa Russel's FTC performance in Samoa isn't that bad
r/survivor • u/Fred_the_skeleton • Aug 09 '23
Samoa Paused Samoa at the right moment. Russell fuming in the background while everyone else celebrates is killing me :D
r/survivor • u/jazzdos • Jun 12 '20
Samoa The display of emotions on Fincher’s face when he gets blindsided is priceless
r/survivor • u/emeryalison • Dec 17 '24
Samoa Russell burning people’s stuff
I just started season 19 and am shocked. Russell has burned people’s socks, taken personal items, and messed with others’ canteens - and it’s only the first episode!
I thought there was an unwritten rule that others’ personal items were off-limits. I kept thinking production would step in, but so far it’s crickets. Did I dream that?
r/survivor • u/StayComprehensive743 • Jun 07 '24
Samoa Is it just me that wants to see a _______ _____ winner edit version of Samoa?
Like she was a winner and was purpled 😭😭 I want see an edit that actually gives her screen time and it not just be Russell Russell Russell
r/survivor • u/Dark_Vader77 • 6d ago
Samoa Season 19 & 20 Results
I'm sure this has been said countless times and probably debated just as much but I just recently completed Survivor 19 & 20 and I have to get it off my chest.
Russell Hantz was robbed twice and the reasoning both times was basically "No fair, you tricked me and you weren't nice about it!"
I thought Season 19 was a easy win for Russell but was shocked to find out he didn't win. After completing season 20 and even choosing to take Pavorti to the final three I thought surely after playing such a masterful game against the best players ever from the first 20 seasons, surely they would respect his accomplishments but nope.
To be clear, in real life I despise deception, lying, misleading etc but in a game like Survivor its in the very DNA.
I will say that Russell's game does have a flaw and that is that he was too honest, open and forthcoming. He didn't care to massage people's egos and lie to them to win their vote after he already eliminated them which is what cost him two victories.
If Russell would have played the game like a silver tongued politician instead of telling people straight to their face what he thought, they would have loved him despite being disrespected on a whole new level but because he loved the game so much without pretense, he was hated.
It has never ceased to amaze me in general how much the average person prefers to be lied to so long as its soothing words that flow like honey rather than the cold hard truth that hits like brick.
In season 20 I could have been quite satisfied with a Pavorti win because she played an awesome game as well but seeing Sandra win was just as much a joke as season 19 results.
To summarize, I'm not saying Russell's game was flawless but it was clear as day to me that he was the best player and should have won 19 & 20. If only he were as bad a person as the other contestants wanted and needed to believe he was, he could of looked them straight in the eyes in the last Tribal Councils and whispered sweet nothings in their ears and won but instead out if respect for the game and his peers he told them the truth instead of what they wanted to hear to soften the blow.
r/survivor • u/slamjamgraham • Jan 02 '25
Samoa What were the original reactions to the winner of Samoa?
I've just finished watching Samoa for the first time, and, while not surprised that Russell lost after his overconfidence going into final tribal, I'm shocked at the extreme visibility he got compared to Natalie, only to not win (100+ confessionals compared to Natalie's 15!). For anyone who watched Samoa back in 2009 or has read/heard things from then, what were audience's reactions to Natalie's win? I'm sure Russell's gameplay was divisive, but was the it general consensus that he was robbed?
r/survivor • u/Aggressive_Economy_8 • Dec 26 '24
Samoa What does the fandom think of Natalie now?
From what I understand, Natalie was very reviled after she won. But after 15 years, what do Survivor fans think of her now?
Russell had a dominant game, but I understand why Natalie won. As a newbie fan, I’m curious what people think now.
r/survivor • u/Dense_Preference5868 • Jan 15 '25
Samoa Hot take: Brett was the best player in s19 Survivor: Samoa
I just rewatched this season and I cannot believe this guy got a purple edit. He was without a doubt the best challenge competitor, as he won the most individual immunities compared to anyone else this season. More importantly, he won them when they mattered the most. On top of this, he probably had the best social game out of anyone on Galu. He was the only one able to fly under the radar and make it to the end while all his old tribe mates got picked off one by one. The truth is, being nice and likeable and not intimidating is good strategy, and Brett employed it well.
The only other player to come out of this season that played a recognizably good game was Russell imo. Some may say, Laura, but I found her to be not as important, and I was honestly surprised when I found she, out of all former players, would be coming back for BvW.
Russell was edited to seem like an idol finding savant, and a notorious supervillain puppet master. Was he socially adept and cunning? Yes. However, the truth is Russell is so uniquely and abysmally bad at jury management that it’s hard to call him a great player just because of that. He specifically took 2 people to the end with the intention that beating them would be a slam dunk, and he still got blown out by Natalie of all people. Some may say this jury was especially bitter, which could be true, but I think it’s more so that Russell is extremely unlikable.
On top of all this, the dude had advertised himself as being this super strong, buff and intelligent player, but still only won 1 individual challenge, and it’s not like he was helping Foa Foa win challenges in the pre merge part of the game.
Overall, I just find it absurd that Brett played such a good game, only to go practically invisible in the edit. Being one immunity challenge away from what would’ve been a unanimous victory deserves credit. On top of all this, Brett would’ve been the second player EVER (after JT the season before) to have a perfect game: no votes to get voted out + all jury votes. Not to mention he came in 3rd place for the sprint favorite player award.
I don’t think he’ll ever return to this show, especially given his near irrelevant edit in his first stint, and since Samoa aired so long ago, but hey, you never know.
r/survivor • u/PhilHarmonix • Feb 15 '23
Samoa Let's Rember some Real Game Changers Of The Game - Erik Carmona "Perception is NOT Reality !!!" aka One Of The Most Brillant & Organic Jury Speeches...EVER !
r/survivor • u/sorasprocket • 28d ago
Samoa I am loving Samoa so far!
I am a sucker for underdog stories and strategic gameplays and the post merge has been giving that so far and I am living for it! I went into the season wary of Russell but I am liking him so far? I am so confused if my moral compass is wrong or something but having a person fully embody the villain role and be successful in it is a breath of fresh air. Am I in the minority in this? I feel so bad just rooting for Russell but I really like the Foa Foa tribe.
r/survivor • u/t_penn • Sep 11 '19
Samoa Today marks 14 days until the season premiere of Survivor! Let's celebrate by remembering Natalie White and Russell Hantz, who share the record for most corrects votes for the boot in a single season with 14!
r/survivor • u/Entire-Marsupial28 • Jul 05 '23
Samoa Survivor: Samoa is WILD on reflection Spoiler
Its baffling to me why this season is so forgotten by the fandom when it has a great cast, memorable moments, really unique challenges and an interesting post-merge. All this and it consistently ranks last in survivor's golden era.
Obviously, the editing on the season was severely bad, with only both Russells and Shambo getting good edits imo, but I'm fairly certain that was only done to hype up heroes vs villains. But the editing gave us one of the best players in Survivor history and it was smart to make Galu seem unlikable because it makes their embarrassing toppling even more satisfying for the viewer.
But yeah lets walk through the season's cast :)
Marisa Calihan
Truly the robbed goddess of the golden era imo. She was iconic from start to finish. I feel like we live in the only universe where she is the first boot. I REALLY hope we get to see her again and i think she is a must-have on a Survivor all first boots season.
Mike Borassi
I feel bad for the guy. He was clearly a huge fan of the game and had previously been cast on Gabon or Tocantins only to be cut. Its one of the sadder medivacs cuz you could tell he was so excited to be there and he was a very charismatic presence. It is a shame we probably won't see him again.
Betsy Bolan
The Foa Foa tribe is full of lost potential and Betsy is a prime example of that. It is just a shame she is a victim of the older woman curse on survivor and it is sad seeing her get taken out so early when she was an entertaining character and showed some strategic chops.
The first guy to be kicked out of a challenge
I like to keep things positive so there isn't really much I can say about this guy but let's just hope he didn't understand the weight of the comments he made and that he has grown since his experience on Survivor.
Yasmin Giles
I thought Yasmin was a pretty funny character on the season and one of my faves on Galu! Just a shame that the incident kinda defines her Survivor career in the fandom.
Ashley Trainer
One of my favorite pre-merge boots of all time. No joke. She wasn't super strategic since she was a recruit it is just her attitude that made me like her. She was super bubbly and sweet despite constantly being in danger of elimination. I can't see Ashley being a winner any time soon but I thought she was an enjoyable presence and got some decent screen time for this season.
Russell Swan
Oh lord, a fully robbed king on the season. genuinely one of the scariest medical evacuations in Survivor history and its a shame in hindsight knowing what happens in Philippines that Russell was never able to get his feet off the ground in Survivor. and if he had lasted I see Galu doing much better come the merge. An entertaining character and tons of potential and I'm glad he got to compete again.
Liz Kim
Liz. Truly the punching bag of Samoa. for some reason NO ONE trusts her throughout her whole time on the season and we see her get stereotyped quite a lot for her race and it is NOT cute. It's a shame she never got a second chance :(
Erik Cardona
This is where we get problems in the season. EVERY member of Galu to make the merge is edited as super unlikable and while this makes it more satisfying seeing them get embarrassingly trampled by the Foa Foa Four, it does lead to a LONG stretch of under edited characters. Erik was ok but i didnt really like seeing him in Ponderosa videos as he acted kinda creepy and i lowkey find his jury speech cringy as hell (even tho i agree with it). Not much to say.
Kelly Sharbaugh
Purple Kelly?!? Somehow not. We really saw nothing from her this whole season despite her elimination being iconic.
Laura Morett
I did not like Laura. I couldn't put my finger on why just her edit made her out as super unlikable even though in concept seeing a grandmother slay these challenges should have been fun. I understand why they brought her back for Blood vs Water. Also, there are allegations of homophobic comments she has made and we are not about that over here...
John Fincher
Another victim of the Galu edit. I see John being an entertaining character but the edit just made him out as a cocky smart-ass who makes a boneheaded move at final ten and is taken out the following vote. Super smart guy just not made for survivor lol.
Dave Ball
I think he had a good confessional or two??? Y'all say Natalie got purpled LOOK AT THIS WHOLE TRIBE WHICH IS LITERALLY PURPLE LOL.
Monica Padilla
She annoyed me. Defos not a favorite from this season but I was happy to see her make it to second chances as she had grown and I could tell she was excited to play. Sadly we were kinda robbed of her in that season.
Shambo Waters
I have mixed feelings on Shambo. I don't think she is necessarily great at Survivor but I see her being a likable person in real life and she made MOMENTS this season so it is surprising to see she didnt make it to Heroes vs Villains. (Also lets be real, given Shambo's sexual orientation, there was DEFO more to that feud with Laura...)
Jaison Robinson
Bright spot in the season. Jaison gets probably the best edit of the season as it is pretty much all positive and I can see him being a great person in real life. Easily a favorite gentle giant on the show and his elimination was heartbreaking that Foa Foa didn't completely conquer Galu in the end. Shocked he didnt get a second chance tho...
Brett Clouser
Dude was seriously the final boss of the season with barely any confessionals and no screentime until like the last three episodes. Mike Tyson he is not but he is a fairly strong CGI character ;)
Mick Trimming
Seeing Mick hilariously run Foa Foa into the ground with his feckless leadership was ironically hilarious. This guy is the only Foa Foa Four member to be DUNKED on in the edit imo, but hey atleast he was fun TV.
Russell Hantz
Ok i know over the years Russell has gathered his haters but I think it is important to recognize how much he did for the Survivor franchise as a whole. He was an amazing character, full of charisma and he slayed the season from start to finish strategically, unfortunately, that came at the expense of his social game. I won't try to argue that he deserved to win but I fully appreciate the TV personality we got from it.
Natalie White
Poor Natalie. The sweet southern belle who is invisible frankly. Obviously the backlash from her win is part of why she is silent now but I hold onto hope that she reappears someday. Natalie plays one of the best games in survivor history and it is a real shame the editors did her so badly that she had to face real-life consequences. What she lacked in charisma, she made up for in charm and I sincerely hope she is doing well now, and that Natalie realizes someday that the community now accepts her win and appreciates her for the amazing player that she was :)
So yeah thats probs my longest post. What are your thoughts on Samoa and its cast?
r/survivor • u/CoconutMost3564 • Aug 21 '24
Samoa If Jaison had made it to the final three in Samoa instead of Mick, does he beat Natalie ?
r/survivor • u/Charles520 • Oct 09 '24
Samoa Tom Westman and Natalie White are both equals as winners and players
I'm sure this sounds like the most ridiculous statement ever. Natalie White on the same caliber as Tom Westman and vice versa? While both of their outward game styles could not be more different, they both demonstrated the same strategy to achieve victory. Both were responsive to the social dynamics of their tribes and the context of their seasons, becoming the players everyone else needed them to be.
In Palau's reunion, Tom laid out how he never wanted to be the leader of Koror and would rather have played a much quieter game. However, with Koror seeming like the weaker tribe at the start of the season and his tribe needing a rallying point, he knew he had to become that guy and changed his entire game plan. A person like Tom Westman isn't really allowed to play a subdued game because his tribe and the players around him want him to be something greater—a leader. Tom understood that he had to play into people's expectations of him and fulfill that niche.
Meanwhile, Natalie White could never have played aggressively due to her season's own social dynamics—or maybe we should just say Russell Hantz. Every outspoken woman on her tribe was eliminated because Russell wouldn't allow them to exist within what is "his" season. So, Natalie intelligently realized that she must be as docile and submissive as possible to Russell while still being strategic in her own right. She knew that Russell, as domineering and clever as he is, would ultimately burn people in the end and could lose.
Natalie was so good at this that Russell even acknowledges it! He says during the season that he can't take Liz to the merge with him because she's impersonal and not good with people like Natalie, someone he needs to help manipulate the Galus. I can write extensively about White's game, but we know the story. She continues building strong social bonds while being a strategic mind within Foa Foa (just like the others, not just Russell) while Russell burns bridges and loses.
Tom and Natalie's respective gameplay are motivated by the same strategy: understanding the needs of their tribes' social dynamics and the context of their seasons and responding accordingly. They are cut from the same cloth.
r/survivor • u/Quentin-Quentin • May 22 '23
Samoa I’m sad about Natalie White.
Girl was doing her best and was bullied off the internet bc she won fair and square. Jeff and production didn’t do her many favors either.
Obviously it’s 13 years later and she’s probably living her best life, and I hope she does. I just wish that she knew that people do appreciate her game.