Survivor Game Changers: Breaking Down The Ozzy Lusth Boot

Ozzy Lusth was the ninth player to be voted out on Survivor Game Changers, but what led to his demise in his fourth time playing?

Ozzy Lusth entered Survivor Game Changers playing for his fourth time. Along the way in Fiji, the Cook Islands alum passed the record held by “Boston Rob” Mariano for the most cumulative days spent playing Survivor. Also along the way, Ozzy apparently lost sight of what he’d hoped to do entering the 34th season and his fourth time playing.

Saying that he lost sight of his goals is a result of the fact that Lusth no longer has a chance at being the Sole Survivor. On the second half of a double-episode (episode 9 if you’re splitting hairs), Ozzy was the victim of a blindside. Though it wasn’t unanimous, a split vote and Debbie Wanner using her extra vote against him sent him to Ponderosa.

Unlike with several other castaways on Survivor Game Changers. Pointing out what went wrong can’t be drilled down to one single event. Sure, he didn’t help himself by upping the arrogance factor in the latest episode — something he didn’t even turn off as he left with the parting line “have fun eating.” However, it wasn’t a big blow-up or rubbing someone the wrong way that ultimately sent Ozzy packing.

Instead, it was a combination of gradual factors, some of which are in his control and some of which aren’t.

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As far as the factors out of his control, a fourth-time player can’t exactly do anything about the fact that he’s a fourth-time player. Because of that mere fact and the notion that he’d finished in the final 10 in each try and in the final four twice, he was perceived as a threat. Similarly, Lusth can’t do anything about being a physical threat. Maybe he could dial it back in challenges, but that would also leave him vulnerable. Ozzy is simply good at challenges — it’s party of him as a person and player.

All of that is natural and innately part of him playing Survivor. Nonetheless, it all combines to create the perception that he’s a threat. And if there’s one thing that’s been proven throughout Survivor Game Changers, it’s that there is no room for threats on this season. After the former winners were all booted and after the merge with individual immunity at stake in challenges, Ozzy was always going to be an early target.

However, the factors within his control come down to how he could’ve managed that better. Cirie Fields may not be a physical threat, but she is wholly a bigger overall threat than Ozzy. Yet, her strength as a social player and strategist has her sitting in a good position. That’s where Lusth has long been lacking.

When Ozzy made it to Final Tribal Council on Cook Islands, the vote between him and Yul Kwon was tight. And Ozzy made arguably his best social ploy while conferring with the jury. However, Yul’s social game and strategy throughout the season was superior, and that ultimately gave him the $1 million while Lusth was the runner-up. Meanwhile, his lack of awareness in regards to strategy also cost him on Micronesia as he was toppled by the all-woman alliance.

There was no all-woman alliance this time around, though. Why Ozzy was susceptible to being blindsided this time around was because he didn’t heed his own advice.

In the pre-game interviews, Lusth was adamant that he was ready to play a better overall game. He wanted to make friends this time around, form alliances and play the game beyond being a challenge beast and a provider. Yet, as we saw when he was trying to save himself, he fell back into that comfort zone of thinking that being able to fish better than anyone was enough. It never is, a simple fact that has cost Ozzy and others time and again.

Next: Survivor Game Changers Power Rankings: Eps. 8 & 9

Looking at the original concept of Survivor, Ozzy is the prototype. If the game was singularly about surviving with limited resources when stranded, he’d be a four-time winner. But the game evolved into more than that right from season 1 and has only evolved into an arguably more social and strategic game as time has passed. That’s not Ozzy’s game, or at least it wasn’t before and wasn’t in Game Changers. And he has a seat on the jury for the third time and a fourth time not winning to serve as proof of it.

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Survivor Game Changers: Why Did Ozzy Lusth Get Voted Out?

By Cody Williams | Apr 23, 2017

Ozzy Lusth was the ninth player to be voted out on Survivor Game Changers, but what led to his demise in his fourth time playing?

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