Survivor Ponderosa: Game Changers’ Michaela Bradshaw is all smiles

Countering her negative Survivor Game Changers edit, Michaela Bradshaw enters Survivor Ponderosa with the most positive I’ve seen in a while.

Michaela Bradshaw, playing in back-to-back seasons as she did, deserves a lot of credit. She may not have been shown in the edit to carry herself well (kicking things repeatedly, telling people approaching 50 to go fish for you, etc.), but she underwent a grueling experience even few Survivor Game Changers players know. Yet, she got sent to Survivor Ponderosa in 7th place for her efforts.

She also made a huge improvement in her gameplay over the course of her first season to her second, making it all the way to Day 35 this time. Despite being so close to the opportunity to receive a life-changing amount of money for someone of her age, she arrived at Survivor Ponderosa in what is clearly one of the best moods I’ve seen a player have in some time.

CBS has the video, showing just how hilarious a character Michaela can be when not serving a greater edit for the show. Whether it’s urinating right before her weigh-in to get her “genuine weight,” enjoying the ability to ask the people at the Final Tribal Council a tough question or laughing at the possibility of a future breakdown, she was giddy before she even met her fellow eliminated castaways.

Her optimism was certainly contagious, as everyone else at Survivor Ponderosa noted that she treated the experience like she had won the lottery. Noted big moves fan Zeke Smith spoke about how he could see she could just enjoy every part of the Survivor Game Changers experience as a whole for what it’s worth, even if it meant she was voted out of the game.

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There was a lot of biological talk in Michaela’s Survivor Ponderosa video, as well as honest opinions and barrels full of laughs. It’s a damn shame we didn’t get to see too much of this side of her game other than in gif-worthy reactions at tribal council. I think in a couple of years, she’s a clear-cut candidate to come back focused enough to win a season of Survivor.