Each person who makes it to Survivor Ponderosa in season 35 usually has a “thing” their video is about. Ashley Nolan made it to the jury without a thing.
The most pleasant thing about the new era of Survivor Ponderosa videos is that nobody’s overly bitter or angry with each other anymore. Each player who makes it there is part of a jury, and it’s their job now to abandon their gameplay mind and relax as they think about who they will award a million dollars to. This trend continues into season 35, as the Heroes vs. Healers vs. Huslters jury welcomes its second Hero with open arms.
In Ashley Nolan’s Survivor Ponderosa experience, she was fearful that she would not be received well. Thankfully, her five fellow jury members recognized the game had ended but weren’t willing to let her fill her belly just yet. Instead, they chose this night to perform a Fijian tradition of drinking from a kava bowl. It is a ceremony that brings people together, so no better time than when the newest player makes it to the jury.
After getting a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, Ashley Nolan’s Survivor Ponderosa experience shifts from relaxing to reflective, as she sat in a hammock with Lauren and talked about how well they got to represent themselves as strong women in tribes of competitive people. Interesting to note is that she remembers Ben looking down on her swimming skills despite being a lifeguard, which could be a very small factor in who she decides should win season 35.
After that uplifting moment, the rest of the video focuses on Ashley conferring with everyone and getting insight on what her Ponderosa video should be about. Everyone so far has had their own “thing,” whether it be teaching pageant tips, modeling under a waterfall, meeting their sister or crabbing, and it turns out Ashley looking for a “thing” becomes her thing.
Next: Survivor: Ranking all 34 seasons
Survivor is all about finding yourself, and Joe’s advice to being true to yourself really shined through in Ashley’s video. Plus, we got to see JP be an affable person; something we haven’t seen since the debut episode of the season.