Survivor Ghost Island cast: Domenick Abbate can adapt to anything

Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2017 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. /
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After undergoing several changes in his own life, Domenick Abbate is ready to think outside of the box and change the game of Survivor.

When something is holding you back in life, the desire to change it is human nature. However, it is much easier to set goals for change than to be the change yourself. Domenick Abbate has been able to make multiple major changes that are far from easy. His self-control could see him prevail over a tough field in Survivor Ghost Island.

Domenick Abbate is 38-years-old from Nesconset, New York. The Construction Supervisor comes from an Italian family, and is accustomed to the tight-knit family the castaways will become on the island. He had eight siblings and grew up without a surplus of food and clothing. His father, who also worked in construction, provided for the entire family. The conditions on Survivor will not be completely foreign to Domenick.

His past has seen him overcome plenty of adversity. Domenick has identified problems in his life and worked hard to solve them. He saw that his weight and smoking was holding him back while playing outside with his kids. This resulted in him dropping about 65 pounds and quitting smoking. Domenick realized that he was spending way too much time at the casinos. He has minimized his gambling, and now poker is just a hobby he will play from time to time. The willpower required to make several major changes to your life will make the hardships of Survivor easier to persevere through.

While many major fans binge watch the older seasons, Domenick has been a fan since the first episode. He has personally seen the game change over the years, and not just over several months of constant Survivor watching. This means that he will have plenty of unique thoughts about what he wants to bring to the show since, as he has been watching for nearly half of his life.

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HIs thoughts include the idea of stealing a voting parchment. This would not have entered the mind of most fans until Lauren Rimmer in the most recent season, which obviously would air after Domenick plays the game. Domenick compared himself to Boston Rob, but his way of thinking is more reminiscent of Tony Vlachos’s bag of tricks and spy shack. The relics of Ghost Island will provide even more opportunities for Domenick to think outside of the box.

Domenick undoubtedly has a strong personality, as immediately noted in his interview. This was an immediate wake-up call because coming across as a powerful personality will not get you very far in the game. Tony Vlachos had a miraculous run to win it all, but Joe Mena’s personality was quickly exploited.  The outcome of Joe’s game seemed far more realistic for this type of player.

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The beginning of the game will be incredibly important for a player like Domenick. His work will see him be very useful around camp. He will need to keep some of his knowledge to himself because he certainly does not want to take on the leadership role and enlarge his target status. Domenick said that if no one else is going to lead, he would reluctantly do it. While you do not want your tribe to fail, his game will fail if the word “leader” is in any way associated with his powerful persona.

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Self-awareness is one of Domenick’s traits. His game will require him to lay low. Luckily for Domenick, there are several other strong alpha males to take the heat as well. Based on the press shots, he does not appear to have been selected as the tribe leader for the first challenge. This is a great sign for his game early on.

Last season’s Joe Mena can be compared to a player like Domenick.  Last season I thought Joe had zero chance to win the game. Joe and Domenick are both going to have a heavy impact on the game no matter what. However, I actually could see Domenick winning this game. Based on word of mouth I was expecting to write Domenick off. His interviews shocked me; his tone was confident but not arrogant.

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While Domenick is not going to be the number one favorite for the win, I feel he certainly deserves to be in the conversation. He is either the next Tony or the next Joe. We will have to wait and see if he gets the desired comparison on Survivor Ghost Island.