Ryan Ulrich opened up about his Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers experiences in a Reddit AMA, answering questions about the game at large.
As soon as Ryan Ulrich was introduced as part of the Survivor Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers preview package immediately following Game Changers, it was clear we had an eccentric storyteller on our hands. He brought some of that inquisitive, talkative mind to the community subreddit last night, answering questions fans had about the season.
One of the biggest questions asked of Ryan was his thoughts on whether or not the game was rigged for him to win in the end (on account of all those idols and the Final Four fire-making twist). Not only was it a passionate, but reasoned, defense of Ben Driebergen’s win, but it saw the third-place finisher eloquently break down everything Ben did to earn his win over himself.
His lengthy answered solved some inconsistencies shared by those who believe it was rigged for Ben, including the idols being hidden in high-publicity spots that all players had access to. Even the one consolation in the fire-making twist (of which he doesn’t like), he argues, did not invalidate the heavy lifting Ben did when it came to acting blindsided when he was a mastermind. It was a great answer everyone should read.
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Other Survivor questions Ryan Ulrich answered include his feelings during the idol scramble, his thoughts on the era being defined by too many advantages, his time interning for the houses of Congress, who from his season’s casting finals was in Ghost Island (Stephanie Johnson was), who on Healers he would give the Super Idol to, and who would be on his dream alliance in an all-star season.
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To me, though, the strongest answer came in the form of his reaction to online hate coming his way. Players get a lot of hate for not playing the most optimal way for their path to victory, and while Ryan’s approach to the Survivor online community is good for him, negativity affects others differently. Think before you post!