Survivor David vs. Goliath: Ranking the top 5 players of the season

3) Davie Rickenbacker

The masterful idol hunter proved to be one of the most fun personalities in recent Survivor history. Catching an octopus, finding idols, making spy shacks and providing distractions for his alliance to search for advantages made Davie a crafty and entertaining player to watch!

What made Davie’s performance even better was that he was more than simply a threat to pull out an idol. The Gabby vote proved that fact. There were so many different plans going on, but this time Davie’s social relationships allowed him to know where everyone was at. He knew that Christian was the choice to go home and Gabby was the backup plan.

Davie was able to manipulate that vote, by persuading Christian to use his idol, sending Gabby to the jury in the process. This decision wasn’t simply about protecting a friend or making a move when you have the power. He realized how big of a target he was and decided to use Christian as a shield. As a result, this great move did extend Davie’s stay for one additional Tribal Council.

Davie’s downfall is the fact that this was the only vote that displayed the fruitage of Davie’s social game. Yes, he was solid with Nick, Carl and Christian, but that appeared to be the extent of his social relationships. It was only through Nick’s bond with Angelina and Mike that allowed him to become the fourth wheel in that alliance. Even his time with Kara on the Vuku tribe wasn’t enough for him to sway her to vote his way.