Survivor David vs. Goliath: Should Alison Raybould return?

The fun doctor didn’t get the biggest opportunity to shine in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, but was viewed as a big threat. Should Alison Raybould return?

In every Survivor season, there will be a player that will be dramatically under-edited compared to how long they are part of the game. For the longest time, Alison Raybould looked to be that prototypical purple player who barely says anything in the game, but in reality David vs. Goliath’s edit was so strong that eventually, everyone got their day in the sun.

A big part of why Alison was rarely on screen in the early days of her season was that she was only vulnerable at one Tribal Council. The drama on the Goliaths surrounded Natalie, Jeremy, Dan and Mike in various ways, whereas she resembled a reserved, thoughtful champion of the Goliaths in the opening challenge.

She was also on the Tiva tribe where her voice was the smallest on a group of bashful, energetic, or nervous over-the-top characters. However, she was mindful to see who was partnering with who, keeping an open mind as she heard Gabby’s pitch pair with her intention of voting out Dan. This would carry over to the merge, helping build the foundation of the Strike Force alliance.

After winning the first Immunity Challenge of the season, Alison began to build her reputation as a challenge threat in Survivor: David vs. Goliath. Her win also put the Davids’ backs against the wall, forcing the backlash against the Goliaths as they pooled their advantages together to take out the Brochacho threats.

With the Goliath men viewed as threats taken out, only Alison remained as a challenge threat to the Davids. Ever since Day 30, Alison would receive votes at Tribal Council. She never earned another Immunity Challenge win, but because she always finished near the top of non-throwing-based challenges, her threat level and vote familiarity meant she could never escape her 5th-place fate.

Alison was a determined, thoughtful player who fought hard for her team and kept a finger on the pulse of the action. Vote here in our straw poll whether or not you would say hi to Alison on another Survivor season.