One of the most popular Survivor contestants in the past few years is back for his third season! Will Joe Anglim prove to be more than a challenge threat?
After 37 seasons of Survivor, there are a few typical character types we often see out on the island. One of the most enjoyable to root for is the strong, physical men like Ozzy, Malcolm, and Terry, that are constantly winning challenges to survive another day. Joe Anglim is a perfect example of this character type.
Joe made the merge in both of his seasons, finishing 10th in Worlds Apart and 8th in Cambodia – Second Chance. Out of the nine Individual Immunity Challenges that Joe’s been a part of, he has won six. That is insane! He’s just three wins behind Boston Rob’s record of nine total Immunity Necklaces.
So we know that Joe is a challenge beast, but with the merge happening so early nowadays, he can’t simply rely on his physical ability to make it to the end. Joe mentioned in his pre-game interview that his goal is to build genuine relationships to help him get through the game. The problem is that when you’re such a big challenge threat, people only care about voting you out! Social relationships go out the window.
However, out of all his opportunities, Edge of Extinction might be the best one for Joe as he could try to exploit these first-time castaways. If he can make it to the merge with numbers and just ride the majority until the Final Eight or Seven, then Joe might be able to go on an Immunity run to the end.
Realistically though, Joe is coming into this season as the biggest returning threat. There’s a good chance that a voting bloc could form in order to blindside him before the merge. The glimmer of hope for him is Edge of Extinction‘s twist that will allow eliminated castaways a chance to return. That definitely favors Joe. After spending over 50 days playing Survivor, Joe looked almost as comfortable on the island as Ozzy in his interview. So maybe he can replicate what Ozzy pulled off in South Pacific and fight his way back in the game.
Although Joe hasn’t proven his strategic and social gameplay compared to the rest of the returnees, it’s always fun to watch one of greatest challenge threats in Survivor history. His best days are probably behind him in Cambodia, and I can’t see him making it farther than the early merge, but if there’s someone who can take advantage of this season’s twist, it’s Joe.