Survivor Edge of Extinction cast assessment: Rick Devens for comedic relief

This morning news anchor from Georgia enters Survivor: Edge of Extinction with a potentially winning mix of smarts and subtle gameplay.

Does Rick Devens look familiar to you? Besides being a local news anchor in Georgia, Rick was one of two new players featured in the first Survivor: Edge of Extinction preview. That’s a great sign, as the winners from the past three seasons were all introduced in the first teaser trailer shown at the reunion. Even with the difficulty of competing against returning players, Rick can realistically make it all the way.

In his pre-game interview with ET Canada, Rick displayed two fundamentals that are typically seen among winners. First, he does not come across as an immediate threat. He understands what makes a castaway an early boot and will focus on laying low and getting on everyone’s good side.

That shouldn’t be too hard for him, as Rick has an easygoing personality that is sure to make his tribe laugh. He will also have no problem connecting with the older crowd with his knowledge of current events and the fact that he is a parent and a pet owner. His social game and self-conscious attitude can take him deep into this season.

The other fundamental that Rick demonstrates is his determination to win. Similar to Victoria, Rick has prepared for this season, especially in the case of a fire-making challenge. He’s a big fan of the show and has some basic strategies in mind even though he admits there are so many variables that he doesn’t want to over think before the game begins. As great as his social game promises to be, Rick has no problem pulling the trigger when the time is right.

He stressed that he won’t make the same mistakes Laurel did in Ghost Island by not missing out on vital opportunities. One simple but effective gameplan Rick proposed was the idea of building an alliance with guys and letting their dominant personalities take over and keep the target away from him. This could work really well as his tribe starts out with five men and four women.

Rick has a great balance between being fun to have around, while still possessing the brains and guts to make game-changing moves. If Rick can work his social game early, I could see him making a deep run in this season, maybe even earning the title of Sole Survivor.