28. Game Changers (Season 34)
With a name like Game Changers, Survivor set themselves up on a higher pedestal than others. This season was set to be about people making the biggest moves and changing up how they approach their gameplay in order to evolve, survive and thrive.
What ended up happening followed the blueprint for every season filled with bigger-than-life characters and players; the strong were targeted first, and the under-the-radar players slid their way into victory. Two of the biggest social and strategic players, respectively, were voted out in the premiere, one of the most likable players was voted out in a Tribal Council by players he didn’t plead with, and one of the most exciting young players had a part of their identity outed on national television.
The pre-merge (minus that last part) was markedly more exciting than the post-merge, as it became hard for Sarah Lacina’s insanely excellent social play stand out amongst bombastic players surrounding her. Plus, one player was voted out after receiving zero votes at Tribal Council, as advantages took too much control over the game.