Though technically it's the same game, the new era of Survivor certainly has brought plenty of changes to our beloved long-running show. While we viewers and fans might spend endless hours dissecting every move made by production to shift the game towards having more dangerous fun, the ones who actually have to go through the highs and lows of these decisions are the players themselves.
Old school players, especially returning ones, had to play a more balanced and stretched-out game than those during the new era. On the contrary, new era players have had to become more adaptable to face the many curveballs continuously thrown at them by production and the higher stakes game itself. Whether you're an OG game loyalist or a supporter of the new era, it's interesting to see how a game designed over twenty years ago continues to surprise, entertain, and sometimes enrage us. Still, we keep returning to it because it continues to be the best game on the planet. Yes, I'm biased.
This got me thinking about which old-school players, ranging from season 1 to season 39, would thrive in Survivor's new chaotic, almost game-bot era. Here are five players who I consider could dominate, and perhaps even win, a new era season of the show:
1. Sean Rector
Survivor: Marquesas is often overlooked for various reasons, but a true fan knows its importance in the overall Survivor lore. For starters, it was the first season in which a minority alliance overthrew the island's kingpins. That iconic move wouldn't have been possible without Vecepia Towery and Sean Rector.
Sean was charismatic, a physical opponent, and a strategic force when it came to the Maraamu tribe. Alongside his number one ally, Ve, Sean got to the merge and flipped people like Paschal English, Neleh Dennis, and Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien to eliminate the Rotu four, which hadn't been done in any former season. This move set the precedent of fluid gameplay for what we now know as constant alliance-shifting. Sean is one of the pioneers of the game, and it's inconceivable he hasn't returned in over twenty years. Sean would be a great addition to the new era, as it would be the ideal chance to demonstrate why he should be considered one of the greats in Survivor's history.
2. Todd Herzog
The winner of Survivor: China has everything in his arsenal to return to the show and conquer it while potentially getting a second win. If you need a refresher, Todd undoubtedly had his finger on the game's pulse from day 1. He had a strong and well-balanced alliance with Amanda Kimmel and Courtney Yates, which allowed him to dominate the boot list from his original tribe, Fei Long, and later, the merged tribe, Hae Da Fung. Todd also wickedly played James Clement right into his pocket, only to blindside him later with two idols in his pocket.
Todd then delivered a masterclass in the final tribal council performance, particularly when he convinced the self-proclaimed puppet master, Jean-Robert Bellande, to vote for him after orchestrating JR's blindside. Todd is also one of the few winners whose threat level might be forgotten or even underestimated due to the time that has passed since Survivor: China aired. Not seeing Todd on Winners at War was egregious, so his return to the new era is a great chance to correct this mistake.
3. Brenda Lowe
Once labeled as a Parvati 2.0, Brenda was lethal during her run on Survivor, particularly in Survivor: Nicaragua. Brenda was part of the "La Flor" tribe, where she quickly assembled a majority alliance to protect herself. La Flor enjoyed several immunity runs, but when they attended tribal council, Brenda and her allies controlled the vote and its dynamics.
It wasn't until the merge that Brenda's threat level became too noticeable for others to ignore, and she was unfortunately blindsided. Brenda returned to Survivor: Caramoan and became part of the "Favorites" tribe, where she was perplexingly purple-edited throughout most of the season. However, Brenda is infamously remembered for her feud with Dawn Meehan and her blindside after the family reunion.
Brenda had a great combo of social, strategic, and physical gameplay that could allow her to infiltrate the new era's dynamics fairly well. Time is Brenda's best ally, too, since both seasons aired more than ten years ago, making her a known face but not an immediate target either.
4. Andrea Boehlke
Andrea was another woman who was considered to be a Parvati 2.0, and for good reason. Throughout her three-season run, Andrea demonstrated how well she knew the game's intricacies, how well she could manipulate those around her to get her way, and how crucial individual immunities were when she needed them the most.
In Survivor: Redemption Island, Andrea was part of Boston Rob's alliance and proved to be one of Rob's biggest adversaries to get to the end. Andrea's close bond with Matt Elrod reminded Rob of him and his wife, Amber Mariano, back in Survivor: All-Stars. This promptly caused him to target both, particularly Andrea, who ended up with Andrea on the jury.
In Survivor: Caramoan, Andrea was once again part of the Favorites majority alliance, which, along with her social, strategic, and physical game, made her a tremendous threat to win. Andrea was blindsided in mid-jury again, as just like Brenda, Andrea's threat level was too high for comfort. Lastly, Andrea's story was doomed to be repeated on Survivor: Game Changers. Andrea's knowledge of the game, social bonds, and potential to go on an immunity run made her an easy target after the merge.
After playing Survivor for more than 100 days, Andrea is a Survivor connoisseur. However, Andrea has faced a repeated pattern of being targeted at the same point of her games, so a shortened version of it, aka the new era, might be precisely what Andrea needs to cause as much damage as possible while paving her way to the endgame at last.
5. Angelina Keeley
With or without a jacket, Angelina cemented herself as one of the most notorious, entertaining, and quotable "villains" in Survivor: David vs Goliath. Angelina was part of the Goliath tribe and orchestrated Jeremy Crawford's elimination, even though most of the tribe wanted Natalie Cole out instead, demonstrating that Angelina did have agency and persuasion abilities. As her game gradually deteriorated, Angelina still had a hold on her alliance, and she kept surviving one vote after another until the last tribal council. While Angelina didn't get votes to win, she demonstrated tenacity, and if she properly tweaked a few things in her gameplay, Angelina could be a dangerous returning player.
While Angelina is the most recent player on this list, it doesn't negate the fact that Angelina was ahead of her time. Angelina was vilified for her gameplay, which, fair enough, was a bit too chaotic at times, but she still brought the drama and entertainment to the table. Angelina should be a shoo-in as a returning player in a new era season, as her game approach would definitely be more nuanced and refined.
Other honourable mentions to bring back to the new era are: Amanda Kimmel, Eliza Orlins, Shii Ann Huang, Danielle DiLorenzo, Michaela Bradshaw, Jonathan Penner, Desi "Desi" Williams, Bradley Kleihege, and Jamal Shipman.