Thomas Krottinger left Survivor 48 too soon. It is rare for contestants to be missed for their untapped potential, remarkable confessionals, and/or ability to be a likeable villain. As Thomas encompasses all three categories, this is for him.
It hasn't been a week since his torch was snuffed, and countless people, including myself, still mourn Thomas' early departure. From his numerous stinging deliveries to his noteworthy storytelling abilities and unforgettable and devastating exit, Thomas demonstrated he has what it takes to be on Survivor. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see him on our screens, and even Jeff Probst himself hinted about his possible return—more on that later.
For starters, before he even set foot on the island, Thomas was already cracking us up in his pregame interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed his talk with Mike Bloom of Parade, where both bantered about Survivor marathons, being inspired by the great Mike White, coffee withdrawals in preparation for the game, and more. Particularly, it was hilarious to hear how Thomas, being only 34 years young, prepared himself physically for the game by going to a trainer and how he was flabbergasted to see he was the "old" one when he saw who he was playing against. I'd say it's important to do physical work, regardless of whether one is about to embark or not on Survivor, but as I write that, sitting down on my favourite chair, sipping my third cold brew of the day, and having run for the last time over two months ago, perhaps going on Survivor is the perfect incentive to be active once more.
Returning to Survivor, specifically the premiere episode, it was clear Thomas was there to play, as even before he presented himself to the Lagi tribe, Thomas was running circles around them. Thomas knew how powerful words are in the game, and as he said in a confessional, he presented himself in a way that would better suit him and make him the right fit within his tribe. In a tribe of six, there's nowhere to hide, and even the smallest actions can make someone the target. As a recent but nonetheless avid Survivor fan, Thomas used everything that was in his power to be generally well-liked, as well as having multiple potential allies, and plenty of gameplay pathways to be in the game for the long run.
Fortunately for Thomas, the original Lagi tribe went on a winning streak and didn't go to tribal council once. However, it is essential to highlight that had Lagi gone to tribal, other people would've gone home before Thomas, particularly the Lagi women, as Thomas, Shauhin Davari, and Joe Hunter quickly banded together and formed the California Girls Alliance. Thomas's bond with Bianca Roses was also a crucial part of his game, as Thomas and Bianca had the potential to run the Lagi tribe to their heart's delight in any direction they wanted or needed, plus also having the California Girls Alliance as a backup.
Thomas's villainous side becomes noticeable when tribemate Star Toomey finds a beware advantage, and she asks some of her allies(?) to help her get an idol. As Shauhin reveals to Thomas Star's advantage and wonders whether to truly help her, Thomas casually suggests a deliciously evil idea: for Shauhin to purposefully lose the advantage so Star doesn't get an idol. Both the audience and Shauhin realise Thomas is much more than meets the eye (pun intended, as Thomas later ends up with a black eye), with Shauhin admitting he is scared of Thomas's gameplay style.
Long-time fans are well aware that villains have roamed around Survivor since the beginning. Some well-known and even beloved villains have gone on to win the show, and fans have clamoured to have a touch of old-school Survivor by having deceitful, cunning, and dangerous players willing to go the distance while not being the goody two shoes that have overpopulated the show as of late. Thomas entered the game fully into his villain era, and we were set and ready to be fed.
It seemed nothing could go wrong for Thomas at this point in the game, as he had allies and immunity and even got an advantage after going on a journey and succeeded in getting a Steal-a-vote advantage. Then, the tribe switch happened. Though Thomas and Bianca were separated, Thomas still had luck as he went to the ill-fated Vula tribe alongside allies Joe and Shauhin, plus two original Civa members, Kamilla Karthigesu and Kyle Fraser.
No one, including the new Vula tribe, thought they would lose immunity anytime soon, mainly as this seemed the tribe to be beaten in comparison to the new Civa and Lagi. Yet, the Survivor gods have a sense of humour, and coupled with a bit of an ego trip from Vula, they lost the immunity challenge and were forced to meet Jeff Probst at tribal council.
The California Girls still seemed to have everything set to continue together in the game, but they didn't anticipate how well Kamilla and Kyle would play them like a fiddle. Thomas' ultimate downfall came later when Kyle played an idol and nullified three votes against him, which resulted in Thomas getting eliminated. This act left his California Girls and half the fandom in disbelief to have lost such a fun, somewhat menacing, and unforgettable quick-witted villain far too soon.
Not all hope is lost yet, people. During the latest episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, Probst somewhat hinted at Thomas' chances of coming back. Probst expressed regarding Thomas returning: "Maybe a second-time player? Who knows."
All in all, Thomas showed only a tiny facet of what he could've accomplished had the tribe swap hadn't happened; Shauhin had learned to properly search other peoples' bags, had Thomas played his advantage or all of the above. If there was ever a need to bring back someone who wasn't afraid to get dirty, shoot perhaps morally wrong yet possibly truthful one-liners, and deliver a well-rounded antihero in Survivor, it's him.
I will miss Thomas Krottinger in Survivor 48, but hopefully, it won't be for too long. Thomas even wore a Desperate Housewives shirt during his exit press, so that alone should be his one-way ticket to Fiji for Survivor 50. Make it happen, Probst!