Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans is on the horizon. The season has finished filming and is set to air at midseason after the conclusion of the (highly overlooked) Survivor 49. Like anything announced in the Survivor universe, the fans have had plenty to say about the upcoming milestone entry. An especially big focus has been made on the casting decisions, which have certainly caused a stir.
Sandra Diaz-Twine, the first-ever two-time Survivor winner, was not going to be left out of the commentary. Always one to speak her mind, Sandra has made a brand out of her bold, blunt personality and brilliant "anyone but me" strategy that served her so well on the show. She recently gave an exclusive interview, talking all things season 50, and did not shy away from criticizing the casting department.
In an exclusive interview with The Things, Sandra spoke for 40 minutes on everything to do with Survivor. She gave insight into her view of Survivor 50 from the perspective of a winner who also participated in both other iconic all-returnee seasons: Heroes vs. Villains and Winners at War. The very first question asked of her, though, was her opinion on the Survivor 50 cast.
"I wish it was more diverse. It's been 50 seasons, so I wish we would have had at least equal as far as old school players versus the new era. At least one out of every four seasons would have gotten a spot because there's a lot of amazing players out there that have never seen a second shot. And here we are with people that we've already seen what they can do or can't do for a fact. What are we going to see from them this time around?"
I do find this take a bit interesting, only because she herself has played the game four times, and acted as an "idol" on a fifth (and that does not even include her stint on Survivor Australia). It is also interesting because, later in the interview, she names Jerri Manthey as a player deserving of a shot. I personally completely agree, but she has played three times herself.
Sandra was then asked about some of her opinions on the domination of the new era presence on the season, especially from the most recent season 48, which has a whopping three returnees.
"Kyle didn't have to go on in there, and I don't think Joe did either. I'm glad Kamilla's there, but I think it would have been better if we just had Kamilla. I mean, we've seen what Kyle can do. He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. Joe's probably gonna go in there with the same type of game. We've seen it, you know, we already know what he's about. So I wish they would have taken those two spots at least and given them to other players. "
This has really been the issue many fans have had. There are just way too many new era players, many of whom really do not need to be on there. Joe Hunter and Kyle Fraser have both stood out, as well as fellow winner Dee Valladares and polarizing personality Q Burdette, while new era players like Carolyn Wiger come up as massive snubs (including by Sandra).
Sandra also singled out Benjamin "Coach" Wade as a player she did not need to see play again, with the explanation that she does not feel Coach is going to change his game at all, and we have seen everything we need to see out of him. Many fans may agree with this, as well, though I think Coach is one of the more iconic personalities in the game, and gave rise to archetypes like Phillip Sheppard and Deb Wanner, so his spot makes some sense.
Sandra is a heck of a Survivor player, and she typically knows what she is talking about. She has expressed other opinions on Survivor 50, including who she thinks will not win and who has the best shot to win, and it will certainly be interesting to see if she is correct. It appears she is leaning towards a female winner for 50, which makes some sense given how many seem to be flying under the radar.
Meanwhile, she also joins the ever-growing list of players and fans who have called out Jeff Probst for the casting decisions made. She even went so far as to say that if Survivor 51 took all returning players who were cut from Survivor 50 casting, it would likely make for a better season. I might not go that far, but there is no question that icons are missing from the show. Time will tell how the choices pay off in entertainment value.
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