As soon as the Survivor 51 cast was announced, I basically went into Nancy Drew mode, ready to see what clues we can get about how the upcoming season—the first in the open era—will play out.
And no, I’m not looking for spoilers! I’m simply using the strategic deduction skills I learned from watching Survivor over the last 26 years and using it to get myself even more excited for the season! And thanks to a new video on Survivor’s official Instagram, we’re getting to learn a little bit more about some of our latest crew of castaways, which could give us some major insight into their personalities and how they’re going to play together.
Watch the video below and keep scrolling to read our takeaways!
What does this mean for our Survivor 51 players?
Linnea Capobianco
Fact #1: She laughs way more than the average person (and it earned her detention in high school…)
Fact #2: She has “hyperlaxity syndrome” which means she’s super flexible
Fact #3: She went sky diving twice the year before she went on Survivor
Our Analysis: I think Linnea is going to be a major main character in the early game, but might not make it far beyond the merge. She’s giving me a similar energy as Sai Hughley had on Survivor 48. A total force to be reckoned with, with a pulse on the game that kept her in longer than other players wanted her to go, but she might be an early target if she comes off as “too much” at camp during the first couple of days.
Devin Way
Fact #1: His accent is real
Fact #2: He’s really good at line dancing
Fact #3: He has 13 brothers and sisters
Our Analysis: Devin not only knows how to co-exist with a large group of people, but his charm and charisma helps him co-exist with a large group of strangers, specifically. If plays the “I’m just here for a good time, how can I help” guy in the early game he’ll have absolutely no issues getting to the merge. And if he builds a strong early game alliance along the way, he could secure himself a spot at the end. And what jury wouldn’t want to give him $1 million?
Alexis Levine
Fact #1: She hates mashed potatoes
Fact #2: She can recite every word to the song “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies
Fact #3: She drinks a swig of olive oil every day
Our Analysis: I fear that Alexis isn’t going to be able to form strong bonds with her tribe other than maybe one or two players at the beginning of the game. If she’s too hesitant to put herself forward and begin conversations—instead waiting for others to bring the conversations to her—she might lose out on a lot of valuable early game strategy and alliance building that will see her isolated from her tribe pretty early on.
Jenna Doore
Fact #1: She’s broken her arm three times
Fact #2: She keeps a “in case I get cast on Survivor” clause in all of her wedding photography contracts
Fact #3: She can say the alphabet backwards
Our Analysis: Jenna is the kind of person who, on the outside, seems like a sweet, bubbly person. And she probably is! But I have a feeling that as soon as she steps on that beach, she will experience a legit biological shift and go into “Survivor-mode.” The kind of person who smiles at your face while her alliance secretly stabs you in the back. The exact kind of gameplay that some of the best people in Survivor history have earned the status of legends for doing.
Carter Krull
Fact #1: He’s broken his arms four times
Fact #2: He’s a college athlete
Fact #3: He has two siblings, both of which he gets along with very well
Our Analysis: I have a feeling that Carter is going to make it far in the game simply because people forget he’s there. While he’ll definitely make some early allies, I don’t know if he’ll be able to broaden his social circle to deeply bond with the majority of players. But, he’s going to be good at challenges, which will help his tribe win and keep him around at least through the merge.
Rob Antonson
Fact #1: He’s a die-hard reality TV fan…
Fact #2: …including all the housewives!
Fact #3: He met his wife on a cruise
Our Analysis: I don’t know who yet, but I just sense that Rob is going to be the Colby Donaldson to someone’s Rizo Velovic a la Survivor 50. An older, mentor-like figure that a younger player can emotionally turn to when needed because Rob is approachable like that. We’ll see if that helps him at all or if he’ll suffer the same fate as Colby did last season.
An "Thien An" Nguyen
Fact #1: She owned a total of 12 birds at one point
Fact #2: She is SCUBA certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors
Fact #3: She has more than 100 cousins
Our Analysis: Ok, right off the bat, I know that Thien An isn’t going to bat an eye living in the jungle, she’s going to dominate water challenges, and she’s going to easily disguise herself in the core of the tribe so no one sees her coming. We should definitely keep an eye on Thien An! She’s coming for the crown and has the skills needed to get it.
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