All returning players in Survivor have one thing in common: they have something to prove. Whereas it is to their family and friends, fans, critics, haters, and/or themselves, everyone who decides to play Survivor more than once has an agenda in mind. Returning players have also (hopefully) learned from their past mistakes and want to rectify them, as this could lead to finally earning the title of sole Survivor or, in Sandra Diaz-Twine's and Tony Vlachos' cases (spoiler!), a second crown.
The Survivor casting department/production has used different criteria throughout the years to determine who to bring back for another, or in some cases several, shots at the game, such as past favourite players, heroes, villains, medevaced players, second chancers, game changers, etc. However, an epic milestone is fast approaching in Survivor's 50th season, and the returning players will make or break the season, as it is a celebration of the show's first 25 years on the air.
Having said this, the rumor mill has been running rampant about who will be playing in the upcoming season. There's quite an extensive plethora of players to choose from to return, from those who have begged to play once again for years to the rather obvious ones, as they're already known as Survivor Legends. There is one person in particular that I would like to back up and throw in the mix to get a second chance at the coveted 1 million dollar prize, and it's none other than recently voted out Survivor 48 contestant Thomas Krottinger.
Thomas embodies the perfect mix of an old-school and a New-Era Survivor player. Even though he appeared in only four episodes of Survivor 48, Thomas demonstrated savviness, social gravitas, and a willingness to be the villain if that got him to the end. Thomas also finely toed the line between being a villainous and entertaining player while maintaining good relationships with his tribemates to avoid alienating anyone. All these characteristics could have propelled Thomas until the merge and, at least, the jury phase had a tribe switch not happened. Or if his allies had been better at looking through people's bags, but I digress.
Thomas would be a crucial person to bring back to Survivor in the spirit of having a fun, entertaining, and unforgettable season. Thomas certainly delivered funny confessionals, potentially cutthroat strategies, and even a black eye in just a few short days. Imagine the possibilities if he'd managed to survive that last tribal council. Thomas would've brought on the chaos throughout the season; I have no doubts about it.
As to Thomas' response regarding his experience and potentially coming back, during one of his post-game interviews, Thomas replied, "It's the best thing ever. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It's the greatest thing I've ever done in my life."
Survivor's host, Jeff Probst, had nothing but praise for Thomas during an episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, which could exponentially increase Thomas' chances of being asked back for another shot. As Probst himself said when asked if Thomas would play again, "Maybe a second-time player? Who knows?"
We won't know for certain who will return for Survivor 50 until the final cast is on the island in the upcoming weeks, but Thomas has my full support and wholehearted endorsement for being part of this monumental season. Plus, we need villains back on Survivor!