With the premiere of Survivor’s 37th season, David v. Goliath, just days away, it’s time to get in a little preview. This season consists of all new players, so of course it’s all just fun and conjecture. But the pre-game interviews do often provide a bit of valuable insight into some of the castaways.
Check back here for my post on the cast reveal if all you need is a list of the names of the tribe members. Go to CBS for full cast bios. For those interested, I used mostly those bios, interviews from THR (David and Goliath), and the “First One Out” podcast (Part 1 – David Tribe, Part 2 – Goliath Tribe). All of those, especially the podcast, are highly recommended for anyone looking to get some more insight into the new castaways ahead of Wednesday’s premiere.
So on to the previews. Nobody really jumped out as a clear-cut possible winner. And on the flip-side, there wasn’t anyone who seemed like an obvious first boot candidate. So I’ll be doing the best I can, and I’m sure nothing I say here will end up being correct, because that’s how Survivor works. And that’s part of why we love it.
David Tribe
Castaways to Watch
Davie Rickenbacker
We’ll see how this one plays out, because this pick is due mostly to the fact that I liked the vibe he gave on his “First One Out” interview with Josh Wigler. I enjoyed listening to him talk. I liked what he had to say. He seemed like a genuinely fun person to be around. I think his social game will be strong. And something small, he mentioned the various social media profiles he has. Yes, this could be a stretch. But it might go to show that he’s able to balance multiple “personalities” if you will. When you need to play people against each other, or keep someone feeling easy when you’re actually targeting them, knowing how to act and simply keeping those details straight is of utmost importance.
Nick Wilson
I’m a sucker for lawyers. They’re obviously smart. It should be a safe assumption that they know how to effectively argue their side in any discussion or argument. Nick is also a self-proclaimed “redneck lawyer.” The redneck part could play into his favor. Fair or not (it’s not) other castaways might underestimate simply for that reason. But as a competitor I’m sure he’s fine with it. Let him sit in the background for a bit, let the others believe he’s not a threat. Then he can strike when the time is right.
Potential First Boot
Bi Nguyen
I’m always wary of castaways who aren’t as familiar with the game. By her own admission she only started watching the show about a month or two before filming for this season began. Even binging obsessively, is that enough time to familiarize yourself with the various nuances of the game? We’ve seen newcomers do well before, but I tend to bet against them.
Christian Hubicki
If the David Tribe loses a physical first challenge, they will likely be looking for a weak physical link. He profiles like another Cochran or Fishbach or Ryan Ulrich. And all three of them have had overall successful runs on the show (Cochran of course has won, Fishbach was a runner-up). But you’d have to think Christian will be the physically weakest person on the tribe. If the tribe is looking for an easy first vote, getting rid of someone like that could easily be something everyone could get behind. However, like the aforementioned players, if he’s able to hang around long enough, he could certainly emerge as a serious threat in the game.
Goliath Tribe
Castaways to Watch
Angelina Keeley
I get a good vibe from her. She’s whip-smart, seems to have a good sense of humor, and should have a strong social game. She recognizes her own ambition and go-getterness (I’m just going to go ahead and make that a word). You need to have some of that to succeed on the show. Hopefully she can keep it in check, though. If it she lets it out too much, it could come off as controlling to other tribemates. You don’t want that. But my initial feeling is that she will be able to keep it under control.
John Hennigan
A professional wrestler with one of the best all-time nicknames (The Mayor of Slamtown)? Yes please. Obviously he has the physical attributes that should make him invaluable early in the game. But his social game seems like it will be on point as well. That can hopefully help keep the target off his back as a challenge threat post-merge. Add in even just a little bit of strategy, and you’ve got yourself a dangerous player.
Potential First Boot
Alec Merlino
Comes off as your stereotypical “bro”. Could rub some people the wrong way. And in listening to his “First One Out” interview, just listening to him talk could get tiring pretty quickly. Even if he’s not the first boot for the Goliaths, I don’t see him making the merge, save for any tribe switches, game twists, all going in his favor.
Dan Rengering
He’s a cop. That’s the main reason here. Yes, two cops have won the game. But Tony lied about it the whole time, and Sarah’s win was on a returning-player season. If he’s honest about his job, If he can avoid that stigma, or successfully lie about his profession, then he should be okay. But there’s also a keen observation from Angelina (via THR):
“He’s too overeager. He’s always chatting with all the staff. And I get it, I’m an extrovert, I’m always exploding at the seams. But he’s always throwing in an extra word when we’re not supposed to be talking, or telling a joke, or whatever. He’s so loud with who he is with his external stuff. He has a Top Gun shirt and a Superman backpack, and he’s reading all these comic books. You can tell that’s his thing, which is cool! I’m not mad at it! But you’re showing your hand way too early. From an alliance perspective, I feel like he would be a liability, because he’ll make an amateur mistake.”
There we have it. A quick little preview of the season to come. I get a good feeling from this cast as a whole. Nobody stood out as someone whose bandwagon I’m jumping on pre-game. But likewise, there wasn’t anyone who really rubbed me the wrong way – though Alec would probably be the closest. Be sure to check back Thursday morning for my premiere recap, where I will also be making my official winner pick for the season.
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