All I can say is...wow. I don't think it's one of the best seasons ever like Max tried to sell us, but that finale really boosted this season up a lot for me. It was simply one of the best finales I have ever seen. You know what? It kinda does make up for the rest of the season (at least in my books). Mike's mom...Mike winning two more challenges...Mike forcing a tie-breaker to teach Rodney a lesson for all he's done...Mike forcing himself to apologize to help Dan's ego and shockingly get Dan's vote...Shirin and Jenn's speeches...and Mike getting his deserved blowout win. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. And, at the reunion, I loved Shirin sticking by her guns and not being swayed into saying one thing or another; she stood her ground, which I love. And...to be very honest, Dan isn't a bad person. He really isn't. He's just...stupid. But, I really do think he's a nice person on the inside; he just has no filter. So, I do believe him when he apologized and explained himself. Oh, and Rodney's birthday...now that I know he didn't win, it was hilarious to see that happen.
As for the contestants for next season...the ones I'm most angry about not getting on are Teresa, Max, Shane, Troyzan, and Sabrina. So, five out of 20 isn't bad! The five I would take out are Kelley Wentworth (how the hell did she get on), Monica Padilla (again, how the hell did she get on), Joe Anglim (boring eye candy), Terry Deitz (it's criminal that he's here and not Shane), and Jeremy Collins (still hate the bastard). So...a bit sad for the five I wanted to be on...but, overall, not bad. I know fans are going to be in an uproar that Shane didn't get on, yet Terry and Andrew did, but...hey, you're the morons who voted. Blame yourselves. I voted for Shane every single day, but apparently you guys like Terry and Andrew more. Fine, whatever.
Anyway, onto my rankings of all the players of this very conflicting season:
18. Lindsey Cascaddan (15th Place): I'm sorry, but when I think of the people who just REALLY pissed me off and made me utterly despise them, Lindsey is the first one that comes to mind. Her trashing Mike and daring to insult God like that? I don't care what you believe in or what you don't believe in; you do NOT personally attack someone like that. It's just as bad as what Will did. Lindsey was a loudmouthed, cocky, arrogant, rude, obnoxious, irritating, annoying, hateful bitch. I loathed every second I saw of her and I hate her the most on this season.
17. Rodney Lavoie Jr. (4th Place): Ultimately, he reaped what he sowed in the end, and that was hilarious and awesome to see. That said, he was a jackass and I hated his guts. Sure, he did make me laugh a few times, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he was still a racist, sexist, rude, lazy, annoying, idiotic creep. Just because you're someone who is "fun to point and laugh at", that doesn't mean we should like them. A touching last scene with him (right after one of the rudest ending confessionals ever) was nice, but it doesn't make up for what a dick this bastard this.
16. Will Sims II (3rd Place): I loved him in the very first episode...and hated him from every one from there on out. From him getting Vince out for a freaking innocent comment, and then calling Nina "dead weight", and then his obnoxious with always mocking Mike and saying he "better win or he's out" and "I already have a final three" and so much more. Oh, did I mention his attack on Shirin yet? Did I also mention just how pathetic he was in every single challenge? How can someone start off as so beloved and sweet, yet turn so ugly and disgusting just like that? Really shows that Survivor will make you show your true colors eventually.
15. Joaquin Souberbielle (13th Place): The second my eyes landed on this guy, I was already disgusted and knew I would hate him. Yes, looks can be deceiving...but, he didn't do anything to justify my dislike of him. He was a douche. He really didn't do anything in the game of importance, other than get all chummy with Rodney and get quickly get taken out by Mike for doing so. Joaquin was just unlikeable in every way. Ugly to look at, always sneering or scowling, and not all that great at the game. Nothing you can fairly HATE him for, but nothing you can genuinely like him for, either.
14. Sierra Thomas (5th Place): While Sierra may not have been the most horrible a person as others (Rodney, Lindsey, Will, Dan), she was horrible in other ways. First, she whined like a big baby when she got voted for, and Mike comforted her. Dan and Rodney did not, and even pissed her off worse. Then, what does she do? Align with the very same people she said she hated. Not only that, but she sided with the other villains, too. And every time she talked about "making a move", she never did, and always kissed Rodney's ass. She's just a pathetic little girl with no heart whatsoever. Just a disgrace.
13. Carolyn Rivera (2nd Place): Why she suddenly got a lot of love in the past few weeks is beyond me. What did this bitch do to deserve it? Sure, she found an idol in the first episode. Yeah, she was acting all cutesy and fun in the past three weeks. Sure, she took down Rodney in a tie-breaking challenge...after an hour. But, did you all forget all the stuff in-between? All the ugly sneering and leering she did at every tribal? The way she was rude to Shirin? The way she sided with the villains over the good guys, when she was supposed to be a "mother" out there? The way she stabbed Tyler in the back? Sorry, but I didn't enjoy her.
12. So Kim (18th Place): I feel so bad for So. She was going to be on San Juan Del Sur with her sister, but she couldn't. Then she gets out there, immediately makes us want to hate her when she calls herself the devil, and promptly gets voted out first. That stings. To be honest, I didn't mind her. She kinda reminded me of Parvati in a sense. She was pretty, and seemed to be decent in challenges, but ultimately was a poor liar and aligned herself with the wrong person. Oh, and one last thing. Would you all please GROW UP? Stop with all the So jokes. They're not funny. Her name is So. We all have a name. Deal with it, you rejects.
11. Hali Ford (11th Place): Sorry, but why all the love? She was...pretty useless in the grand scheme of things. She was just the No Collar tribe's narrator. Joe would smile and look pretty, Jenn would act like a rebel, Nina would complain about being bullied, Vince would be stalking around, Will would be wasting oxygen, and Hali would be narrating. That's all she did. She had no impact on the game, her elimination episode was unmemorable, her final tribal council stance was boring, and she really had no purpose other than be "that likeable No Collar girl other than Jenn". Nothing horrible, but nothing really amazing, either.
10. Joe Anglim (10th Place): Once more, all the love for this guy is just outrageous. What is wrong with you people? So he's pretty much just another Malcolm. So...wonderful. Whatever. He's boring eye candy for the ladies (and maybe gay males), good in challenges, and sucks in the social aspect. Just a cliche boring male Survivor. No real personality or entertainment factor other than being likeable and handsome. That doesn't make me amused or interested in you. Maybe he's a nice guy and you like that in a season with creeps, but he just wasn't for me. Glad he voted for Mike, but whatever. Take him or leave him.
9. Kelly Remington (12th Place): Eh, my mother liked her because she was a tough cop who fought through probably a concussion and was rather likeable, for the parts we got to see when she wasn't being invisible and irrelevant. Harsh elimination episode for her, thanks to a lucky idol play by Jenn, but I think she was decent. Nothing special, or really all that important, but if Mike was willing to throw a challenge for her, then she's a good gal in my books. Too many people named Kelly play this game, though. Now we've getting two back for next season. Heaven help us if one goes out first and one wins the whole thing. Ugh.
8. Nina Poersch (16th Place): At this point, from here on up, these are the people that I really loved or liked, for one reason or another. Nina is someone I felt so bad for. She was clearly getting bullied by Hali and Jenn (do NOT defend them; I know bullying when I see it) and she couldn't do a thing about it without coming across mean. Yes, she complained about her hearing a lot, but what can you do? When you're being forced to not participate in a damn challenge, and others are having fun with out at camp...what are you SUPPOSED to think? Nina was a lovely woman and she really deserved to stay over Will. Such a sad way to go out.
7. Tyler Fredrickson (7th Place): My early winner, and for a while I was feeling confident about it. Tyler really is a good person. If you listened to his Ponderosa video, you'd understand his game-play a bit better. Sure, he was on the villains side, but he wasn't a bad guy. He was doing his best he could, and he got backstabbed by his closest ally. He never even ratted out Carolyn's idol. A nice guy to the end. Sure, he was a bit boring, but again, blame the editing and his style of game-play. Him being a former footballer has nothing to do with him being this high. I just genuinely liked the guy and what I got out of him this season, that's all.
6. Vince Sly (17th Place): Basically the better version of Joe that I WISHED had stayed in the game. Seriously, Vince was hilarious. Sure, he was creepy, but cut him some slack. He had some good insight on the game and he was just playing the best way he knew how, much like Tyler. He was amusing, funny, good in challenges, and was taken out only thanks to Will acting more paranoid than Mike did in the entire game. I highly enjoyed Vince, and it pisses me off that Max isn't on next season so that Vince could be his loved one to visit him. That would've been gold.
5. Max Dawson (14th Place): It hurts me to put him this low, but the four others above him just did a lot more to impress and entertain me. Max was amazing for what we got to see of him, and you stupid fans that kept him out of next season are hateful jerks. Max was funny, he was really intelligent, and he was so clueless that it was hilarious. He was like Woo, only intelligent about Survivor...in all the wrong ways. It was perfect. I was told by a certain asshole that I would likely love Max going into the season, and for once he was right. I did love Max. He really should've lasted longer.
4. Jenn Brown (9th Place): I never imagined I'd have Jenn this high. I loathed her so much all the way up to her elimination episode. Why? Because she bullied Nina, she acted like a more mellow version of Lindsey, she acted like a pompous moron, she talked smack about everyone, and above all she didn't want to keep playing. Sure, she didn't quit, but she may as well have. When you start saying that you wish you weren't there, then you lost my respect. HOWEVER, she gained it all back by siding with Mike, and then delivering one of the best speeches ever in the final tribal council. Plus, she loves animals, and I love animals. So, she redeemed herself.
3. Dan Foley (6th Place): Yep, you all knew this was coming. There's ALWAYS that one controversial pick we all have that pisses everyone else off and makes them laugh at you. Well, bring on the hate. I loved Dan. Sure, he pissed me off really badly for all he did to Mike...but then he finally realized the error of his ways and gave him his vote. Yes, it took an undeserved apology from Mike to get it, but Dan finally wised up. And I was also impressed by his answers at the reunion. He really isn't a bad guy; he's a lot like me. When I tell jokes, all of you people get mad at me and accuse me of being a jackass, when I'm not. Dan is the same. He simply has no filter. He's not a bad person at all, I fully believe that. His game was just so much fun to watch. We all knew everything he said was wrong. We all knew he was going to crash and burn. We all knew he was not going to win. Just admit that he made the season entertaining. Without him, the season wouldn't have been what it was.
2. Shirin Oskooi (8th Place): To those who dare call her annoying, ignorant, self-righteous, or whatever...you're a scumbag. Shirin is amazing. And I love how she keeps bringing up her past and the awareness she wants to bring to it. Just because you say something over and over again doesn't make you annoying or preachy; it NEEDS to sink in for you idiots to get the point. Anyway, Shirin was awesome in the game. She was crazy and ditzy, weird and wacky, and just the right bit of strategic without going overboard and boring me to death. She was just perfect on every level. I loved this crazy woman, and I loved her final tribal council hijinks.
1. Mike Holloway (1st Place): Ladies and gentlemen, we may very well have someone who unseats Fabio, Cochran and Natalie Anderson as my favorite Survivor winner ever. That's how much I adored Mike. Not only a Christian, but every single thing he did in the game was beautiful. He had flaws, but he learned from them. He fought tooth and nail for everything he got. He found an idol. He did all the work around camp. He thanked God all the time. His sweet mother was there for him to help get him through those final days. He won five immunity challenges to tie the record. He did happy dances. He was loyal and honest and genuine. He forced a tie that could've bit him in the butt, since Carolyn SEEMED to have a lot of support, but he did what he felt was right and deserved and it paid off for him. Every single thing about this man is wonderful and what I admire in a Sole Survivor. Him alone could be the reason why this season is ranked a lot higher on my list than maybe I initially thought it would be. Mike Holloway is incredible and I'm so very, very happy he won.
Tailslover13 Very nice insight on a good season. However, I found it insanely ironic that my favorites were your least favorites. I loved Tyler, Joe, Joaquin, Lindsey (just for her style more than anything, tbh), and Rodney.
I can see how you liked and disliked you did, and I highly respect that. But Dan? Wow, you're right; that is the one pick everyone judges on.
I COMPLETELY disagree with ALL of your picks. I hated Dan, loved Carolyn, and I think that Joe was robbed. His social game wasn't THAT bad, but it does annoy me that he was such a lock for next season.
I can see how you liked and disliked you did, and I highly respect that. But Dan? Wow, you're right; that is the one pick everyone judges on.