Why I Loved Survivor One World: An Essay
(This may be completely for my and jarrow's sole amusement, but if so, oh well. ;P)
Survivor is a really hit-or-miss show. Some seasons are epic and thrilling, others are boring and full of hateful people. When it's good it's SO GOOD, and when it's bad I feel like a chump for still watching. My favorite seasons have one thing in common: They feature awesome ladies to root for and, needless to say, crush on (i.e. Stephenie, Parvati, Amanda, Amber, Erinn). The presence or absence of one favorite contestant can make or break a season.
I was a little worried about Survivor: One World (season 24) when it started. The set-up was two tribes divided by gender, the twist being that they lived on one beach together. Because I know this show, I knew that neither of these elements would last long. Which was true. But I digress. The best thing about this initial gender split was that even though they lost the first bunch of challenges, the women had time to form strong bonds with each other (to varying degrees), while the men's tribe never really wavered from being a battle between alphas. Therefore, when the tribe swap and merge happened, the dudes were all over the place while the ladies' bonds remained strong.
There is NOTHING I love more than watching women dominate this game. I can't even describe to you how glorious it can be for me. For the first time ever, S24 featured a final five of all women, which is a huge accomplishment. No other group of ladies in Survivor history has managed to stick together through to that point in the game, and I say BRAVO to that whole tribe. They didn't let the guys break them up and they didn't flip to the other side.
But most importantly, One World featured a contestant whom is now a serious contender for my favorite player ever. This was made all the more awesome by the fact that SHE ACTUALLY FUCKING WON, and she deserved it by playing a better game than possibly anyone I have ever seen.
So let's talk about Kim Spradlin.
And let's thank the Survivor gods for the body oil challenge.
As it's been said before, Kim was a legitimate ALL-AROUND THREAT. She dominated challenges (and not just physical ones) and won four individual immunities. She found a hidden immunity idol that she never even had to use because she was already winning so hardcore. Kim also blew me away strategically. Just when I thought she couldn't own any more in the realm of strategy, the very next week she would pull something off that made me even more impressed. On top of that, her social game was near perfect. Even as a leader, she never had a target on her back because everyone just liked her too damn much. It is SO RARE for a contestant to excel in all three of these realms that Boston Rob's win is the only other example I can think of. Kim clearly had the win in her pocket around halfway through the season.
My golden jungle goddess!
I can't express how gratifying it is to watch someone play so hard and come up with that well-earned victory. I loved watching Kim in challenges, I loved watching her control the game, but perhaps best of all was watching her make genuine connections with people even when she knew she'd have to vote them out. Another key element to her game was that she OWNED every decision she made. She never apologized. She knew it was a game, but playing it as a game didn't keep her from making real friends.
LOL THIS GAME IS SO EASY YOU GUYS
Another thing I loved about this season... are you ready, this might shock you... was THE FEMSLASH. Kim and her BFF/secret girlfriend Chelsea were so adorable that I could barely stand it. (I would still do ANYTHING to read fic about them, guuuuh). They demonstrated the power of playing the game in a solid pair (a VERY SOLID pair, ahem), a la Boston Rob & Amber. Instead of trying to describe it, I'd like to send you over to my Survivor tag on Tumblr so you can see the love for yourself!
Accidentally in looooove...
Finally, here is what I believe to be the key to Kim's social game, which is apparently true for her in real life as well: She has the ability to always see a person's value, and find something interesting about them. She sees goodness and worth in every individual. (I think her sister Beth talked about this somewhere but I can't find it right now...) Other castaways talk about how magnetic she is, and the way she gives her full attention to every person and looks right into their souls, basically, when she's talking with them.
What amazing qualities to possess. Kim, you are my hero and a true role model. <333 NOW PLEASE GET YOUR OWN SHOW AND STAY ON MY TV FOREVER, KTHNX. :'(
A few Kim links for reference & posterity:
- Video of Kim getting her huge check!
- Survivng Kim, a blog run by her sister Beth (great pictures, great read)
- Kim interview with EW
- Red carpet interview post-finale
Survivor is a really hit-or-miss show. Some seasons are epic and thrilling, others are boring and full of hateful people. When it's good it's SO GOOD, and when it's bad I feel like a chump for still watching. My favorite seasons have one thing in common: They feature awesome ladies to root for and, needless to say, crush on (i.e. Stephenie, Parvati, Amanda, Amber, Erinn). The presence or absence of one favorite contestant can make or break a season.
I was a little worried about Survivor: One World (season 24) when it started. The set-up was two tribes divided by gender, the twist being that they lived on one beach together. Because I know this show, I knew that neither of these elements would last long. Which was true. But I digress. The best thing about this initial gender split was that even though they lost the first bunch of challenges, the women had time to form strong bonds with each other (to varying degrees), while the men's tribe never really wavered from being a battle between alphas. Therefore, when the tribe swap and merge happened, the dudes were all over the place while the ladies' bonds remained strong.
There is NOTHING I love more than watching women dominate this game. I can't even describe to you how glorious it can be for me. For the first time ever, S24 featured a final five of all women, which is a huge accomplishment. No other group of ladies in Survivor history has managed to stick together through to that point in the game, and I say BRAVO to that whole tribe. They didn't let the guys break them up and they didn't flip to the other side.
But most importantly, One World featured a contestant whom is now a serious contender for my favorite player ever. This was made all the more awesome by the fact that SHE ACTUALLY FUCKING WON, and she deserved it by playing a better game than possibly anyone I have ever seen.
So let's talk about Kim Spradlin.
And let's thank the Survivor gods for the body oil challenge.
As it's been said before, Kim was a legitimate ALL-AROUND THREAT. She dominated challenges (and not just physical ones) and won four individual immunities. She found a hidden immunity idol that she never even had to use because she was already winning so hardcore. Kim also blew me away strategically. Just when I thought she couldn't own any more in the realm of strategy, the very next week she would pull something off that made me even more impressed. On top of that, her social game was near perfect. Even as a leader, she never had a target on her back because everyone just liked her too damn much. It is SO RARE for a contestant to excel in all three of these realms that Boston Rob's win is the only other example I can think of. Kim clearly had the win in her pocket around halfway through the season.
My golden jungle goddess!
I can't express how gratifying it is to watch someone play so hard and come up with that well-earned victory. I loved watching Kim in challenges, I loved watching her control the game, but perhaps best of all was watching her make genuine connections with people even when she knew she'd have to vote them out. Another key element to her game was that she OWNED every decision she made. She never apologized. She knew it was a game, but playing it as a game didn't keep her from making real friends.
LOL THIS GAME IS SO EASY YOU GUYS
Another thing I loved about this season... are you ready, this might shock you... was THE FEMSLASH. Kim and her BFF/secret girlfriend Chelsea were so adorable that I could barely stand it. (I would still do ANYTHING to read fic about them, guuuuh). They demonstrated the power of playing the game in a solid pair (a VERY SOLID pair, ahem), a la Boston Rob & Amber. Instead of trying to describe it, I'd like to send you over to my Survivor tag on Tumblr so you can see the love for yourself!
Accidentally in looooove...
Finally, here is what I believe to be the key to Kim's social game, which is apparently true for her in real life as well: She has the ability to always see a person's value, and find something interesting about them. She sees goodness and worth in every individual. (I think her sister Beth talked about this somewhere but I can't find it right now...) Other castaways talk about how magnetic she is, and the way she gives her full attention to every person and looks right into their souls, basically, when she's talking with them.
What amazing qualities to possess. Kim, you are my hero and a true role model. <333 NOW PLEASE GET YOUR OWN SHOW AND STAY ON MY TV FOREVER, KTHNX. :'(
A few Kim links for reference & posterity:
- Video of Kim getting her huge check!
- Survivng Kim, a blog run by her sister Beth (great pictures, great read)
- Kim interview with EW
- Red carpet interview post-finale