The Survivor pre-season is filled with rabid super-fans eager to give their opinions and drafts for what’s to come, and Rob Has A Podcast always delivers endless content. Host Rob Cesternino, a two-time Survivor player known by Jeff Probst as “the best player to never win”, invites several familiar guests on the podcast to give their hot takes on their expectations, predictions, and boot orders of the upcoming season.
Digital marketing wiz Angie Caunce created her very own system with character types that fit the mold of the casting choices throughout the years. She delivers a cast assessment each season with Rob via the podcast. Today, just one week before the Winners at War premiere, Angie and Rob investigate the cast and where they fall into the Caunce Character Types.
Yul Kwon: “Seduce and Destroy”
The “Seduce and Destroy” archetype is usually a young professional, highly intelligent, and can sometimes come off as pompous or arrogant. Though Yul Kwon is more calm and self-aware than arrogant, he’s a big enough threat to be eliminated first.
A big question mark for everyone on the cast (besides maybe Parvati, who played with Yul back in Survivor: Cook Islands), he’s either going to completely slip through the cracks or be public enemy number one. Very fastidious and cerebral, Yul’s chances of winning depend on his sociability throughout the season.
Tony Vlachos: “Heisenburg”
Tony Vlachos has painted quite the target on his back, with his “spectacular display of showmanship” according to Angie. He does over-the-top moves like creating a spy shack or speaking llama, so Tony’s unpredictability scares other players, and it revealed itself in Survivor: Game Changers. Coming off the high from winning Survivor: Cagayan, one of the best rated seasons of all time, Tony overplayed and outdid himself in Game Changers, being over-paranoid and making enemies with Queen Sandra.
The “Heisenberg” archetype is willing to do anything; they’re usually high-energy, critical, cutthroat, and meticulous with their work, which is usually in a blue-collar field. This description fits Tony perfectly, as the hyper-manic police officer from New Jersey.
Nick Wilson: “Good Ol’ Boy”
Seen as more simple-minded, the “Good Ol’ Boy” is usually a Southern gentleman with a heart of gold. People usually trust them innately after being comforted by their Southern drawls, and they’re usually seen as even-keeled, lovable, and hard working. Kentucky-born Nick Wilson fits the bill but also brings some of his own personality, as a public defense lawyer with a sharp mind and whip-fast memory.
The “Good Ol’ Boy” usually has a more blue-collar job, like cattle farmer Big Tom Buchanan. Although Angie’s ranking system has Nick as an early boot, he may have a chance to make it past the merge, being one of the only players without deep-rooted previous connections. He could use this to his advantage, pitching himself as a swing vote or being able to blindside huge threats.
Ben Driebergen: “Good Ol’ Boy”
Angie believes Ben Driebergen’s social game is much better than Nick’s, and his chances of winning should be a lot higher than where his character type places him. Ben has been overlooked by the fanbase after finding one too many idols during his only time out in Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers.
If Ben can remain under wraps and not be flashy, he has a great shot at making it past the merge, being a strong physical competitor who will be invaluable in winning immunity challenges for his tribe. Nonetheless, these savvy winners simply will not have forgotten his three-in-a-row idol play, holding the record for most votes cast against a winner. Fun fact: Ben shares a birthday with fellow winner Denise Stapely, born New Years Day!
Tyson Apostol: “Surfer Dude”
Tyson Apostol came to be found as a sincerely likable character in Survivor: Blood vs. Water, not only by fans but his fellow alliance members, who weren’t bitter about him dominating over them and taking the win. If you compare Tyson 3.0 to his first time playing in Survivor: Tocantins, he’s improved exponentially as a player, which should raise the eyebrow’s of his fellow Winners at War castmates.
Not only do his physical and social capabilities make him a threat, but Tyson thinks outside the box, and his cleverness will likely get him voted out pre-merge. Other “Surfer Dude” archetypes include Ozzy Lusth and Joe Anglim, both known for being huge threats.
Ethan Zohn: “Surfer Dude”
Though TheTalko refers to Ethan Zohn as a “pretend tough guy,” many fans are rooting for this season 3 winner to pull through. Not only has Ethan taken a 16-year break from the game, but he’s also become a “survivor” in more ways than one: Ethan began his battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma beginning in 2009. After undergoing a second stem-cell transplant in 2012, Ethan has been in remission ever since.
The “Surfer Dude” archetype suits Ethan well, as he’s very athletic. He first came on the show as a pro soccer player and competed in The Amazing Race with fellow Survivor winner (then-girlfriend) Jenna Morasca. Jenna will not be featured on Winners at War, but Ethan also dated Boston Rob’s wife Amber!
Adam Klein: “Ponyboy”
The “Ponyboy” is usually a likable oddball with a strange job, and Adam Klein could surely match that description. As a homeless shelter coordinator who graduated from Stanford University, Adam prides himself on being a “super-duper fan” of Survivor and won the hearts of his entire jury when he won unanimously, after sharing a heartbreaking story revolving his mother’s ongoing battle with cancer.
Adam’s story is nothing short of incredible, as he was able to share his victory with his mom just two days before her passing. “She waited for me,” Adam told People in an interview. A fellow super-fan, Adam’s mom is now remembered through each one of the motivational speeches he gives.
Boston Rob Mariano: “John McLane”
Angie believes Boston Rob Mariano has no chance of making it this far into the game, with a “zero percent chance of winning the game, even if he comes back and tries to ‘Chris Underwood’ it” as Angie lovingly puts it on the podcast. She’s or course referring to Chris Underwood, winner of Survivor: Edge of Extinction, who won the game after playing only 13 of the 39 days in Survivor proper. Chris’ win is not considered respectable by the community, since it blatantly goes against the game’s motto: “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast”.
Boston Rob’s chances of winning the EoE challenge and landing back in the game are high, but it’s doubtful that a jury of winners will allow Rob (or anyone for that matter) to take the two million dollar prize if he hasn’t been in the game the entire time.
Jeremy Collins: “John McLane”
Winner of all-returnee season Survivor: Cambodia, Jeremy Collins is also the “John McLane” but unlike his counterpart, Boston Rob, Jeremy was able to pull out the “W” within two tries, not four!
Though he was voted out his first season at the merge Jeremy managed to use bigger threats during Survivor: Cambodia as “meat shields”, effectively making his way to the end and beating out his competition with an undivided final vote. Though Jeremy needs tight allies, a season 40 win could be feasible for him.
Wendell Holland: “Alpha Male Control Freak”
Angie makes a good point when mentioning the impact (or lack thereof) Wendell Holland’s tie at the final tribal council in Survivor: Ghost Island. Instead of it being a shut out, Wendell tied Domenick Abbate 5-5 at the final vote of Ghost Island, an unprecedented occurrence that left third-place finisher Laurel Johnson to cast the deciding vote.
Since it wasn’t a landslide win, Wendell will be more inconspicuous than say, uncontested-winner Adam Klein, who has also only played once and won within the last ten seasons, another “new school” player. Wendell’s character type “Alpha Male Control Freak” fits him more than you would first expect since he comes off very calm and collected. He did graduate law school and effectively led his tribe, which sometimes came off as controlling.
