Survivor 43’s Ryan Medrano was a strong physical competitor, but his lack of social game led to his elimination on Survivor. In a twist, which sent two competitors home in the recent episode, Ryan was the second to get voted out. His competitors discussed voting him out for some time, but the twist sealed his fate. After seeing James Jones as the first eliminated, the decision to vote out Ryan was locked in by those who saw him as a physical threat.
While Ryan excelled in physical competitions, viewers were perplexed by his social gameplay. It appeared Ryan was more satisfied with minimal social gameplay as he focused more on providing for the tribe. Ryan fished for the tribe often to provide food while others were strategizing. Although Ryan positioned well with Coco going in the merge, contestants questioned keeping him in the game. In an interview with EW, Ryan discussed why he chose to play a more laid-back social game.
Ryan Medrano Recognized Issues With His Social Game Early On
Early on, Ryan recognized the social game was not one of his strong suits and chose not to focus on it. He said, “I noticed I would sometimes put my foot in my mouth and say, or almost say, things I shouldn’t. So I thought, let me talk to people that I trust, let me talk to everybody, see where their mind is at.” Overplaying the social game has been the downfall of many past competitors, including Elie Scott’s messy gameplay on Survivor 43. Therefore, Ryan made a wise decision by recognizing his weakness early on. However, he could have talked more to tribe members to ensure his position as an ally rather than an extra vote.
Ryan also shared that the time he spent in the water reminded him of his grandfather, who was a fisherman. He reminisced, “So I saw that water and I got this warm feeling in my heart every time and I thought, I’m gonna be out there with him. And it was like a zen moment of my life where I was able to enjoy something I’d never enjoyed.” Ryan inspired viewers with his story of having cerebral palsy, and knowing what the fishing meant to him brings more depth to him. Although Survivor fans are mixed on sob story editing, knowing the sentimental value of the fishing changes how viewers look at Ryan.
A backseat social game on Survivor 43 could have worked out in Ryan’s favor longer if not for the twist. The twist of two tribal councils had competitors scrambling to figure out who to vote out. Unfortunately, the chaos meant taking out players like Ryan, who were strong competitors and long-term threats. Still, Ryan’s impressive physical feats would not have taken him far enough in the game without closer allies.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on CBS.
