Survivor Second Chance Contestants: Is a Second Chance Justified?

Now when the upcoming Survivor season was announced, I did have to wonder why certain players were chosen over others for the voting that us fans could do. I mean, think about it: for a season called second chance, there’s a lot of potential players missing. No players that we could vote on were medically evacuated. None of them were idoled out. None of them were first boots. None of them were voted out while in possession of an idol. A lot of seasons had no eligible contestants for voting. I think that second chance might have been the wrong name. But some of the rumored contestants could work in a second chance season. This list will include my thoughts on all the contestants that we could vote for and not just the ones that made the cast. And in case I don’t mention it enough throughout the rest of this article, I’m not saying that none of these people who don’t belong on a second chance season shouldn’t be returning players at all. I’m just saying that a second chance season is the wrong fit for them. That’s why I think that Second Chance is the wrong name for Cambodia, but that’s just my thoughts on the matter.

Joe from Worlds Apart was one of many great contestants who never had a chance at making it to the end without always having to win immunity. But how does that deserve a second chance? That doesn’t make much sense to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that he’s on the next season. Keep that in mind as you read the rest of this blog post. But he seems like he isn’t fit for a second chances season. Then we have Vytas. A lot of people think that since he played a Redemption Island season, then that means that he already had a second chance. I disagree since he only played the game once at the time. He also lost a duel, and thus the game, by a single second, thus making me think that he does deserve a second chance.

Spencer is one of many players who was a distraction from the real winner. Spencer could have easily won, but he wasn’t able to prevent himself getting voted out. To me, second chance doesn’t seem right for him as there weren’t really any moments that caused him to lose. Some may argue the idol clue that he left out that was stolen from him might count, and maybe it should. Jeremy seems like a better fit on a jury threats season than a second chance season. What happened to him that would make a second chance for him justified? Nothing, in my mind, qualifies him for that although him being a returning player is still a good idea.

Next we get to Teresa. She is remembered for casting an extra vote against Lex and making him go crazy. She became the highest ranking member of the original Samburu tribe. Is that what qualifies her for a second chance season? I’m not sure if she belongs in a true second chance season. Brad probably would work for a second chance season. Why do I think that? Well, his all men’s alliance turned on him due to mistakes that he made. So it seems like he was worthy of a second chance to me.

When you are a student of the game, like Max, telling everyone about what all you know isn’t exactly the best idea. So him being in a second chance season actually makes sense to me. Terry is the Survivor contestant that I have the most mixed feelings towards. He could have done so much more with his ultra powerful idol than he did. But he’s such a strong player and the fact that he didn’t win his season is an overall disappointment. A second chance for him could possibly fit.

Ciera is an interesting villain who outranked all the other new players in her season. She was criticized by many for switching sides too early. That ultimately ruined the game for the new players. I can see a second chance for her being justified. Stephen is a player that many people list on a second chance season. Why they include him there completely baffles me. In my mind, he stuck with his ally to the very end and lost fair and square. He did nothing and nothing happened to him that would justify him for a second chance.

Tasha was a part of the brains tribe in her season starting out. While that tribe was dumb at the beginning, she was one of the smarter people on it. After becoming a challenge threat, like many people, she was voted out the first time she wasn’t immune anymore. To me, she didn’t do much that would qualify her for a second chance season, although she’s a great player and I’m glad that she’s playing again. Abi-Maria was annoying to many people on her tribe. Other players in the game ignored the fact that she was a perfect goat towards the end and voted her out anyways. What qualifies her for a second chance season? Nothing, in my mind does that.

In the most recent season, Mike made enough questionable moves that he would have fit perfectly on a second chance season had he not still won the season that he played. You do have to wonder if a person who won Survivor has made as many dumb moves as Mike has. But, of course, a winner shouldn’t be part of a true second chance season. That’s why the votes for him didn’t count. But, it does make you wonder why he was a choice for the season in the first place. Woo did make a really dumb mistake by taking his ally Tony to the end who he promptly lost to. It makes sense that he would get a second chance.

Kimmi seems like a random person to be included in the choices. While I do remember her, saying that she should be in a second chance season seems pretty strange. Maybe it would work since she had trouble adapting to the game and got voted out because of it. You don’t see that as much anymore. I wonder why that is. Peih-Gee is a contestant that I liked. She was poorly treated by Denise in the season she was in. I don’t know why second chance would fit with her, but I am glad that she’s returning to play the game again.

Kass is remembered mostly for flipping. Unlikely a lot of other flippers, she actually made it very far even though she flipped. What I find most memorable is that she lost the final immunity challenge by an even closer margin than Vytas lost Redemption Island. Vytas lost by a second and Kass somehow lost by less than that. In my mind, she would make a good person for a second chance season. Keith could have probably won the game if things had gone differently at the final immunity challenge. That failure to avoid becoming the last person voted out seems to happen every season. Keith may be a player that I like, but I don’t see justification in a second chance season.

Shirin, like many players, wasn’t liked by the people she was playing the game with and ultimately got voted out because of it. I’m not sure how that justifies a second chance, but it’s good that she will play again. Monica was part of the Galu tribe and she made the merge. When the Foa Foa four was able to take control of the game, she outlasted other people before getting voted out herself. To me, she doesn’t seem that different from others that season so I may see a justification for a second chance, but I do not see why she was chosen to compete. But, Laura Morett was a questionable returning player choice and she proved many of us wrong. So maybe Monica will be like that.

While some people don’t like him, Shane is a pretty interesting player and certainly is entertaining. At one point in the season he was on, he was a swing vote. Now being a swing vote can be dangerous thing. Voting against them doesn’t always work, but Shane threw away his chance at being saved and was voted out as a result. I can see a second chance applying to him. Jim was an ally of Ozzy in South Pacific and even considered giving up his immunity necklace to save him in an example of an interesting event that went unaired. He was quickly disposed of shortly after the merge. I’m not sure what makes him a standout player, but I know that he does not belong on a second chance season.

Carolyn is a very good and interesting player. I’m not sure if she made any notable mistakes or not. I don’t know what happened to her that would justify a second chance. I would like to see her play again, but a second chance season doesn’t seem like the right fit. Troyzan was an entertaining player who was on the bottom after the merge. A second chance season would sort of fit and work, but I don’t think that it’s exactly the right fit.

Andrew was thought by many to have been ruined by the outcasts twist in Pearl Islands. I liked the outcasts twist, but I totally see a second chance being justified for him. Natalie from Redemption Island wasn’t that much of a stand-out player in my mind. Her blind loyalty to Boston Rob earned her zero jury votes. She was a young player, which is notable. But a second chance season doesn’t seem to be the right fit for her.

Sabrina may not have stood out that much over other players in her season. I’m not sure why a second chance season would fit her. Stephanie was the highest ranking player of Russell’s Zaptera alliance. Joining a well known villain is a good reason in my mind to get her a second chance.

Jeff Varner is a well known player who only lost because of previous votes against him. That’s how ties were resolved at the time at his tribe knew nothing of the rules before he was eliminated. His tribe might have even entered the merge with higher numbers were it not for an unfortunate event that pulled a player from the game. A second chance totally qualifies for him. Kelley Wentworth is another random choice for the list, in my mind. I’m not sure what, if anything, qualifies her for a second chance season, although seeing her return isn’t a bad thing.

Kelly Wiglesworth made a bad choice by leaving the Tagi alliance. One can sort of see her reasoning behind it. If she could get all the Pagong members to vote for her to win, then she’ll have the number of votes that she needed. However, she didn’t end up getting them. I can see a second chance applying to her. Mikayla is the only other person to mention. Brandon Hantz ruined the game for her by getting her voted out. It’s always sad when he gets his way. So a second chance would fit her.

Well, I hope this blog post didn’t offend anyone. As I’ve stated many times in this post: they can all become returning players, but a second chance season may not be the right fit for them. That’s my thoughts on the matter at least. I do hope that some, if not all, of them that weren’t chosen become returning players at some point. I just hope that they are given correct labels for the season that they wind up on. For now, this is Adam Decker, signing off.