If you're a fan of 'Survivor' then you have been treated to a great season so far this year.Russell Hantz, the oil company owner from Texas, could be the greatest 'Survivor' player to ever play the game. This is a big compliment coming from me. After the first few episodes of this season, I couldn't wait for Russell to be voted out. His behavior early in the season was reprehensible. From telling everyone that he was a victim of Hurricane Katrina, to sabotaging things around camp (emptying out canteens, throwing peoples socks in the fire) he became a real difficult person to like.
However as the season has progressed, we have seen how he is playing the game. He has found 3, count 'em 3, hidden immunity idols. 2 of them with no clues whatsoever. Unlike some contestants in the past, he hasn't let them go to waste. He has played 2 so far, one of them saving him from being voted out, and no doubt will play the 3rd.
He assumed, and assumed correctly, that producers hide the hidden idols near landmarks around camp, such as a big tree or a bridge. This is how he was able to find the idols with no clues. Because he is a student of the game. He has watched and learned and because he has done so, he has a decided advantage over his fellow players.
Russell has won me over. He may still not be a very nice person, but as a fan of the game of 'Survivor' you can't help but appreciate him and how he is playing the game. I find myself rooting for him in each episode now. He has singled-handedly turned the game around. Turning his tribe from an outnumbered underdog to a tribe in control of the game. He has turned a season that was a little boring and uneventful for the first few weeks into one of the shows best.
He has to be considered one of the best, if not the best, 'Survivor' player ever, and while we're at it, let's not over look the show itself. It's really a testament to the producers that after 19 seasons the show can deliver a season this good. It's the reason the show is still a ratings winner, still consistently winning it's timeslot after 8+ years on the air. It's why 'Survivor' should be considered the best reality competition show ever.
So 'Survivor' fans, enjoy this season. You are being treated to watching a great player compete like no player ever has before. Rumor has it that you will get to enjoy him again next season. Russell is reportedly going to be a contestant on next seasons All Star edition to celebrate the shows 20th cycle.
Now i know alot of you are saying, lets wait to see how he does before we say he's one of the best. As we all know from watching this show, the best players do not always win. From what i've seen of him so far, win or lose, Russell will go down as one of the best 'Survivor' players ever.
Might be a little early to be calling him one of the best, but I agree he is definitely on the road to becoming one of the best.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, for the first episode or two, i also was not a fan of Russell. His accent made him appear less intelligent than he was, and I figured he was one of those guys that talked like he was going to play survivor full steam from day 1, who would inevitably be despised by his fellow tribemates and get voted out early for making too many moves too soon, but as soon as i realized that he really was doing everything exactly as he was saying, and doing it without being hated by the majority of everyone else, he immediately became the best survivor ever. The two "sans clue" idol finds automatically put him in the top 3 ever, and when he sees that his competitor lifts up the rock he thought the 3rd idol would be "under", he fools that guy into chasing him through the jungle, AND LOSES HIM(and that dude is a freaking fitness instructor)!!! only to circle around and find the idol he so desired. so, no, it's not at all too early to crown Russell as the best Survivor EVER, regarless of whether he wins... the only thing is, he will officially be the mark which every future survivor contestant will try emulate and replicate, and it's possible that will take away from the the show.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree man, I keep rooting for him. The problem right now is that the show has a history of the strongest players not winning because a group gangs up on them. If Russell can get through that, I say he's the greatest. However, i have to say the quality of the other players this season is pretty low man.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how I feel about Russel. At first he was an asshole, now he is the greatest survivor player ever!!!
ReplyDeleteDitto! Except I rooted for him from the first day, And no I dont know him. I believe he should have won. I do say I believe he sabotaged his own chances by being so up front and honest to everyone there at the last or should I say arrogant. Boasting he was going to win. If he hadnt done that he very well may have done it. Still I believe he's the best ever and was out there with some of the worst ever. They seemed dumb next to him. Not players at all. And you have to lie and back stab at some point to win I believe.
ReplyDeleteYo Natalie, I'm really happy for you, imma let you finish, but RUSSELL was one of the GREATEST survivors of ALL TIME.
ReplyDeleteI think that says it all. Sometimes, as Oscar Wilde says, when the Gods want to punish you, they answer your prayers. It is clear that this is the case. Russell didn't need to money, he wanted the TITLE. But, if he got that title, he couldn't be in the next season-Heroes vs Villans. OBVIOUSLY, he lost for a reason. I am almost 100% sure that he will be in the next season, he will learn from his mistakes, he will want it even more and he will dominate. And that title-when he is up against REAL competitors with a REAL jury who from experience KNOWS not to be petty in voting, will be worth SO much more. That win will be so much more worth it. And all I have to say to this years jury is...I HAVE NEVER, in my life, SEEN ANYONE AS DUMB as you guys-you're a bunch of idiots. Seriously. Go Russell. I NEED to meet this guy. He is a-freaking-amazing.
Russell is by far the greatest survivor player yet even if he doesn't win
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more. He doesn't always come off nice--well he doesn't really ever come off nice; however, he does play this game the way it was meant to be played. He is crafty and even though he has not won the million in his two attempts he is one of the best players to play the game of Survivor.
ReplyDeleterussell , russell russell, just watched survivor season 19 and so dissapointed how much people can hate on som1 who outplayed their dumb asses, they just hated on him.. he mayed all the key decisions, without russell no foa foa so id say its clear, sorrys nat but you dont deserve the title , russell does,... dumb ass jury.....
ReplyDeleteRussell is one of the worst players in survivor history. He literally doesn't seem to understand how the game works. The challenge of it is the fact that the people you directly (or in directly) vote out get to decide to give you the money or not. It's extremely hard to get to the end and have the people you beat still like you. He completely ignores that part of the game as if he's never watch the show before. Much like the first season of survivor people were blown away that 'the alliance' would vote people out for being a threat or reasons other than not being helpful around camp or not being good at challenges, etc. the jury get's to decide why they vote for the person to win. If you could just go around backstabbing people and being an asshole with no consequences it would be a much different and less interesting game.
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