Getting to Know the Cast - UA Tribe
As stated in my previous blog previewing the LUVU Tribe…
Survivor 41 is finally here! With only hours until the 41st season’s premier, it’s time to take a deeper look at the 18 castaways set to square off in the newly formatted 26 day adventure of a lifetime. For some, the dream of scheming at the water well, masterminding game changing blindsides, and pleading their case to the jury will come true. However, for others the tribe will speak quickly and see their torch get snuffed out by Probst prematurely ending their adventure before it ever gets started.
The 18 castaways have been split up into 3 tribes (Luvu, Ua, Yase) of 6 castaways each. Soon we will see tribes building their new societies at camp, new relationships created at challenges and alliances formed at the fire. From there the fun will begin with strategic decisions being made and possibly used against you in the game.
What do you do? Step up for the tribe in the puzzle or lay low? Inevitably, these 18 castaways will be making these decisions before our very eyes. So far, we only have 1 minute clips introducing us to the cast via Instagram. What can we learn or infer about each player? Hard to say. Maybe nothing. But, wouldn’t it be fun to read between the lines and speculate with a hot take or two of how these players might answer this puzzle decision? I think so.
If nothing else these 1 minute Instagram video clips will help me familiarize myself with each of the players, learn their names, learn what tribe they are part of, learn a drop or two about who they are, and if we’re lucky, get some insight into their character archetypes. Let’s do some analysis of these castaways, shall we?
The UA Tribe
From Left to Right in green:
Brad Reese - age 50, Rancher from Shawnee, WY
Brad is going to be a worker. It’s in his blood as a 4th generation cattle rancher. He won’t be afraid to get his hands dirty at camp or in the challenges. More interesting is how the business side of cattle ranching will translate to social politics in Survivor. He’s a “do anything for the tribe” kind of guy and would do whatever the tribe needed on an early puzzle. Brad seems physically strong and fit despite being 50 and is also the first contestant in 41 seasons from Wyoming. Given that fact and Brad’s background, winning Survivor could do a hell of a lot for someone in Shawnee, WY. For that reason I will root for Brad.
Sara Wilson - age 24, Healthcare Consultant from Boston, MA
Sara’s 1 minute video was an informercial for the ideal girl to “bring home to mom”. She seems like the sweetest girl, smart, and probably driven to do great things in life. She is the milk and eggs in your food shop. Necessary and needed but nothing spectacular. Her strategy to “lay low” is exactly who she seemed to be in the seconds leading up to that declaration by her. I could easily see her in the final tribal but zero votes 3rd place archetype.
Shantel Smith - age 34, Pastor from Washington, DC
Shantel is a tricky read for me. On the one hand she is a pastor and has her priorities in order. She has a bit of a bubbly personality and seems physically fit and athletic enough for challenges. On the other hand she says she’s “not here to prove I can be a Sole Survivor…prove I can be a winner”. Isn’t that one in the same? I know that being on Survivor makes you. a winner already. I understand that only one person will win the million dollars. Having said that, I need a little more competitive drive. The best players in Survivor have that. The best players aren’t there for a participation trophy.
Jairus Robinson - age 20, College Student from Oklahoma City, OK
We have our “bro” for this season. JD fits the mold of his Survivor idols, Ozzy and Malcolm. Castaways like those guys and viewers love them. So if JD gets that going, who knows. He looks like a physical threat and an athlete, not the puzzle guy. Being 20 will surely make him fearless in many facets of the game but could bite him. The Ua tribe has people aged 50, 24, 34, 31, and 46. They will need his energy and youth around camp and in challenges but his age could become a form of distance between his fellow tribe mates and himself. Could mean a result like Ozzy and Malcolm…non winner.
Ricard Foyé - age 31, Flight Attendant from Sedro-Woolley, WA
First thing that stands out about Ricard is being a flight attendant! As a flight attendant your job is to cater to others, make people comfortable, expect the unexpected, and put on a happy face no matter how hard passengers may make it. I like those skills and think they will serve him well. Also, Ricard has goals. Are you listening Shantal? Ricard wants “to be the first brown, gay, hard of hearing winner.” I think he will be.
There is room on the Ricard band wagon for all those interested to joining, so buckle up. I have a good feeling about this pick to win.
Genie Chen - age 46, Grocery Clerk from Portland, OR
“…not to toot my own horn but people love me.” Toot away Genie. You don’t come across self absorbed (see Sydney). You come across as authentic and down to earth. It’s easy to see that people love you. For these reasons it’s easy to see why Genie admired Cirie. I’m sure that she will fit that archetype of the physically non threatening player who out of necessity must rely on their social game. Hope to see Genie go far in the game because my guess. is that her genuineness will get tested. In other words the real Genie and Survivor Genie are going to collide if she is going to make a deep run in the game.
One of the best abilities in Survivor is likability. For Genie, my hope is her likability doesn’t end up becoming a liability.
That’s it for getting to know the Ua Tribe. Be sure to read my other blogs for getting to know the Luvu Tribe and the Yase Tribe.
Looking forward to blogging about Survivor 41 all season long. Be sure to outlike, outcomment, and outshare the rest.
The blog has spoken!
