Season 1 Awards Spectacular!
39 days, 15 blogs, 1 amazing season! Richard Hatch wins, Sue delivers a speech for the ages, and Kelly wishes she had guessed a different number. Now that the season is in the books here at the Tribal Council Blog it’s time to give out our post season awards.
First, some background about the awards section of the blog. At the end of each blog post this season, I ended by giving out some awards. The awards section was a lot of fun but also helped me reflect on the show, the “game”, and my experience as a viewer. These were the awards that I gave at the end of each blog (except episode 13) and why.
1 - Biggest Move
Survivor is all about what you do, how you do something, and why you do something. The maneuvers castaways make or don’t make impact their game and everyone elses. No matter how subtle nor pronounced each castaways “move” in the game was, the biggest move usually stuck out and shook the ground of the game in its own way. Some were power moves and some were moves with a lack there of. In the end, each episode has moves that are made by the contestants that drive the story of the show and the destiny of the game.
2 - Biggest Mistake
You can’t have survivors make moves in the game without making mistakes. Keep in mind, the mistakes aren’t always as fatal as BB washing his clothes in the cooking pot. The award also can be for something unintentional like Rudy taking his hand off the idol in the final Immunity Challenge. There are always mistakes being made whether survivors know it or not. As a viewer, we are always hyper aware of them and on the edge of our seat waiting to see how they effect the game.
3 - Challenge Corner
Challenges are one of the best parts, or at least should be one of the best parts, of Survivor. They create action, magnify a tribe’s strengths or weaknesses and provide the viewer with a break in the drudgery of survival on the island. The challenges involve important components of the game including reward, immunity, and entertainment. In this award I would compare the two challenges from the episode and pick a winner.
4 - Trending Up
With each episode someone’s stock was rising more than others and was worth pointing out.
5 - Trending Down
With each episode someone’s stock was falling more than others and was worth pointing out.
6 - Strategy Award
Went hand in hand with biggest move but focused solely on the strategy aspect of the game. Hitting the target in a challenge was everyone’s strategy so this award was centered more around the inner workings of the “game”. Who people voted for at Tribal, who said what, who lied, or who someone shared a reward with. Also, not always the best strategy was rewarded in this part of the blog. (See Sean’s Alphabetic Voting Strategy)
7 - Best Screenshot
One of the best parts of watching Survivor is the images on the screen. The images of the 16 castaways fishing underwater, discovering organic mud volcanoes, and competing in fire making challenges was dazzling, but there is another character we got to know and I’m not talking about Jeff Probst. I’m talking about the island. I don’t know about you but I have never been to Borneo or the remote islands of Malaysia where season 1 took place but the show helped me see that tiny piece of the world. I took hundreds of screenshots to populate this season’s blog and it makes all the difference in creating a blog post. Without question my favorite award.
8 - Best Quote
Survivor: Borneo at its core is a dramatic and unscripted soap opera. The story unfolds organically and the castaways dialogue and confessionals provide endless insight and entertainment every single episode.
9 - Who won the episode?
The last award is kind of like an most valuable player (MVP) of the episode. It didn’t have to be the person who had the most success in challenges or had the most face time on camera. This one usually went to the person who, for better or worse, had the most impact and influence in the overall experience of the episode.
Season 1 Awards
Each of the 4 major sports gives out awards at the end of every season so why shouldn’t we right? Ok, so there is no perfect way to do this, but if there is I have 39 more seasons and counting to try and figure it out. I think I will take some of the awards I used for the episodes and maybe sprinkle in some others.
Here goes…
1 - BIGGEST MOVE
Rich lets go at the final Immunity Challenge.
This could have gone so badly for Rich. $1,000,000 catastrophically life altering horrendous. But, it didn’t. His calculation was correct. His logic was sound. In the end the biggest move and the ballsiest move worked out and Rich went on to win $1,000,000 and the forever title of FIRST sole survivor.
Rich lets go at final Immunity Challenge. All screenshots via Amazon Prime Video.
2 - BIGGEST MISTAKE
Rudy lets go at final Immunity Challenge.
After Rich makes arguably the biggest move of the entire season by intentionally letting go of the idol in the final Immunity Challenge, Rudy one ups Rich slightly by having a lapse of focus and removing his hand from the idol. Rudy loses the final Immunity Challenge and it was all his fault. He knows it and has to live with it, and then to top it off he is voted out by Kelly to finish in 3rd.
3 - BEST CHALLENGE
Immunity Challenge - Fire Starting
I like this one best because it takes the foundational concept of making fire and had the survivors compete on day 30 to see who could do it best. After 30 days on Survivor if you can’t make fire, do you really deserve to continue on? Also, this was a major individual Immunity Challenge. If Rich doesn’t pull off the win he could have potentially been voted out by the finally realizing there was a need for strategy in the game former Pagong tribe.
4 - STRATEGY AWARD
Rich forming the alliance.
As much as I wanted to recognize Sean’s alphabetic voting strategy, the award for strategy is an easy one to give out for season 1. The alliance. Rich, Sue, Rudy, and sometimes Kelly forming an alliance enabled them to control the game, vote people off one after another, but also cement their place in the now 40 season history of the show. This alliance laid the blueprint for an effective way to make it far in the game of Survivor.
5 - BEST SCREENSHOT
When the final vote has your name on it and it’s worth a million dollars.
Rich wins Survivor. All screenshots via Amazon Prime Video.
6 - BEST QUOTE
“I’ve got the million dollar check written already. I mean I’m the winner.” - Richard
He said it 5 minutes in and he was right. Unbelievable.
7 - MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Sue’s “Rat and Snake” speech.
Sue, the floor is yours. Enjoy everyone.
8 - FAVORITE CASTAWAY
Rudy
As much as I loved Rich and his next level strategic gameplay, Kelly and seeing her inner struggles come to life as well as her triumph in challenges, Sean’s big heart coupled with unorthodox strategy, or just a good old fashion crush on Jenna, nothing won me over quite like Rudy.
All screenshots via Amazon Prime Video.
I think Rudy provided so much. Rudy gave us one liners, comedic timing, non PC, straightforwardness in a very crooked game, lessons on loyalty, and even an Immunity Win. He also personified what we would want from a former soldier, Navy Seal, and veteran. I love how loyal, trustworthy, and reliable Rudy was. If I was in the trench with him I know I would have been in good hands. He taught us what it means to give someone your word and follow through on it to the very end. Rudy gave us that sense of grandpa that makes us all smile. Most important of all, Rudy taught everyone that two people from totally different walks of life, two people who couldn’t be more opposites, could come together, coexist, and thrive. For all those reasons and more, Rudy was my favorite this season.
9 - DID THE JURY GET IT RIGHT?
Not really an award but an appropriate question to answer here. Rich wins the jury vote 4-3. Rich got votes from Sean, Sue, Rudy, and Greg. Kelly received votes from Colleen, Gervase, and Jenna. Rich got his votes to win based on alliances (Rudy), tribe members liking him more than Kelly (Sean and Sue), and most important of all saying the number closest to 9 (Greg). Kelly earned her votes because she played the game better than anyone (Gervase), befriended others and cared to get to know them (Jenna), and answering a jury question persuasively (Colleen).
Is Greg’s method for casting the deciding vote fair? Probably not. But, was his vote really 100% a game of chance or the final act of his own one man screwball persona play? Personally, I think he was effected by Rich’s communication to Greg after the merge at camp, being the leader behind voting Greg out quickly, and lastly Rich’s answer to Jenna’s question at the final Tribal Council about who you would put in the final two beside yourself. Rich recognized that Greg was his biggest competition and let him know that when it mattered most.
Going back to the original question, “Did the jury get it right?” the answer is 100% yes. It was an odd way to get there for sure, but it was the correct decision. Rich played the “game” the best and proved that above all that is what matters most. But, what is so amazing about decision is truly how perfect the Rich over Kelly vote is as dramatic theatre. You couldn’t ask for more nor script it any better.
Rich vs. Kelly
Man vs. Woman
Old vs. Young
Strategy vs. Likability
Self-awareness, observation, and ethics vs. faith, strong will, likability
1 Challenge Win Overall vs. 5 Consecutive Challenge Wins
3 votes to 3 votes with one vote left for chance
The drama was oozing through the screen as Jeff read the final vote revealing Richard had won and made good on his guarantee. Like Joe Namath in Super Bowl III, Richard said he was the winner before it even started, he played the “game” better than anyone and defeated a strong opponent in Kelly by a close score. The Jets won the Super Bowl and Namath’s guarantee lives on in pro football and NY sports folklore and Hatch’s title and guarantee is right there with him! The jury got this one right.
I hope you enjoyed the awards blog. Please leave a comment below. Let me know what you think.
Be sure to show your support and outlike, outcomment, and outshare the rest. I appreciate the support and hope you will join me as I start season 2 the Australian Outback.
The blog has spoken!
