'Survivor: Second Chance' Cast: Will Kelly, Kimmi, Jeff & Savage Struggle With Modern Gameplay?
There are only four old school players on the upcoming season of Survivor; will they able to adapt to the modern gameplay?
The next season of Survivor is bringing back 20 one-time players who did not win the game for a second chance. The players from the earlier seasons might have a disadvantage going into the season, however, if only because of how much Survivor has changed since the early years.
Among the 20 people cast for Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance, eight players are from the pre-Heroes vs. Villains era, a.k.a. season 20. Of those eight players, there are only four people who played the game in the first 10 seasons, which is generally viewed as "old school."
Those four players are Kelly Wiglesworth from Borneo (season 1), Kimmi Kappenberg and Jeff Varner from The Australian Outback (season 2) and Andrew Savage from Pearl Islands (season 7). What these four players have in common is that played Survivor before it turned into the ruthless, strategy-heavy, Hidden Immunity Idol-ridden show it is today.
Back in the early days, there were very few big betrayals and crazy strategy moves. Will Kelly, Kimmi, Jeff and Savage be able to adapt to this new style of gameplay? Kelly has expressed in pre-show interviews that she has barely watched the show over the years, and even though she knows about the newer twists, she is entering into a totally new territory for her.
Kimmi and Jeff played when Survivor was the most popular show on television and while Jeff had more of a strategic mind than Kimmi, both of them played in a very straightforward season compared to what we have today.
When Pearl Islands came along, the game had certainly evolved to a more strategic sensibility but the only real twist of the season was the often derided "Outcast" twist, which brought back the six players who had been voted out. This ended up screwing over Savage the most, so will he be able to adapt to even more twists if they come his way?
On the flip side, it is also possible that Kelly, Kimmi, Jeff and Savage will thrive by not being perceived as big threats to be taken out immediately. Players like Spencer Bledsoe (Cagayan), Kass McQuillen (Cagayan) and Joe Anglim (Worlds Apart) are fresh in most of the other contestants' minds and they are all going into the game with huge targets on their backs. Those who are seen as less knowledgeable about the current game might survive past big strategic masterminds for that reason.
There are many possibilities for how this season will play out. Luckily, with a group of players as strong and dynamic as this one, it's almost impossible to see a scenario where it doesn't result in an entertaining season.
Survivor: Cambodia will premiere in the fall on CBS.
