David Kinnehas been playing an incredibly aggressive and verbal game driven by his misguided belief that only the “strong players” walk to the end of the game to battle it out. In this age ofSurvivor, his resolve at attempting this strategy has caused a major rift in the game, and in the fandom. After belittling a defenselessChrissy Sarnowskyat Tribal Council last week abouthow unfair it is that the physically strong players can’t band together, his vocally agro ways finally caught up to him.
After playing far too hard to eliminateKamilla Karthigesu, his meat shield allies realized that David’s desires were singular and selfish. They could either sit back and allow him to play a game likeBoston Rob Marianodid inSurvivor: Redemption Island,dictating their fate, or they could make a move against him while his guard was down. With the little guys willing and eager to see him out of the game, everyone pounced on the opportunity. Through a series of unaware errors,David played himself out in this game.
David Kinne enteredSurvivor 48as quite an interesting character. Physically resembling an archetype that succeeded in the old school days of the game, many fans thought that the stunt actor might defy the stereotypes. Instead, he leaned into them. Hard. Even with his obsession with chocolate milk and the heart-wrenching story of a girlfriend who wouldn’t love him without money,there was something to root for in David, until he showed his true colorsand his desireto band together with the strong players.
While it worked at first at the merge, when being in the majority is always at everyone’s top of mind, as the easy targets were sacrificed, the dwindling options exposed his game. He had a pecking order of who he wanted out and when. But in an alliance, you must be open to options and opinions, otherwise it’s a dictatorship. So when he lostJoe Hunter, someone who shared his desire and theory, David was left on an island of his own.
After Chrissy’s vote-out, he felt betrayed and lied to for not getting his way of eliminating Kamilla. BecauseKyle Fraserwas not going to allow Kamilla to go, andShauhin Davarifully believed it was his bond with Kamilla that was the problem, both men began to question David’s objectives. So, whenMitch Guerrawas vocal about striking David while the iron was hot, Shauhin, Kyle, Joe, andEva Ericksonknew they had the numbers to make something happen.
David was becoming far too much of a liability.There have been many blindsides onSurvivorthat have come as a shock to the players, but never has there been a blindside so beautiful for the viewers. It’s an ironic story when the allies he so truly relied on became the ones who signed his death sentence. His plan backfired. And it was glorious.
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David’s loss is David’s fault. While his theory about strong players aligning had some merit, his determination to dismantle the New Era ofSurvivorultimately became his downfall. No longer is this game dominated by players of his stature and type. The strategic masterminds and the brilliant brains form the majority. His ego got the best of him.
Watching some of his displays of authentic personality caused many to sour on him. There are many moments, but his exit episode linked them all together. Losing the Immunity Challenge and needingMary Zhengto console you? Eek. Reprimanding others for having an opinion? Not cool. As Kamilla rightly reminded him at Tribal Council, if he thought he could make it to the end and earn jury votes, he was sorely mistaken. As we’ve discussed in the past, if he made it to the end next to Joe and Eva, who was going to vote for him? Those two individuals would have been his only automatic votes. Sadly, David never really thought through his endgame practically.
In his parting words, David claimed that there are no heroes and there are no villains. Unfortunately, in this game, he was wrong. The heroic individuals ofSurvivor 48were the underdogs who banded together to defeat the big, bad guy. And in this case, he was the big bad guy. David created this larger-than-life character who presented as a formidable opponent, allowing his arrogance to dictate his path. From what was portrayed, he came off as an unsavory character. Excellent to watch, but that’s the type of bad guy who makes interesting television. The ones we know are going to have a stunning fall from grace.
Outside of the game, David Kinne is probably an incredible person.I would love to hear some of his stories about life in the industry. But the player within the game, the character he portrayed, was the antagonist of the story. When he looks back at the game, hopefully there are some learning moments. Should he get to play again, whichJeff Probstis destined to ensure, he will most certainly learn from his mistakes and play a game that does have a shot at victory.
Survivorairs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. All episodes are available to stream on Paramount+.
