Season 2 ofDeal or No Deal Islandconcluded withAustralian SurvivorwinnerDavid Genatclaiming the victory and the largest cash prize inreality TVhistory, $5.8 million. David played alongsideSurvivor’sinfamous “Black Widow,”Parvati Shallow, throughout the game show-turned-reality-competition series, who also made a deep run into the season after securing elimination immunity for an impressive nine episodes straight. David and Parvati arefar from the onlySurvivoralums to perform exceedingly well on other reality competition shows.
Survivorlegend“Boston” Rob Marianoplayed on Season 1 ofDeal or No Deal Islandand made it to the final four – much further than someone of his reputation should’ve gone.Cirie FieldsofSurvivor: Panama, and subsequentSurvivorseasons, played as an Original Traitor in Season 1 of the award-winning murder mystery gameThe Traitorsand was crowned the sole winner of the season. Boston Rob and Amber Brkich, who make upSurvivor’sultimate showmance, competed on Season 7 ofThe Amazing Raceand finished in second place. All of these impressive performances beg the question, why doSurvivorplayers keep crushing it on other reality competition shows?
Strategy and Endurance Combine on ‘Survivor’
Every reality competition show has some element of strategy to it, butSurvivorstrategy is next level. With tribes, twists, Hidden Immunity Idols, rewards, andTribal Council, there are endless ways to strategize onSurvivor. More than just the social aspects of the game, however, there are alsosignificant physical demands put onSurvivorplayers that over-prepare them for other reality competition shows. Parvati demonstrated this combination of social and physical prowess with her performance in Season 2 ofDeal or No Deal Island, in which she navigated the show swimmingly, securing nine straight elimination immunities for herself throughout the season. She did this not only by performing well inphysically demanding challenges, but also by aligning herself with people she sensed were willing to work with her and help keep her safe – namely, “The Family” alliance alongside David andDickson Wong. Parvati also employed a stapleSurvivorstrategy of managing her threat level by keeping those outside of her alliance always looking in someone else’s direction.
Carolyn Wiger Is the Perfect Contestant for ‘Survivor 50’
After near-misses on ‘Survivor’ and ‘The Traitors,’ this fan favorite deserves another chance.
The physical aspects ofSurvivordon’t stop at physically demanding challenges, asSurvivorplayers also face hunger and exhaustionon account of limited food provisions and sleeping outside in the elements. All of this fosters a sense of endurance inSurvivorcastaways, many of whom feelpermanently changed by the experience. It stands to reason thatif you can play a strategic game while entirely depleted, you can definitely do so while being well-fedand staying in a Scottish castle, like the one featured inThe Traitors, or in a luxury beach bungalow, like those inDeal or No Deal Island. Parvati and David joked about this very thing at the start of DONDI Season 2, noting how the digs on DONDI felt like a vacation compared to those onSurvivor.
‘Survivor’ Players Have a Reputation for Doing Whatever It Takes To Win
Survivorplayers are seen aswilling to do whatever it takes to win– more specifically,they’re willing to lieand take advantage of any favorable circumstances that come their way, and they’re often quite good at both. David embodied the “it’s just a game” mentality held by manySurvivorplayers in Season 2 ofDeal or No Deal Islandwhen he chose to lie about his past, keeping hisAustralian Survivorwinner status a secret from the other DONDI players – aside from Parvati, that is. This decision served him well in the end whenPhillip Solomonhelped himsecure the highest value casein the Final Excursion, despite the fact that Phillip had expressed earlier in the season that he didn’t think past reality TV winners should be given a chance to win a second time. This same willingness to lie also helped Cirie win Season 1 ofThe Traitors,as the entire point of being a Traitor is to conceal your identity and trick others into believing you’re a Faithful. Boston Rob and Amber also played a cutthroat game onThe Amazing Race 7,drawing the ire of their fellow contestants by using their recognizability to secure better flights.
In short,Survivorplayers excel on other reality competition shows becausethey’ve already faced the ultimate reality TV challenge, and they’re willing to dowhatever it takes to win.Survivoris both socially and physically demanding, and those castaways who don’t have what it takes simply don’t stand out – whereas those who do often come back to take on other reality TV competitions and are better prepared because of it.
