It has everything a Survivor fan could want… an excellent cast, well-used advantages, and memorable moments at every turn. Goliath is a top tier season and by far the best of recent memory. Tribe dynamics shift all the time, and players are not afraid to take out threats, even threats that are their own friends and allies.ĭavid vs. The personalties beam off the screen, from the strong-willed Angelina Keeley and her brilliant deal-making to Davie’s child-like enthusiasm to Gabby’s heart-on-her-sleeve attitude to Christian’s mid-challenge filibuster to beer-swilling Carl. Goliath does not have that problem because these castaways are everything. No amount of twists, idols, or advantages can save a boring or unlikeable cast, as we’ve seen in some of the lower-ranked seasons. Not so with this season because the advantages are timed in such a way that they add to the excitement rather than detract from it. Sometimes too many advantages can be disastrous, interfering with the game to the point of being a nuisance. Goliath is, the Dan and John vote-outs are just two of the blindsides this season, and it’s debatable that they are even the best ones. Also, to further prove how amazing David vs. The scene where the seemingly down-and-out Davids come together and each reveal their advantages is a highlight of the season. Both sides have some fail-safes, so the question becomes: What to play, and when? The Davids play better in this regard, resulting in the epic blindsides of John and Dan. Carl Boudreaux finds the first-ever Idol Nullifier, and Nick is able to steal a vote. Davie Rickenbacker has an idol, and Christian later finds one too. The Goliaths aren’t completely advantage-less because Dan has two idols, an impressive achievement, but the Davids have a few more tricks up their sleeves. However, while the Goliaths focus on keeping the numbers, the Davids are racking up idols and advantages to finally even out the score. Much like the biblical story of David and Goliath, the Davids have a lot to overcome. This seems even more of a likelihood after Elizabeth becomes the first merge boot. With a tribe total of seven Goliaths and six Davids, this could easily be a set up for an uneventful Pagonging, and if some of the Goliaths had their wish, that would have been exactly what happened. Photo: CBSĪ great pre-jury phase means that the season has a lot of hype to live up to once the merge hits. This makes for a strong pre-jury phase, with blindsides abound and plenty of prominent personalities to keep viewers on their toes, plus an attempted jacket-heist. The David and Goliath tribal divisions are existent but not indelible. The tribe expansion is placed perfectly and complicates dynamics further. Meanwhile, the Davids break into factions, with Nick Wilson and Christian cementing an alliance, Elizabeth Olson and Lyrsa pairing up, and Gabby Pascuzzi wondering where she stands in it all. The Goliath tribe is marked by the Dan Rengering and Kara Kay “showmance” and the beef between Natalie Cole and Jeremy Crawford. Things pick up quickly after the first episode, with two compelling tribes that each provide their own brand of hijinks and disagreements. Luckily, Pat’s evacuation is just one sore spot in an otherwise incredible season. Seeing a man that was so eager to play be taken out in such a devastating way is utterly heartbreaking. Sadly, the premiere ends on a somber note, with Pat Cusack’s medical evacuation preventing the Davids from going to their first Tribal Council. The castaways finding out their tribe designations during the marooning is a fun way to start the season and introduce us to some of the fantastic characters, like robotics nerd Christian Hubicki, “Mayor of Slamtown” John Hennigan, and purple-haired Airline Agent, Lyrsa Torres. Goliath is one of those themes that sounds cheesy on paper, but it actually works well in practice. Goliath has all of those things and more! It’s a season that proves what has been said all along: the format of Survivor is so good that if you get the formula right (a compelling cast of characters, balanced editing, and dynamic gameplay), you can’t go wrong. Goliath is a season that shows that even in this meta-advantage-heavy-era, Survivor is still capable of delivering classics. It’s not just one of the best seasons of recent memory it’s also rightfully placed as one of the greatest of all time. Goliath sets itself apart as an example of excellence.
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