Survivor: Edge of Extinction newbies on returning players they wanted to see

The 14 newbies who signed up to play Survivor: Edge of Extinction did not know for sure that there would be four returning players competing alongside them, but most could do the math and figured it out. We asked them the day before the game began whom they would most (or least) like to see out there with them, and here’s what they said.

I would really like to play with Cirie. I just feel like she’s such a mom figure, but an evil mom. She’s like my Survivor idol since I’ve never been camping around the wild. I would also like to play with Rupert since he’s my number-one childhood hero. I remember to this day, season 7 when he stole people’s shoes, and I was like, “That’s a real pirate.” He was one of the real reasons I wanted to play the game. I guess I was around 9 or something when that season came out. I asked Santa Claus for a buff, and I, to this day, have a Pearl Islands buff that I got in my stocking when I was in grade school. I feel like Rupert was the one who spurred me to want to start this adventure. He was the number-one pirate. I want to be a pirate.

I’d like to see people that this is their second time only for now. I feel like when you do third and fourth returnees, I feel like it’s better for like a Legends or a Heroes vs. Villains type season. So for this one, I would like to get them from that second-chance pool, and also I get to thinking, okay, how about from the last five or so seasons so they’re more modern in the game, and a few names come to mind. I would love to see a Devon. I think Devon played a great game out there. I think he’s very smart. He’d be a player that would be fun to watch get another chance. I think that going back to Millennials vs. Gen X, I would love to see Jay. I thought Jay was great. I would love to see David, who was wonderful too.

Even though she would be the player that would be harsh for me to deal with, I’d like to see Chrissy out here because when I describe somebody that’s passive-aggressive and that I wouldn’t get along with, I think of Chrissy. I don’t know her personally and you only see 40 minutes a week, but she’s the one character of recent I’m like, “Wow, I would hate to play with her.” But maybe I want to see her come off the chopper because sometimes it’s also about your own personal journey too, and if you take that personality that you know is oil and water with you, and can you work with them or if you can’t, can you go defeat them? Because she showed that she was tough to defeat too.

Some of my favorite Survivors of all time are Cirie and Jeremy — obviously the common thread there is that we’re all African-Americans. They’re some of my favorite people to watch and really just personable people, even though I’ve never met them. But hopefully I will one day. Looking up to them and watching them play this game and how they played this game, they were role models for me, and really the representation that as a young black girl I needed to really push myself and get out here and actually want to be on the beach and play this game. Tasha was a challenge beast. But someone else I’d really like to play with is, like, a Spencer: a quirky, weird, nerdy guy, because I have those parts to me as well where I just love to like get in the books and just talk strategy all the time.

I wouldn’t want to have any of them on this season. It’s just too hard to beat them, but Joe is a favorite of mine. I really like Devon. Michaela is a firecracker, and she’s fun to watch on TV. I’ll bet she would be even more fun in person. I’ve always been a fan of Spencer. Cirie, she’s someone that I think it would be interesting to hang around and to play with. Then Ozzy, so he can go get the fish. Just go get the fish, Ozzy.

I do like the attitude of Rob, I will say that. I like the attitude of people like him, because he dumbs it down, and he wants to keep it real. I mean, it’s kind of cliché to say, “Rob, Rob, Rob.” But I do like him. I liked Stephenie’s drive and her never-give-up attitude. I liked that. But basically, I don’t know. I have a lot of respect for Rob, really. I like his attitude. And he gets it done. You can’t say the kid doesn’t get it done. He gets it done.

The people I’d really like to see I don’t even know their names because they were voted off first and I don’t remember them. I’m a super-fan, but I’m not Cochran, I can’t tell you who won three years ago. I’ve watched every episode. I love Boston Rob. I love Cochran. I don’t want to see either of them out here, or anyone nearly as good as them. Devon, I loved, but I don’t want to see him out here because I want to be the last-name player, and my last name is Devens. So either I will try to be a two-name player, Rick Devens, or I can ask him if he’ll change his name because we look so much alike. People might get confused.

I would love to play with Stephenie or Kelley Wentworth. I think they’re both attractive. Can’t deny that. I’m going to be honest. Sorry, not sorry. I think they’re also strong, independent women. They didn’t come into this game thinking, “I’m going to flirt my way through it, and I’m going to giggle.” I have never giggled a day in my life. I physically can’t. I’ve tried. I love that they were women who came in and said, “I’m athletic and I’m here to play. I’m not going to sit around and be led by anyone.” Neither one of them was on a guy’s alliance. Neither one of them had to ditch every other girl they knew. They both were strong women who also killed it in physical challenges. Stephenie popped her shoulder back in.

I’d love to play with some villains. I love my villains. As much as everyone hates them, I’d love to play with Russell Hantz just to whoop his ass, just to put him down. I could deal with some crazies. I always thought I couldn’t play with a Phillip or a Coach, but in the end you gotta love ’em. I love some of the key players you always see. I love to just watch Ozzy. I want to get Ozzy to teach me how to spear fish and then cut his throat. But I want to be the female version of Ozzy.

Other players, I love Sierra. I really do. I hate that I love her, but I love her. She was aggressive and she went for it. I think she’s still got a lot to give this game. I don’t think she was given enough. I would love to see Morgan. I felt like Morgan had that spirit, had that spunk to go far in the game, and I felt like she just wasn’t given a chance. I felt like we saw that with Brenda back in the very beginning. She got cut really quickly, and then when she came back you got to see a whole other side of her.

Honestly, she’s not likable, but I wouldn’t be too down to see Abi-Maria even though she’s one of my favorite villains. But somebody like her or Michaela who are putting themselves out there. They are kind of easy to read because they’re selling you their whole deck. They’re not afraid to be authentic, to say what they want to you, and then you know what you’re working with and I know you’re more loyal and if you’re down to work with me, you’re down to work with me.

I have watched Survivor since I was 3 years old and I used to carry around Ken and Barbie dolls, and I named them Colby and Tina. And I took them to the final Tribal Council, and I told my mom and dad I was going to be there one day.

If I had my choice of the people I wanted to come out here to see, I don’t wanna see any strategists. James might be a good pick because he’s a big physical player; we can use him to our advantage. But I don’t want Tony, I don’t want Russell. I don’t want any of those dangerous players. I want the least dangerous player possible. And if it’s someone that I can get along with, that would be even better. Someone that comes to mind that I wouldn’t want to play with based off of that is Abi-Maria. I don’t think we would see eye to eye. I don’t like the attitude. So that’s something I would rather stay away from. But if it’s someone like Jay from Millennials vs. Gen X, I’d be okay with that.

I’ve been saying that Michaela’s my baby girl, but I don’t know if I would want to play against her. She looks so tough, like she would knock me around, but she would probably be my favorite. Tai seems so lovely. There are just so many characters that I wish I could meet — probably not play against, but meet.

You know who I thought was a really fun player to watch, probably just ’cause I think I’d get along with him, was Jay from Millennials vs. Gen X. He got his butt handed to him whenever he got that fake immunity played, but he’d be a fun one to play with. Going back even before that, Woo would be a fun guy to play with. I couldn’t see them bringing back returning winners. I’d probably be a little scared of returning winners.

I tend to like the people who are really funny in their personalities, so I like Cirie and I like Tyson. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a hero or a villain, anyone who’s kind of very funny and snarky, I like.

It’d be cool for me to see any past players. I’d be kind of into any of that. But there’s no one in particular I want to play with or against. The other potential thing is that it could be some type of redemption type of aspect, where there’s a chance for a player who’s been voted out somehow to get back into the game. And so that’s another option that’s possible.