The brand new period of Survivor has had a number of stunning moments, however none extra controversial than when Mike Gabler received Survivor 43 over Cassidy Clark and Owen Knight in a landslide 7-1-0 vote. Cassidy’s strategic gameplay and competitors wins weren’t rewarded by the jury spearheaded by Cassidy’s former ally, Karla Cruz Godoy, who determined that Gabler’s under-the-radar strategy to the sport was extra deserving of the million-dollar prize. Karla’s jealousy over being voted off by the hands of her former ally and inherent sexism from a male-majority jury led to a smear marketing campaign in opposition to Cassidy that price her the victory.
When Survivor 43 started, Cassidy turned an on the spot goal of the Coco tribe, receiving votes at each tribal councils the tribe attended. As a substitute of mendacity low, she created a powerful alliance with Karla to manage the Coco tribe and make it to the merge. This alliance led to episode 11 when Karla betrayed Cassidy and deliberate to vote her out. Fortuitously, Cassidy received immunity and efficiently voted out Karla in episode 13 as an alternative after being instructed of Karla’s betrayal by Owen. Karla’s jealousy of Cassidy stems from these essential moments, as she argued that she saved Cassidy from being voted off, but Cassidy ended Karla’s recreation and made the ultimate three over her. Cassidy was a perceived menace to win from Day 1 and but was in a position to make the required bonds and strikes to make it to the ultimate tribal council.
Gabler Efficiently Rallied The Gaia Tribe
In the meantime, Gabler was a direct legal responsibility to the Baka tribe, deemed weak and disposable in each challenges and round camp. In episode 6, Gabler efficiently rallied the Gaia tribe to vote out Elisabeth “Elie” Scott after which laid low till the season finale, when he was chosen to make fireplace in opposition to Jesse Lopez and succeeded. Cassidy’s strategic and aggressive dominance over Gabler’s invisible presence made her extra deserving of the title of sole survivor.
Cassidy’s largest transfer got here in episode 13 when she ousted Karla for trying to betray her. This transfer proved profitable because of her bond with Owen, who instructed Cassidy of Karla’s makes an attempt to get her voted out. Cassidy utilized her adaptability and notion to persuade Owen and Gabler that Karla and Jesse had been greater threats within the recreation to save lots of herself. Sadly, Karla negated these strategic performs whereas on the jury, stating that the strikes had been her personal and never Cassidy’s, taking sole credit score for the work Cassidy put into their profitable alliance.
Gabler, then again, did not play a strategic recreation in any respect, being instructed who to vote for every tribal council as an alternative of constructing his personal strikes. He was even unnoticed of the plan to blindside Dwight Moore in episode 7, as an alternative voting for Ryan Medrano within the minority. Even his transfer to vote out Elie in episode 6 was out of sheer annoyance versus pure technique, as the 2 butted heads all through their time with the Baka tribe. This private transfer additional distanced him from being a strategic participant.
Cassidy’s Pivotal Problem Win Proved Insignificant to the Jury
All through Survivor 43, Cassidy received three particular person immunity challenges, with crucial one coming in episode 13 on the closing 4. Whereas different seasons have praised a number of immunity problem winners, similar to Tom Westman in Survivor: Palau and Mike Holloway in Survivor: Worlds Aside, Cassidy was not given related adulation. Cassidy’s aggressive dominance was as an alternative discounted and used in opposition to her within the closing tribal council to rationalize a Gabler win.
Karla argued in opposition to Cassidy’s determination to not put herself into the fire-making problem, regardless that she had already received immunity, insisting that it will have confirmed to the jury that she was the only survivor. As a substitute of Karla applauding Cassidy for her perceptive means to make the most of Gabler to her benefit after already defeating the three remaining males within the immunity problem, she decreased Cassidy to a single determination, arguing that she didn’t do sufficient to garner profitable votes. As a substitute, credit score was showered upon Gabler for profitable the fire-making problem, regardless that he had no choice however to go in, because it was Cassidy’s determination.
Sexism and Ageism Add A Difficult Layer to ‘Survivor’
With a male majority on the jury, Karla had no subject swaying them to vote in opposition to Cassidy, as there’s inherent sexism constructed into the sport of Survivor. Girls are sometimes voted out first attributable to being perceived as weak or expendable in challenges. They’re additionally much less more likely to discover idols since they’re pressured to are likely to the hearth as an alternative of gathering firewood the place idols are usually hidden. Strategically, ladies wrestle to steer an alliance for concern of being labeled bossy or controlling and should make extra passive and delicate strikes to keep away from being seen as conniving or backstabbing. Conversely, males are allowed to make game-winning strikes with out worrying concerning the added notion that’s introduced upon a girl for making related strikes.
Gabler’s gameplay remains to be legitimate, as he made sturdy bonds with practically everybody in his tribe apart from Elie and Jeanine Zheng and portrayed himself as a quantity for anybody who wanted it, giving up his company for the possibility to make it additional within the recreation. Because the oldest particular person on the forged and second-oldest winner of Survivor at age 51, Gabler had his personal inherent biases in opposition to him. Older contestants are seen as weak in the event that they’re too passive, and overbearing and authoritative in the event that they try to point out management over their youthful tribemates. Gabler received particular person immunity and laid low when he wanted to safe a victory, understanding the notion of older contestants.
Gabler’s under-the-radar recreation is a legitimate technique and ought to be rewarded extra usually. Additionally, a pivotal fire-making problem win in opposition to the most important menace in entrance of the jury was too compelling to not reward. Sadly, it comes at the price of a powerful strategic and aggressive recreation by Cassidy. The magic of Survivor is that there isn’t any improper method to vote for a winner. Every juror has full autonomy and is allowed to have their very own standards for the way they vote. Cassidy’s gameplay might be mentioned for seasons to return, regardless that she did not find yourself profitable Survivor 43. Survivor is offered to stream on Paramount+ within the US.
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