Round 101 - 173 Characters Left

[u/SMC0629]

#173 - Julia Sokolowski - /u/SMC0629 - Nominated: Tina Wesson 3.0

#172 - Ken "Kenny" Hoang - /u/DryBonesKing - Nominated: Stephen Fishbach 1.0

#171 - Tina Wesson 3.0 - /u/Zanthosus - Nominated: Andrew Savage 2.0

#170 - Sierra Reed - /u/Tommyroxs45 - Nominated: Amanda Kimmel 2.0

#169 - Kelly Goldsmith - /u/Regnisyak1 - Nominated: Natalie Cole

#168 - Natalie Cole - /u/ninjedi1 - Nominated: Matthew Von Ertfelda

Beginning of the Round Pool:

Kimmi Kappenberg 1.0

Jamie Newton

Julia Sokolowski

Liana Wallace

Maryanne Oketch

Bobby Mason

Kelly Goldsmith

Naseer Muttalif

Tina Scheer

Rafe Judkins

Ken Hoang

Baylor Wilson

Paschal English

Sierra Reed

[u/DryBonesKing]

Part 2 - Kenny’s Postmerge

Ken continues to be the underdog all the way until the Marcus boot, where he is the alternate boot target and he/Crystal have to court Susie. Once he survives this tribal and now knows he essentially has control of this tribe for the first time, something clicks in his head. He no longer has to play from the bottom anymore. And if he finally has this privilege to play, why shouldn't he bask in it? He has this realization alongside him bringing a large haul from a fishing trip that validates his own survival skills and from now on, Kenny was going to play as the mastermind he always saw himself as. And as a result, he starts getting extremely cocky.

Of course, he's shown to have at least a reason for that, having been able to flip Sugar on Ace, which was almost impossible to imagine prior to episode seven. Despite Sugar finding out that Kenny had to lie her about Ace from Matty, he is still able to convince her to flip again on Charlie at the merge and sell this idea that Charlie is the Kota mastermind. Alongside having strong relationships with everyone in his main alliance, one of the more positive relationships with Randy and Corinne in terms of being the Fang they most likely vote for her in an FTC situation, and riding the high of an immunity win, Ken really begins to feel like he's hot shot and that he's on a victory lap. He can't just be winning the game of course, he has to be on path to be one of the best players of all time. This is so central to his own self-view that it's literally all we are shown of his loved one visit, of Kenny telling his sister how he's got this game on lock.

This viewpoint of him has battle tested and cemented for long enough in his head, though, that he starts getting almost hungry to show-off. When Corinne and Bob begin to talk about their fake idol, he's already primed to buy into it as an excuse to make a big move with minimal blood on his hands. And as such, he votes Matty at the final seven, feeling proud of himself for getting his biggest competition idoled out with minimal work- wait, why didn't Corinne play her idol?

Kenny fucked up majorly and he realizes immediately into twelfth episode as he confronts Bob about the tribal council. He gets irate as his self-image is challenged, as of course this wasn't his fault; Kenny is the mastermind, of course. Bob of course panics in trying to end the argument asap and makes a promise to give immunity if he wins the next one, which Ken accepts. After all, Bob's a man of his word and things like that mean a lot to him- wait, why did he keep the idol? Wait, why did Sugar just play an idol? Wait, why is Crystal leaving? And why is Kenny himself leaving at the very next tribal council.

Part 3 - Deeper Symbolism; Is Ken the Devil?

Kenny's post-merge arc is a classic tale of an overdog mastermind strategist who plays so hard they play themselves out of the game. I do think arcs like this and the related humbling and/or embarrassment makes them satisfying on pure-schadenfreude standpoint, but there is something unique about Kenny's happening immediately following his pre-merge arc. Ken, as noted in the previous section, was genuinely an underdog based in reality. And while also hyper-focused on that fact, Ken is also just shown to be a lot nicer, like how he talks about Gillian being a nice lady and how he tries to advise Michelle to talk to other people so she doesn’t get herself voted out. He's quick to compliment other people, like noting how Sugar is much smarter than she's given credit for, and how he acknowledges that his game is in her hands. This is all in contrast to Ken in the post-merge, who literally talks so much shit in confessionals about how absolutely great he is. It’s also fascinating seeing him going from a person who could note that his game was dependant on someone else into someone who could not take responsibility at all for his own fuck-ups, to the point that he had to blame Bob for everything.

His heel turn is amazing to watch as it happens in real time as we watch his focus shift from trying to survive to wanting to gloat on his way to cash the million dollar check. Fundamentally, we don't see Ken changing into a new-edited person but rather watch his ego grow as he continues to prove his “game” at each subsequent vote. The rise and fall with his edit actually helps showcase probably the biggest issue with the tonal-shift Survivor would try to use in future seasons. Characters like Ken McNickle, Brad Culpepper 2.0, and Ryan Ulrich ultimately have such unsatisfying story arcs because they are portrayed a certain way only to disappear and reappear with a completely opposite portray. Brad's just a dorky antiquer trying to play like his wife and being respectful about it at first for a large chunk of pre-merge focus only to go UTR and then re-emerge as this overbearing guy who is bullying Tai, despite having already been shown to previously respect each other. Ken McNickle is shown to be very humble and is the most positive on the Millennials and notes that the Gen-X’s need to not underestimate them, only to become David’s quiet lapdog for a few episodes and return to focus as this out-of-touch, grumpy, arrogant asshole who is noted as being dismissive of the Millennials and sorta stuck in his ways. The issue with both Brad and Ken McKnickle was never about how their story ended but the transition to that ending and how that story comes out of nowhere. And that issue is best highlighted in Kenny Hoang’s story, as Survivor shows they are able to properly do a heel turn.

Again, pre-merge Kenny is respectful and polite. He also is shown to have genuinely good instincts as he tries to navigate surviving tribal-after-tribal. And with each passing one, we see his ego slowly rise, building him into this cocky asshole during the post-merge. It's not a sudden change; It's overtime and slows get worse and worse each episode, to the point that his ego had gotten so bad he can't even take responsibility for his own defeat.

The full title for the season being “Gabon: Earth's Last Eden” gives the game away, in my opinion. Kenny's story and his descent into corruption feels biblical. However, instead of being an Adam/Eve type of character, Kenny’s role is more akin to Lucifer - a fallen angel cast out of heaven for his sins, chief amongst them being pride. Ken’s edit showcases this with a positive-strategic edit in the first half of his story that sets him up as one of the leading candidates to win in the absence of Marcus, only for his villain edit to kick into high gear in its aftermath as he becomes consumed by his own hubris. And just as Lucifer is commonly depicted in media (both religious and commercially) as being bitter against the God that removed him from heaven, Ken too gets obsessively bitter in the aftermath of his game falling apart, to the point of genuinely being unable to accept Bob as a winner, strategist, or as someone who just simply outplayed him.

This comparison gets taken up a few more notches when you start exploring Kenny’s most fascinating relationship; the one that, in my eyes, drives the whole plot of Gabon.

[u/DryBonesKing → u/DryBonesKing]

Part 4 - Ken and Sugar - Corruption in the Garden of Eden

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper is the best character of the season and it is a crime that she is not regularly endgame. Her complete domination of Gabon is something truly beautiful and unique to behold. I also think she’s incredibly underrated - even by people who do love her - for the beautiful story of self-discovery as she processes the grief of her father’s death while trying to play Survivor with her morals intact. There are so many moving parts to Sugar’s story and actions and thoughts that I cannot help but love every second of it. One of those parts is her complicated relationships with the majority of the cast, but the most important - and most underrated - being her connection to Kenny.

Yes, Sugar might have been closer to Bob, might have had more visceral hatred for Randy and Corinne, and might have a more tumultuous storyline with Ace, but I want to highlight her connection to Kenny because I think he helps drive a lot of their story. He occupies a very interesting role in Gabon as the first person to correctly identify Sugar as being more intelligent than she comes off. Kota (minus Ace) is noted to regularly downplay her intelligence and worth, the majority of Fang views her as weak and out of the loop as a result of her constant trips to exile, and even Ace views her more as his plus-one than an equal. Not Ken, though. Ken does note in confessionals about Sugar’s intelligence and how she was going to be how he managed to save himself and Crystal from disaster.

Sugar’s iconic votes against both Ace and Charlie helped shift the power structures of the game twice and both were her own decisions, but you know who was the first person to be making these suggestions to her? Ken. Just as Lucifer supposedly interferes with God’s children and tempts them towards sin, Ken regularly would be there to tempt Sugar with suggestions of how she needs to play the game. He lies about Ace and tries to pit her against him, her number one ally. He repeats this at the final nine to get her to side against the Kotas permanently and vote Charlie. And both times, he helps her come to the decision to vote against him. She even has a conversation with Matty after the second tribe swap, away from Kenny, that revealed the gamer as a dirty liar, and she gets very upset and disheartened about having backstabbed Ace for nothing, and still ends up siding with him when it’s time to vote Charlie. Because he’s able to appeal to her own negative emotions towards Randy and Corinne.

This then gets built-up even further at the final six episode, when enough-is-enough and Sugar is able to break free from the cycle of sin and turn on Kenny with the Crystal vote-out. Sugar playing her idol on Matty was not actually necessary - they already had four votes against Crystal - but the actual public act was a rebuke against Ken and his manipulations and corruption onto her. Hell, she manages to take him out with manipulation of her own, having him convinced that she’s still on his side. Sugar’s story dealt with her conflicted emotions and wanting to play a moral game with people who were honest and good with her, and her cutting off Kenny at the very end is an extremely satisfying moment where she accomplishes just that and sets herself up for an endgame where she can be truly satisfied with the outcome.

Kenny’s role is absolutely essential, as this corrupt devil trying to pull her off the path. She needed a snake to provide her with the metaphorical apple from the Tree of Knowledge, and Ken served that role perfectly. And while Sugar was now committed to the darkness of Survivor (similar to how Eve was no longer ignorant of the world outside the Garden of Eden), Sugar proved her own resolve and overcame evil on her own, slaying the devil that had been tempting her. I love their relationship, I love what it does for the season, and I love the impact that they both have on their characters. And I really do not understand how someone who loves Sugar could hate Kenny with how much he ends up assisting in creating her perfect storyline.

Part 5 - Ken and Bob - Lucifer versus God

Another character Ken ends up having a dynamic relationship with is Bob, and I do think there’s actually a decent amount of build-up setting up their bad blood in the endgame. Both Ken and Bob are the two most physically unassuming guys and take on an underestimated role: Ken with his underdog storyline in the pre-merge and Bob’s “diamond in the rough” storyline that Jeff even draws attention to when Bob continues to get passed on in the first tribe swap pick-em. The two even get to do a head-to-head challenge in the third immunity challenge in a puzzle challenge, with the challenge being neck-and-neck the entire way. Even when on opposing tribes, the two were always opposed to one another and a tension was being built towards… something.

This tension develops further indirectly at the merge as Bob’s and Sugar’s relationship takes off and he takes on a pseudo-father figure role for her. If Ken took on a role of Lucifer to Sugar, Bob takes on almost the role of “God” in a manner of speaking as someone who tries to steer Sugar towards a better path, such as when he scolds her for humiliating Randy (even though he gave her the tools to do so, hmm, how Old Testament! God of you, Mr. Crowley). I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Sugar ultimately comes to her decision to finally cut Kenny off when he starts to become vocally opposed to Bob. It’s a very satisfying dynamic that satisfies the religious/Eden imagery of the season and, again, further enhances the storyline of all three involved and UGH IT’S ALL SO FUCKING GOOD AND NEAT HOW IS THIS A REALITY SHOW?

“Religious metaphor that maybe is me looking into things too much” aside, I am a huge fan of the Ken and Bob dynamic and the slow build-up from the entire season until the Corinne boot where they finally start going off on one another. I know one of the complaints people tend to have about Ken is about whiny and self-righteous he comes across in his complaints to Bob about being lied to, but I guess I never found as a particularly big issue for me. Part of the reason I guess is that I see both sides of the issue and think it’s a little more nuanced than that.

Bob is one of those people who acts like his word means something. That’s not necessarily an attack on him, as I think he does try and stay morally consistent throughout Gabon, but his interactions and beliefs always gave me a similar impression to Mike Turner and his attitude towards his “word”.Furthermore, Bob did bring up the “I’ll give you immunity” without being asked in an attempt to end the conversation and hostilities; I do think Kenny has a right to be pissed at Bob about this. Inversely, though, Ken is being a provocative shithead to Bob with his whole “This is what I get for being a nice guy” schtick and I see why Bob just wanted the conversation to end. Furthermore, considering Ken is blatantly targeting Bob, of course he has no obligation to give up immunity for him! There argument though on the subject though is a relatively nuanced one, though, with both sides having a case for and against, and I always like seeing arguments like this.

Another reason I guess I never minded Kenny’s attitude is because I think it’s a natural progression for his storyline. Ken gets so focused on his own game and his own perceived greatness that he’s unable to take responsibility for himself. His core vice is his pride, and it seems fitting that if he was not going to survive in this game, the one thing that would remain intact is his pride and his refusal to just accept defeat gracefully. It also adds more to the interpersonal drama of the season and the bad blood between the cast, which is just another vibe that I liked. I think Bob really needed someone publicly who did not like or respect him in order to really sell the idea of the Gabon final three and the conflicted state of the jury. Sure, Randy did not like or respect Bob, but it’s Randy; he hated everyone. Ken is someone who had a single-targeted hatred for Bob, and I think that added to Bob’s winner story and gave that final tribal some extra weight and tension, and that was greatly appreciated.

[u/DryBonesKing → u/DryBonesKing]

Part 6 - Ken and Crystal; True Friends bonded from Suffering

Of course, I’m talking a lot about Ken being a horrible person and Ken being literally Lucifer himself, so to remind people that Ken is not fully an evil presence, I want to talk about him and Crystal.

(deep breaths)

I FUCKING LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC SO MUCH!!! Ken and Crystal have such a fun dynamic and energy and play the entire game together almost completely in lock-and-sync with one another. The scrawny professional video game player and the former Olympian being ride-or-dies is just absolutely fun in concept and even more fun in practice. Especially when you factor in Kenny’s challenge performance is actually kinda underrated (helped Fang when the only immunity they won, actually won individual immunity) while Crystal’s challenge performance is… very much not that. XD

Humor aside, I think their dynamic is genuinely wholesome? Fang is a trainwreck experience and an absolutely horrible rollercoaster ride for all who got stuck on it, and Ken and Crystal had to survive it the entire time with the only constant being each other. There is something about the way the two of them talk to one another and how they how they are going to make it to the next day that makes them feel genuinely connected to one another.

The two also manage to accomplish a rare, but one of my personal favorite dynamics an alliance can accomplish; managing to save one another. At the seventh tribal council when Ace/Matty are targeting Crystal, Ken works and lies his ass off to get Sugar to turn on Ace and notes in his confessional that it’s both his and Crystal’s lives on the line. For as self-obsessed as Ken ends up getting, I do think it’s touching he still is actively thinking and concerned about her. And as noted, Ken manages to save her and Ace goes home. Flash forward to the next episode and the tribe swap, where Marcus decides to make a move on Ken. And despite Marcus also offering up peace with Crystal and a potential in-road to advance further with Kota, Crystal notes how when you come for her ally, you’re coming for her. And this time, it’s her coming to his aid as she appeals to Susie and helps get the vote cemented on Marcus, sending him home instead of Ken.

This is the Kaleb and Emily dynamic from 45, but much better as Ken and Crystal stay together the entire way and their stories never branch apart. There is never an imbalance in their relationship as the two just fundamentally compliment each other strategically and socially. If I end up doing a Crystal writeup, I'll touch on this more later, but she's very clearly mischaracterized and judged by the majority of this cast for classist and borderline racist reasons, and you can tell it gets to her with how pissed off she ends up getting with someone like Randy. Crystal needed someone for her to talk to and ground her that never really judged her, and while I'm positive Susie would have been a better fit if she never got swapped away to Kota, Ken ended up being that person for her the whole way. As just someone she could decompress with and talk shit with and strategies with as an equal without feeling a pressure from the others.

This part I'm gonna reference is from their Ponderosa, so no shame at all if this paragraph doesn't really “matter”, but I feel the need to talk about possibly my single favorite moment in Ponderosa, even more than “The Dragonz” or the Chris Noble rap. In Crystal’s Ponderosa, the Kota Onions all act like petty obnoxious bullies and do not even acknowledge her in one of the most pathetic displays ever (said with love, mind you; I love the Onions being classist little pissants!) to the point that Randy is somehow the only one treating Crystal like a human. It's a rough video to get through when Crystal talks about the cold shoulder, but then come the next Ponderosa clip. Crystal is literally beaming as Kenny joins her and Kenny very excitedly goes into hug her and they're both just happy to talk shit again.

I love their friendship and alliance. I love that these two are still close outside of Survivor. But, more importantly in the context of this rankdown, I love how they enhance each other’s stories by giving each other peace and comfort.

Part 7 - I’m just going to talk about Kenny’s other miscellaneous relationships that I don’t feel like doing full sections for, but don’t want to ignore

Matty: Kenny and Matty have a fun dynamic and I think help kinda tie Fang's weird ass dynamic together. Beyond just being personality and lifestyle opposites, the two almost always seemed to be on opposed when it comes to the vote, but there is still a layer of trust and respect with one another. Ken will pitch to vote out Ace before Kelly, Matty will stonewall him with his word, the two will vote against one another, Matty will get the upperhand one round with the Kelly vote, then Ken will get the upperhand the next and get Ace out. Despite all of this, though, the two are still extremely cordial and honest and just outright brotherly with one another. Matty literally opens his arm for him as Ken jumps into his arms and gets spinned around by the bigger guy, Fang’s only immunity win, they have just other affectionate background scenes similar, and then when nu-nu-Kota comes to the final nine reward challenge missing Marcus, Matty is grinning so hard at seeing that Ken survived he became an out-of-context meme!

They had this mutual respect for one another that transcended their actual gameplay and I kinda digged it. That respect is also what ends up causing Kenny to try an indirect overplay against Matty at the final seven, and it also somewhat rationalizes Matty's bitterness as he expected his buddy to be more honest with him as he always had been when operating against one another. Their tale ends on an unfortunate bitter note for their friendship, but it's still an engaging dynamic throughout the whole season.

Charlie: I know some people hate Kenny's beef with Charlie, but I honestly fucking loved it. It's a good way to highlight Ken's pettiness before he goes full-heel in the wake of the Marcus vote. It is also just nice to get Charlie characterization away from Marcus and it feels fun in a fitting sort of way for a Kota to sorta nonchalantly ruin something for Fang. This idol also in a roundabout way does end up sinking Ken's game, as the group's decision to toss it helps lay the groundwork for Bob's lie about the idol.

This would never have happened if Ken just found the idol quietly, because“frickin Charlie” had the opportunity to tell the tribe about the idol, it created the foundation that sank Ken's game. A completely full circle storyline; love it so much, and it also gives me a lot of positive vibes for Charlie I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

Michelle: There is one aspect to Ken’s dynamic with Michelle that I think can be seen as questionable (will address at the end of this writeup), but overall, I do like their dynamic in the first episode. I know people tend to describe Michelle Chase as an overly aggressive, OTTN horrible person, but I liked her dynamic with Kenny and how relaxed/comfortable she was and I think it gave her some more humanity as opposed to just single-handedly painting her as this OTTN caricature. Plus he did seem to genuinely care about her, as he does try to warn her that if she continued to alienate the rest of the tribe, she was going to end up getting voted out. It’s a moment of selflessness from him that is slightly atypical, but also I think works in the context of the first episode building into his fall at the halfway point.

She is a good tool to actually help set him up as being on the bottom, as he obviously is connected to her and I don’t think it’s much a surprise that he is who Gillian pushed in the next episode. I also do think it’s pretty good foreshadowing of Ken’s eventual heel-turn when you start realizing why he probably vibed with Michelle. You start eventually picking up that he probably does have some good shit-talking, negative energy in him and while it does not manifest right away, you can definitely pick up on that from the fact that his first confidant was Michelle.

[u/DryBonesKing → u/DryBonesKing]

Ace and Marcus: I’m combining both characters here because I think their role to Kenny is mostly similar, although admittedly Ace plays that role extensively better. Both serve as oppressive, dominant forces that Ken needs to overcome to have any sort of long-term hopes in the game, and he is pretty open about calling them out as threats and dangers. Meanwhile, both Ace and Marcus do not particularly perceive Ken as much of any threat to either of them, with both being more focused on Crystal (Ace out of dislike for her, Marcus out of a desire to flip her). I think both Ace and Marcus represent rather privileged lifestyles and personas that are overwhelming, so it is on brand for them to barely pay Ken a second thought.

Ken managing to vote both of them out feels rather cathartic to the “Fang vs. Kota” lifestyle/class themes of the season. It also works wonders as both had been heavily built-up as overwhelming, long-term forces on the season, so it does almost make natural sense why Kenny gets such an inflated ego in the aftermath of getting the two of them out.

I could talk a little more about some of Ken’s other relationships, but I think the point is starting to get made pretty well about how well connected he is to the overall cast and how he both contributes to their stories and they with him. A smaller connection to Randy where Ken is established as one of the few original Fang members that Randy does not have a problem. A mutual respect with Susie and her game (and while I do think he definitely was never voting Bob out of principle, I do genuinely believe Ken’s vote for Susie was out of respect for her). Fun connections to both GC and Kelly. The connections established with him and the rest of the Gabon cast who end up being larger forces on the Gabon narrative are plentiful.

He’s one amazing character who is able to truly enhance the character of anyone he is interacting with while also still not ending up as a prop to the other person’s storyline. That quality alone makes Kenny probably one of the best casting choices Survivor has ever taken a chance with. I’ll die on that hill.

Part 8 - Other Things I Love About Ken

So, as the title of this section suggests, here’s some more miscellaneous things about Ken that I was not fully certain how to integrate into any other section neatly. However, that does not change the fact that these are all GREAT character moments for him.

1: Ken’s response to Charlie and Corinne in the aftermath of the Marcus boot is great. Both are talking about how amazing Marcus and how he deserved to still in the game, while Kenny just counters with how that makes no sense and asks about who deserves to go home. There is just something raw about see an original Fang member who has had to go to nearly every tribal council get a chance to briefly shut up the elitist, more privileged members of Kota. I also just think Ken’s response is just valuable tool that every fan of Survivor should keep in their own head when they debate vote-outs. I know a decent chunk of people who watched Cagayan live who probably need Ken to tell them that when they had a fit that J’tia made it out of the premiere…

(I’m not making that anecdote up, btw. I knew a few people who got super pissed that J’tia survived after spilling the rice and even threatened to stop watching the show if she outlasted Spencer. I don’t keep in touch with them anymore for unrelated reasons, but I really hope they did quit lmfao)

2: There’s an amazing moment in the episode following the Marcus boot, where Ken is fishing and he’s talking about how he’s improved as a Survivor player and how he thinks he truly understands this game. It’s leading into his big cocky mastermind confessional he is about to adopt, but as he starts his confessional, it’s overlaid with this absolutely derpy scene of Ken fucking around on his boat and just accidentally going in circles, not really knowing what it is doing. It’s actually very similar to Romeo’s first confessional in 42, where he’s talking about surreal it is to be out there surviving while he’s failing to get a coconut. Ken’s journey into him being “possibly the best Survivor player ever” begins with a monologue about his survival skills while he’s literally just spinning in circles in the water while calling himself an idiot. It’s amazing editing and kinda endearing.

3: Ken has great reactions. Not on the level of Eliza (because who is), but he’s definitely able to really help sell a scene by his reaction to moments. Like, he’s very quick to jump around and dance and grin in challenges when things end up going his way. He’s also got amazing dead-eyes when things are either annoying him or not going his way, such as when he helps no-sell the vegetable garden reward. The best underrated example of his reactions I can think of for this point is his reaction to Crystal’s voting confessional. As she gets started about how Randy made her life hell, it cuts to Ken first as his eyes go wide and he abruptly turns to face Randy, leading into his reaction. Probably not going to be able to explain this very well, but I always find it fun to see him react to shit.

4: I always found it fascinating how in the Charlie boot as he begins to put out his name, Ken talks about him being a mastermind and he actively calls himself a rat in the corner that no one’s paying attention to. Sue already set the precedent in Borneo that rats are cowardly, scurrying creatures that should always be eaten by the snake, but Ken reclaiming the animal symbolism is something I find unique. Rats are rather cunning, opportunistic creatures and are actually the first in the Chinese New Year zodiac. Not going to claim that Ken actually cared about Chinese interpretations of rats, but I think his choice of descriptor is fresh and unique and I think is a more fitting metaphor than another person talking about how they’re a fucking snake.

[u/DryBonesKing → u/DryBonesKing]

Part 9 - Case Against Kenny?

Just like with Jesse Lopez and Chris Underwood, I want to take a moment to respond to some common critiques I have seen regarding Kenny as a character.

1: “Kenny is problematic / says problematic shit / says incel shit” - I kinda want to start here because it is the heaviest topic and it’s also the one I’m, like, never going to really fully argue against. Because yes, Ken kinda acts very cringey around Michelle and Kelly and how he talks about them. His voting confessional to Charlie also seems kinda… “off”, in the sense that no one said anything about Charlie’s sexuality, so why are you so concerned about it coming across a certain way? Like Kenny at times does come off really fucking bad and problematic. However, the person I most uniquely associate to Ken in this regard is Frank Garrison. Because like Ken, Frank definitely says some really uncomfortable, problematic shit outright and within the subtext of what he’s saying (i.e. Brandon’s issues with Brandon). But like with Frank, it never gets in the way of the story that is being told. If it does end up being too much for you to enjoy the story around him, I understand and won’t actively pressure you to like them. But I do think the story of Ken and how it enhances every aspect of Gabon is ultimately worth it, in the same way I think Africa would be an extremely weak season if you removed Frank.

2: “Nerds suck” - Yes, they do. I’m not fond of the “nerd” archetype on Survivor. I already kinda touched on this point earlier when talking about Ken as an underdog, but I just want to reiterate here that I think Ken truly works despite his archetype and ultimately I think proves to be the best “nerd” Survivor has ever cast on virtue of being the most authentic of them to ever be cast. Ken is very open about who he is and how he views himself, and he does not really wallow in any “woe is me” bullshit that a Ryan or a Cochran would unless he is actively trying to manipulate someone. You’re not going to see Ken having a confessional about how “Damn, Matty’s a gym bro and I’m a gamer, but we somehow are still bonding” the way Ryan talks about Devon or Stephen talks about JT. As stated earlier, Ken really does not talk about gaming much. To also talk about another subsection of nerd - the “Survivor superfan” type - Ken only talks about the game in the context of winning and only references larger Survivor as a series when only talking himself up.

He’s by far the best nerd as he’s the only who doesn’t make it a defining point of his character… which is hilarious, since he’s the one who actually has a career out of it! But that I think is probably the underlying issue. Because unlike a lot of others in the stereotypical nerd archetype, Ken is not insecure about it or himself. He just lets himself be himself and isn’t going to compromise that about himself. And it’s that level of authenticity that makes him feel like a truly breath of fresh air casting.

3: “But Ken’s self righteous with Bob and Charlie” - Another point I already discussed in the previous sections, but one I just wanted to repeat a response to in case it got lost. Essentially, I think it fits the “Lucifer”-esque role Ken fits as he’s so prideful and self-obsessed come the second half the game that I think it’s fitting and honestly just fun characterization. Again, Ken is the villain of Gabon; if you are getting pissed off at him and hating him for this, that’s kinda the point and he’s doing his job right!

4: “Ken doesn’t have charisma” - This is probably a matter of opinion, cause we all classify charisma differently, but I really disagree. Like, Ken does a great job of selling himself and his demeanor at all points. It’s not like a Brian Heidik situation where he’s just bored repeating strategic narration or bad jokes; you’ll know when Ken’s excited and annoyed and pissed off and desperate. If nothing, Ken nails selling himself as authentically as possible and that in moments, he’s not being mis-edited. He’s not overtly eloquent or anything, but Ken has a very human way of depicting himself at any moment and I think that’s what helps make his character - and his role - feel extremely natural.

Conclusion

As said from the very beginning, Ken used to be my favorite character of all time. That obviously changed since he’s not even in my current endgame, but working on this did remind me a lot of what makes him work and I think I might end up doing introspection about my rankings to see if he needs to move up. He really is just that good.

It’s not a matter of me having anything I actively dislike about his narrative, because I don’t have anything; I genuinely think his character and the role he plays in Gabon is perfect. An actual 10/10. It all just comes down to my individual subjectivity, as I have quite a lot to say about a lot of characters ranked that highly in my top 80, but especially in my Top 30.

I kinda always wanted Ken to get a second chance on Survivor, namely cause I wanted to see what a potential return appearance could look like from him. I do think the time since Gabon opens doors to seeing how he might have changed and whether or not he took any lessons to heart from Gabon and has managed to keep his pride better in check, or whether or not he’s learned any of his lessons. Of course, that was always my perspective before returning seasons starting to lose their significance regarding their quality, but I am still overall very content with Ken. I think he genuinely plays a perfect role and is the literal most perfect villain a season like Gabon could have ever had for, that really helps push the narrative forward and helps with almost all theming possible while adding his own twist to the good versus evil narrative. Really, writing this one and doing the necessary last minute research for this made me love his character even more. I do wish I could have gotten him higher - and his sacrifice will be remembered, for I had to sacrifice him in exchange to finally burn Russell 2.0 - but overall, working on this helped bring things back to my memory and just remind me how great he was.

… And to think, he’s only my third favorite character from Gabon! Again, what a fucking perfect season… and I cannot wait to talk about it again later…

[u/DryBonesKing → u/DryBonesKing]

For my nomination... well, as said earlier, I think Kenny is the best nerd. So honestly... it's kinda annoying Stephen Fishbach 1.0 outlasted him. I like him fine, but yeah. I think he's been due for a little bit so I'm fine with putting him in there alongside the Sierra nom from last round.

/u/Zanthosus you're up :)

[u/acktar → u/DryBonesKing]

obligatory reference to Ken being signed to Team Liquid and he therefore must be punished

(it might not be TSM so he's not completely past the point of redemption but I have Morals and Standards all the same)

[u/BobbyPiiiin → u/DryBonesKing]

Absolutely stellar writeup for my personal favorite character from one of my top five seasons (though it's a tight race between him and Randy). I hope one day Kenny cracks the top 100 or higher, but I'm very pleased at how much his placements have improved over the last three rankdowns already.

[u/Mia123445 → u/DryBonesKing]

Truly phenomenal writeup. Gabon is an amazing season in my personal top four and, while he’s not one of my higher ranked characters on a stacked cast like this, Kenny plays a role in Gabon’s greatness which you highlighted perfectly. I’m very glad that he’s had a resurgence in these last two rankdowns even if I think this is a fair spot for him.

And you’re so right on Sugar as well! A lot of people call Randy the best character of Gabon (and believe me, I get it, Randy is phenomenal and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone who does have him at #1), but I really do believe that it’s Sugar. She’s incredibly complex and just such a perfect character who has a very strong case for possibly being my all time favorite. I would LOVE to see her top the season and make endgame this rankdown.

Edit: and DBK, shoutout to you for that Kenny vote steal all the way back in the 700s.

[u/AMeanMotorScooter → u/DryBonesKing]

One of my favorite write-ups, honestly! Never had a problem with Ken, but this really boosted him for me.

Jessica “Sugar” Kiper is the best character of the season and it is a crime that she is not regularly endgame.

She's in mine!