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The one big mistake Survivor contestants keep making

TWO of this season’s Survivor contestants have already done something that’s elminated so many prior competitors from the game.

Nick BondNick Bond
@bondnickbond
2 min read
August 3, 2017 - 6:36AM

WE’RE only a few episodes into the current season of Survivor — but have two of the game’s strongest players already made one of the franchise’s most common mistakes?

Former Special Ops Commander Mark and endurance athlete Sam were shown getting up close and personal during last night’s episode of the show — embracing on camera and spooning each other as they slept, their bodies interlocked.

“Since day one, on the barge, I could feel a bit of a closeness with Sam. It’s weird. I’d say it’s not more than a friendship,” Mark said, before admitting it could be something more.

“Oh look, if I met her on the outside and she was single, I’d definitely be interested,” he admitted.

In a game where contestants spend a huge amount of time sitting around watching and whispering about each other, the pair’s growing closeness didn’t go unnoticed.

“I think Mark is Sam’s watchdog,’ fellow contestant Jacqui said.

“She doesn’t let him out of her sight and he seems to do as he’s told.”

Mark.
Mark.
Sam. Picture: Nigel Wright
Sam. Picture: Nigel Wright

Sure enough, when several competitors left the camp for a carefully-timed walk to discuss their gameplay, Sam sent Mark scurrying after them to gather info and report back.

On social media, Survivor fans who’ve watched contestants get visibly intimate had a strong message for Sam and Mark: STOP HAVING CUDDLE TIME, YOU’RE COMPETING FOR HALF A MILLION DOLLARS HERE.

We saw this last year with contestants Lee and El, who struck up a noticeably intimate friendship during their time in Samoa. It was an alliance that took them all the way to the final three, but saw them both pipped at the post by Kristie, a contestant who’d moved between alliances throughout the competition. While they may have lost out on the half-million dollar prize, the pair at least found a relationshp that continues to this day.

Lee and El insist they were just friends on the island — but they’ve been a couple ever since. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Lee and El insist they were just friends on the island — but they’ve been a couple ever since. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It’s not a cliche to say that entering a relationship — or even getting close enough to another competitor that others can speculate you’re more than friends — can put a big target on a Survivor contestant’s back. As part of a ‘couple’, you’re immediately more visible; an alliance that needs to be broken up before it gets too powerful.

And yet, so many Survivor contestants end up finding love with their competitors — the US version of the show has churned out more than a dozen long-term relationships since its debut in 2000.

But those who enter into relationships on the show can find real-world complications make them impossible to continue: Just last year, the 33rd US season of the show saw contestants Taylor Stocker and Jessica “Figgy” Figueroa form a very visible and very physical bond in front of their competitors. It was a loved-up alliance that saw them both voted out within days, but the pair insisted they’d continue their relationship on the outside world.

However, once booted from the show, Taylor learned he had a baby on the way with another woman, which put rather a dampener on things with Figgy. “The situation sucks,” he admitted at the time.

Originally published as The one big mistake Survivor contestants keep making

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/entertainment/television/reality/the-one-big-mistake-survivor-contestants-keep-making/news-story/1551632ed1364fa215cd501f628e20cd