Survivor Retrospective: South Pacific

Rating: 5.5/10

South Pacific was a season of strengths and weaknesses. It featured some firmly compelling stories: the most exciting challenge arc in franchise history, Coach's satisfying evolution into a measured leader, the introduction of one of the the show's brightest personalities and a blueprint championship performance from one of Survivor's greatest players. South Pacific also featured long streaks of predictable vote-outs, a series of cringeworthy Tribal Councils, generous screentime devoted to inane players and unsavory religious overtones. South Pacific repeated Redemption Island's principal gimmicks: one returning player assigned to each team and the predecessor's titular artifice. Coach and Ozzy were dubious choices to fill the coveted returning player slots, but both managed to turn in peak performances before late expirations. 

The latter's game revolved around Redemption Island. Shortly before the merge, Ozzy suggested his team vote him out so he could tackle tribe nemesis and Redemption crusher Christine. The tribe complied, Ozzy defeated Christine and returned to the game. Shortly thereafter, Ozzy suffered his signature soul-crushing backstabbing - this time at the hands of articulate, physically-intimidated John Cochran. 

Two seemingly-solid tribes were knotted at six heading into the critical first postmerge Tribal Council. The first vote came out 6-6, but Cochran flipped on the re-vote to avoid rock drawing, evacuate an unfavorable pecking order in his tribe, build his resumé and curry favor with the new crew. The move backfired, as Cochran was lambasted by his tribe, then voted out by the tribe he'd joined once they'd eliminated all his former mates. Cochran lost the battle but won the war. His dramatic flip, along with several other luminous moments, paved the way for a profitable return performance.

Perhaps if Ozzy had shown some affability towards Cochran, the sweater-vest wouldn't have betrayed him. But conviviality was never Ozzy's style. His motif was always providing and competing in challenges. Redemption Island was Ozzy's nirvana, a sanctuary from the manipulation and strategizing he never managed to wrap his head around. Ozzy spent eighteen days on Redemption, vanquishing eight competitors in duels after sharing his home, fish and life story with them. After returning to the game a second time, Ozzy won one more thrilling immunity before losing the climactic all-or-nothing final challenge to Sophie. Ultimately it was the most vintage of Ozzy's four performances: he found an idol straightaway and vowed to keep it to himself, managing to do so for two days before telling Keith, who immediately told Whitney; he acted like a baby after his closest ally Elyse was removed, then revamped into a hero by offering himself to challenge Christine on Redemption and finishing the deal; he won a zillion straight challenges, including one where five enemies helped dueling Edna solve a puzzle; he won the second-to-last immunity and targeted eventual champion Sophie, but Albert chose to off Rick instead (most likely to give them a better chance of defeating Ozzy in the final immunity). It was Ozzy's most impressive physical game yet, but another hopeless social foray. 

Rival returning player Coach also submitted his finest performance. Coach limited his bombast to competitors and cameras alike in favor of humility and patience. Meanwhile, he honed his strategy and played the game. Coach (cooperating with Albert and Sophie) found an idol early, hid it from half the tribe for several days, then pretended to find it during a faux team search to build tribe morale. Upon merging, he immediately began working Cochran and ultimately got him to turn (and then got his vote for winner). He took home an idol as a souvenir. If anything, Coach overplayed. He made too many promises to too many people. Some of them (including Ozzy, who trashed Sophie at Tribals but ended up voting for her) didn't forgive him for breaking them. 

After Cochran's flip, there was little question who'd make the final five. That unconcealed alliance had held since the first night. The intrigue began there, with erratic Brandon gifting an idol to Albert for unknown reasons. "My soul has never grieved like it does in this moment," Coach told the cameras before voting Brandon out, blessedly ending his erratic, screentime-sucking game. Albert ducked and weaved his way to the final three. He expressed confidence before Final Tribal, but his machinations were so transparent and heavy-handed he garnered zero jury votes. 

Coach's house of cards came tumbling down at Final Tribal while Sophie delivered a precise, tactical defense of her game after revealing deep vulnerabilities at the previous Tribal. She won the final vote 6-3-0 to cap off a subtle all-around powerhouse performance. She'd return for Winners At War, slowly taking control of the game before succumbing to Tony in a battle of GOATs. Her efficient Final Tribal and well-deserved victory ended the inconsistent season on a high note.