Each weekday, EW will post the answers from a different player.
Nick Maioranoplayed 22 days onSurvivor: Kaoh Rongand only attended one Tribal Council.
Unfortunately for him, it was one too many.
Monty Brinton/CBS
Why he did not just round up and provide 10 is anyone’s guess.
It’s like, dude, you’re that close!
Just say the show should go back to a final two and you’re good to go!
CBS
But nine it is!
NICK MAIORANO:Kaoh Rongaired in 2016, and I’m still one of the best one-time players ever.
In all seriousness, things in my personal life and career have progressed.
I got engaged and started a writing career.
Pandemic permitting, the plan is to head to Louisiana and Fiji this year.
Fingers crossed at least one of our projects gets made post-pandemic!
What is your proudest moment ever from playingSurvivor?
My sense of pride comes from the little things.
Could that producer have been buttering me up?
But it felt good because I take great pride in not being a complainer.
Then there’s finding tiny edges in the challenges.
Those are the moments where you’re like… phew, my perception is actually reality.
What is your biggest regret from yourSurvivorexperience?
I’ll say my biggest mistake was prejudging Michele based on her audition video.
MySurvivorplacement/experience snowballs from that moment.
I built up in my head Michele was gonna be my strategic partner in crime.
When my imagination wasn’t lining up with reality, I became frustrated with her.
It was completely my fault and I’m still annoyed with myself to this day.
There are so many other little things/mistakes I’ll never forget especially on the day I was voted out.
How’s that for patronizing?
Lastly, there are the questions I was asked in confessionals and Tribal Council that day.
I’ll never forget.
Well, unless I get Alzheimer’s.
Who am I to say what would blow fans' minds!?
The people who don’t like me aren’t going to believe my version of events.
Because I want to be viewed in a better light?
That’s where I have a disconnect or find myself potentially on the spectrum.
To me, life is more fun when less people are in on the joke/truth.
And you know what?
This was right after Debbie joked that Michele was gonna drown herself due to underperforming in the challenge.
But c’mon, none of that can be put in the TV show.
Michele wound up winning.
In that outcome, I’m her foil.
If Eddie Fox winsCaramoan, that’s a completely different narrative.
If Neal doesn’t get medevaced, the entire end game is different.
I know… duh… butterfly effect.
You could say that about Caleb, Joe, or any little thing.
I’m with you!
But I’m trying to be like the typicalSurvivorplayer and refusing to take blame for my actions/game.
It’s the merge, days 17-19.
Neal’s knee isn’t looking so hot.
If anything, lean into it.
Especially when the online fan base doesn’t like you.
Angry people on the internet get confused and disarmed when you agree with them.
What was it like coming back to regular society after being out there?
Was there culture shock or an adjustment coming back?
For context, I’d classify myself as an introvert for the most part.
Anyway, after I got home, I was a groomsman at my buddy’s wedding.
I was socially drained from the entireSurvivorexperience.
And I was at Ponderosa for 17 days!
All I wanted to do was dig ditches.
Not in the mafia sense.
But I had this craving to do hard manual labor and not speak to anyone.
For a long time.
I just wanted to dig in silence.
I thought… huh, maybe this is why James Clement is a gravedigger.
Not even when it was raining on us all night.
Or when I was voted out.
Or watching the televised product and scratching my head at some narrative choices.
But then again, there’s probably something wrong with me.
I’m not like Keith Nale.
I think every part ofSurvivoris fun.
To be fair though, I had a positive experience.
It’s understandable why others might not feel the same way.
Whom do you still talk, text, or email with the most from your season?
I keep in touch with Neal here and there.
A couple more are sprinkled in on occasion.
On second thought, it has everything to do with my castmates… they’re beneath me.
Do you still watchSurvivorand, if so, what’s your favorite season you were not on and why?
I’ve watched every episode of every season.
Therefore, my first love wasChina.
But, to my point,Chinais great because of the characters.
It’s funny AND strategic.
That’s all a person like me needs.
Exactly what I’m lacking… humor and brains.
Who’s one player from anotherSurvivorseason you wish you could have played with or against and why?
Let’s do a what if approach…
I was at casting finals forPhilippinesandCaramoanin early 2012.
Eddie and I got cut mid-way throughPhilippinescasting because it was my understanding Burnett decided to go with Pete.
In that season, I probably connected with Denise, Malcolm, Penner, Jeff Kent, and/or Dawson.
I always dip into another aisle before he can see me.
I don’t know.
But theSurvivorsubreddit needed to know this.
Every single one of the fans except Michael Snow was at “my” casting finals.
As were Jeremiah, Tyler, and Max.
Anyway, did you know that the hotel hot tub is where the cool kids' alliance first germinated?
If I take Eddie’s spot, I probably connect with Michael Snow and Laura Alexander the most.
Laura and I shared many laughs about certain people and their actions during casting that week.
Questions like: What happens if we remove this player from the group?
How might that affect the group and everyone as individuals?
And I despise the “we need the numbers” strategy.
No, you need therightnumbers.
What’s the point of being in the numbers if you don’t have a path to victory?
I also despise the strategy of thinking what’s in each player’s best interest.
Which is exactly what I did inKaoh Rong.Players rarely act in their best interest myself included.
It’d be nice to have one ally who can have these discussions.
If you could make one change to any aspect ofSurvivor,what would it be and why?
We’re digging deep!
NARRATIVEI think we’re losing some character/emotional impact in player eliminations.
Therefore, I would put more focus on the stakes of the game.
Earning a million dollars and the crown of Sole Survivor is as high stakes as it gets.
What else drives these people?
Other than winning, I want to know what each player wants from the game.
As a fewSurvivorfans will adamantly point out, the narrative leans into advantages and twists a lot.
Imagine if basketball had secret game mechanics that NBA commissioner Adam Silver threw in.
Sure, it can make the game more unpredictable, but at what cost?
At what point are the players no longer competing against each other and instead competing against Adam Silver?
Do the fans want the entire second quarter revolving around a three-pointer nullifier?
Daryl Morey can’t strategize around that.Survivoris a cerebral and relationship game.
You must cast it that way first.
That’s a heck of a day.
You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special."
If you miss, you miss.
Get ready to take the next shot.
FINAL FOUR FIRE MAKING.
If the answer is no, then you have to get rid of this twist.
With that said, I would replace it with the Know-It-All Advantage.
After the merge feast, all players receive the clue to where it is and the chase is on.
Immunity at final four.
You must vote for the eliminated player at every Tribal Council through final five to activate it.
If you ever vote for a player that remains in the game, the advantage loses its power.
The chance for success is slim, but the opportunity for suspense is sky-high.
At final four, there would still be an immunity challenge and typical Tribal Council.
EFFORT TASKSI would replace all reward challenges with individual effort tasks that would take place at camp.
The prize for winning effort tasks could be fire tokens, food, comfort, or an advantage/clue.
This dilemma would result in more conflict and decision-making.
FIRE TOKENSI would assign a monetary value to fire tokens and prohibit bequeathing.
That way, players could cash them in at the season’s end.
Let’s pretend they’re $500 each.
Could five fire tokens ($2,500) buy a swing vote?
Could it buy an idol?
Could it buy someone to step down from an immunity challenge?
Assigning a real-world value feels imperative for fire tokens to work.
Players would acquire fire tokens via effort tasks and bid on a blind item each day.
The items would be the usual food, comfort, and advantages/idols.
If keeping them is non-negotiable, then I think clues should be awarded to whichever tribe wins immunity.
INDIVIDUAL IMMUNITY NECKLACEIn a similar vein, the immunity necklace feels too safe and straightforward nowadays.
I would replace the necklace with food, comfort, and/or a secret advantage/idol.
Preferably an advantage/idol that has an expiration date such as one or two Tribal Councils.
Maybe even give the winner a choice of what item they want.
A secret advantage/idol in lieu of the necklace would cause more uncertainty and decision-making.
FINALISTS VOTINGI would allow finalists to vote.
Let’s get finalists on the record.
Some finalists, even winners, say they would have voted for their competition to win over themselves.
Are some people truly selfless?
Are some greedy despite all indications they played an inferior game?
Are some players completely delusional?
I think these questions need answers.
Hopefully, one season there’d be a payoff.
TWO GAMES TO STARTI’d focus on new ways to start the game.
For example: 20 players.
Four tribes of five.
For the first episode (two-hour premiere), there are two different immunity challenges.
Tribe B competes in one and Tribe C vs.
Tribe D competes in the other.
Two separate Tribal Councils.
Two players get eliminated on day three.
Would some players think it’s a 10-person season?
I don’t know.
But it feels like a fresh start.
A different opening to the game.
Finally, would you play again if asked?
No, thank you.
In all seriousness, let me get this straight…Survivorhas done Fans vs.
BUT!Survivorhasn’t done Second Chance 2 yet?
Fan vote or producer selected… let’s go.
Second Chance 2 for season 43 or 44.
I mean, Blood vs. Water is such a foolish theme, and it had the quickest turnaround.
The strategy is to choose which loved one should quit.
It’s exactly what Amber and Boston Rob should have done onWinners at War.
One of those knuckleheads should have immediately quit or got voted out and quit Edge.
But I had to get that off my chest.
So are you kidding me?!
I’m about 100% sure I would playSurvivorall year-round and win or lose, keep running it back.
