Being on the air for over twenty years has caused Survivor to evolve in numerous ways, and Ryan Medrano helped to move the game forward. The moves have gotten bigger, the twists and advantages have gotten more complex, and the survival skills needed to stay alive have dwindled to mere afterthoughts. Now that each installment lasts only 26 days, as opposed to 39, the focus is on the cast , and how they respond to the twists and turns of the game, instead of the harshness of nature.
Once in a while, however, Survivor will cast someone that embodies the old-school spirit of the show. This season, it was Ryan, who was voted off in episode 9, "What About the Big Girls.' While Survivor 42 celeb Chanelle Howard believes that fire doesn't matter in the new era, Ryan begs to differ. Most of his screen time was taken up with shots of him stoking the fire, gathering firewood, and spearfishing to feed his hungry tribe.
Spearfishing Cost Ryan Medrano The Game on Survivor
In fact, Ryan was so focused on feeding his tribe that it became his go-to answer for why they should keep him over another tribe member. After being caught on the wrong side of the vote in episode 5, "Stop With All the Niceness,' Ryan found himself on the bottom of the tribe. He had nothing to offer except his ability to catch fish. Even at the tribal council, where he was voted out, Ryan stated, "I have 30 lbs of giant clamshells in my bag, so if I get voted out, I get to take those home with me." This proved that his main focus was on nature, instead of the game.
Although Ryan's former Coco tribe was in the best position to start the merge, it's no surprise that he was one of the first to fall from that majority alliance. In episode 8, "Proposterous," Ryan spent the afternoon before tribal council spearfishing. He didn't strategize with his alliance , so they needed to formulate a plan much earlier than anticipated, in order to catch Ryan before he went into the ocean. There comes a point where an alliance member is a liability, if they can't be reached for quick changes in the plan, and that is what led to Ryan's downfall.
While the pomp and circumstance of surviving on an island have all but washed away during 43 Survivor seasons, it's nice to be reminded of what the show was originally about back in 2000. With fans being mixed on Survivor's new era of "sob story" editing, it's refreshing to see old-school scenes, thanks to Ryan. He may not have survived his tribe mates, but he certainly provided a respite from the constant scheming that now plagues modern Survivor.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.