The first nine members of the Survivor 50 jury recently opened up in a new interview, and their answers were more revealing than many fans may have expected.
When asked which juror they believed played the strongest game this season, the castaways offered a mix of honest praise, surprising picks, and a few clear favorites.
As a reminder, the first nine jurors were Dee Valladares, Chrissy Hofbeck, Coach Wade, Christian Hubicki, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Emily Flippen, Ozzy Lusth, Rick Devens, and Cirie Fields.
Two more players were added later, with those names being revealed during the season finale.
So let’s dive into what they told Entertainment Weekly.
Which Survivor 50 jury member played the best game?
Rick Devens and Cirie Fields earned plenty of praise from the other jury members. Their social gameplay clearly left an impression, and both came impressively close to reaching the endgame. Even though neither walked away with the $2 million prize, their fellow castaways seemed genuinely struck by how well they played.
Will Survivor fans agree with that read? The series has also let viewers vote for their favorite player of the season, with that winner receiving a $100,000 prize on finale night. Whatever happens there, Rick and Cirie already made a major mark on this milestone season.
Here’s how the Survivor 50 jury members answered when asked who played the best game:
- Dee picked Christian and Cirie.
- Chrissy picked Rick.
- Coach picked Rick.
- Christian picked Cirie.
- Stephenie picked herself and then went with Rick.
- Emily picked Rick and Christian after complimenting Cirie.
- Ozzy picked Cirie.
- Rick picked Cirie.
- Cirie picked Rick.
Survivor players explain their choices
“Devens. He increased the prize from one million to two million on a coin flip. The fake idol was courageous! He was mentioned as the target for a few votes, yet it always fizzled out. And he’s a hoot to be around!” Cirie said.
“Besides Stephenie (me), I’ll give it to Devens. Everyone was afraid to sit next to him in the end,” Stephenie added.
“This is such a hard question because I genuinely believe so many members of the jury played great, distinct games. There is no real objective truth for ‘best.’ But from watching it back, it’s hard to argue with the control Cirie had during virtually the entire time on the island. That being said, I have to answer Rick or Christian, not just because I obviously love them as people but because I have so much respect for castaways who have to be scrappy, and I thought they both did that incredibly well with an impressive level of graciousness. It’s rare you get to meet such standup people like them,” Emily explained.
Want something fun? Check out the video below. It features the audition tapes for these entertaining players.
