‘Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance’ spotlight: Does Jeremy Collins have perfect strategy to win?
Jeremy Collins was one of our favorites from “Survivor: San Juan del Sur.” Therefore, it’s pretty easy to say we were disappointed that he left when he did. He was obviously a very strong physical player, but he also had a good mind for the game and was basically undone mostly thanks to the paranoia of some other people.
Going into “Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance,” we do feel like Jeremy is in a much better position to go far in the game, mostly in that there are threats all across the board, and he’s a likable-enough guy that he will not be someone who, at least on paper, people want to take out right away. Let’s dive a little bit deeper here to get into why we think he could be a force to be reckoned with this season.
History lesson – 10th place, “Survivor: San Juan del Sur.” In the early going, he seemed to have a good thing going thanks to a solid alliance forming around him, especially when it comes to the season’s eventual winner Natalie Anderson. He was hurt slightly at first by a tribe swap which allowed Reed and Josh, two of his chief rivals, to spend a little bit of time building up steam to campaign against him. While Josh was voted out before Jeremy, some of the damage was already done. Ultimately, Jeremy’s fate was sealed when Jon didn’t appreciate being questioned by him over a hidden immunity idol. We don’t think Jeremy made any one huge mistake, and may have been mostly a victim of maybe saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment coupled with being such an obvious threat.
What worked last time – Even after taking part in the first Exile Island duel (probably not the best decision if you want to fade into the background), Jeremy did integrate himself really well into Hunahpu. He was great at making alliances, at working hard around camp, and being an asset in challenges. Ultimately, he was everything that a tribe would want during the first part of the game. We even think he was smart to have a distinct #2 in Natalie, since pairs can work very well in this game so long as you’re not rubbing it in anyone’s face.
What needs to change – Jeremy needs to make sure that he not the only huge threat on the board. We’ve seen him say this in his CBS All Access video for “Cambodia,” and that he’d even like to work with Joe Anglim (who just so happens to be on the same tribe as him at the start of the game). We like this strategy tremendously. If he can keep people with him like a Joe, a Tasha, or someone else who would be an easy winner at the end, he may be able to convince other people that when the chips are down, he doesn’t need to go. This is something that Tony on “Cagayan” did very well in allowing a huge threat like Spencer to get as far as he did. It was risky, but it worked.
Potential obstacles – Neutralizing a target is much easier said than done. Joe probably is a bigger threat than him on his tribe, but what happens if he goes? Also, being from such a recent season makes Jeremy a little bit fresher in the minds of many. You remember how he played, and may be able to predict his actions a little more than some other people. Regardless of how much we go over the minute details, his biggest problems is that he is a muscular guy who is also smart and a big fan of the game. You can’t hide that.
Prediction – There is absolutely zero reason to eliminate Jeremy within the first few episodes of the game; these guys would be so dumb if they did, to use one of his popular phrases. His trouble spot is right around the same as Joe’s, which is right before the merge or within a few votes after that. We see his ceiling being probably somewhere around fifth place; you don’t want to let this guy get too close to the final three, since on paper he seems capable of beating anyone out there in a final tribal council. Anywhere between ninth and fifth place is a safe bet.
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