‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’: Why Jeff Varner is worthy of your vote
We always liked Jeff Varner, but he was one of those guys we had almost forgot about as a contender to return for another “Survivor” season. After all, how was CBS going to justify bringing him back in 2015? It had been so long since the second season, and the argument would be made in casting that it was more important to go for more recent players.
This is why we are thrilled that “Survivor: Second Chance” exists. If production just picked ten men, we’re not sure he makes the cut. However, this is a chance for fans to demonstrate that this is a guy with untapped potential who was screwed over by a lame rule the first couple of seasons, where the tie-breaker rule was that previous votes count against you. While we cannot say that we’re sold on his chances to return, we at least think he has a reasonable spot.
Past experience – “Survivor: Australia” (10th place)
Why you should vote for him – The simple answer is nostalgia. Like Kelly Wiglesworth, he is a player from a different era. What separates him even from her, though, is that he was thinking back then more like a modern player in terms of strategy. He may not struggle as much when it comes to the speed of the game or juggling different alliances. Another great argument? The last two times that contestants from early seasons were brought back in Skupin and Gervase, both were very entertaining, and they each made it to the end. Varner has the potential to play a better game than either one of them.
Why you wouldn’t vote for him – The obvious answer is that you don’t remember him, and nobody’s going to blame you if you feel that way. 2001 was a long time ago. Or, maybe there are enough guys elsewhere that your ballot is already full.
Our prediction – Jeff’s not a sure thing by any means, but we at least think that he has a solid chance. He has campaigned hard for this, and the nostalgia factor is always big. One final thing we’d say to voters (since he is on our personal ballot) is that this is the best possible chance for him to come back. He didn’t make it far enough to be considered a legend or a “Survivor” superstar, but he didn’t do poorly enough for a potential pre-merge season (which we do still want).
If you want to see the rest of our “Survivor: Second Chance” voting pieces, be sure to head over here. Also, sign up now to have some other TV news sent to you, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)