‘Survivor: Blood vs. Water’ castaway spotlight: Laura Boneham
When you think about some of the most-popular “Survivor” players of all time, there is traditionally a name that comes to mind alongside the likes of Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, or Colby Donaldson for some really old-school fans: Rupert Boneham. He’s got the pirate look, the tie-dye shirt, and the soft interior. He’s never really been the best player, but has done enough every season to get pretty far.
But can this happen again this year with both him and his wife Laura? She is the only person in the history of the show to come out as a family member, and then be back for a season as a player; therefore, she’s got a pretty interesting distinction almost no matter what. Unfortunately for her, being the answer to a “Survivor” trivia question is not going to be enough for her to win this game in the end.
Basic details – Laura Boneham, 44 years old from Indianapolis, Indiana; wife to Rupert Boneham
Occupation – Merchandiser
Strengths – One big thing is that Laura does not strike us as the sort of woman who is going to be incredibly nice to your face, and then stab you in the back later. She seems much too nice for that. Loyalty early in the game goes far, especially when weaker physical players are not the first people voted out of a season. She also is married to a guy who knows the game better than anyone else, so it’s possible he will have thrown some of that knowledge at her.
Weaknesses – The biggest one for Laura is just that she and Rupert both seem either overconfident or just plain delusional about their chances to go far. We think that they are entering this game once again hoping that being somewhat nice will get them there, and we just don’t see it. While Laura’s probably picked up some survival skills from Rupert over the years, we just don’t see her being a huge threat in the challenges.
Prediction – There are two ways to go with Laura: Gone very early, or a player until late in the game. It doesn’t make sense for the two tribes to get each member of the Boneham clan out early, and we expect to see Laura actually outlast her husband and make it pretty far into the jury. Why wouldn’t you want to take someone that you know you could probably beat, at least in the challenges if nothing else? Since her husband already has a million bucks, that is a great argument for the final tribal council.
If you want to read more of our “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” castaway spotlights, just be sure to click here.
Photo: CBS