Survivor Canberra S2 Edgic - Episode 1

Welcome back to Survivor Canberra edgic! The premiere episode aired last Friday and that means we've officially hit the on-season. Time to delve deep into this edit and determine who our main characters, heroes, villains and even potentially our winner are for season two. 

What falls under Edgic?

I wanted to quickly touch on what specifically I use within an episode for edgic. It might be obvious to say 'all of it' but the goal is to spot intentionally edited footage relating to castaways or themes. This means that challenges will rarely be included in edgic - that part of the episode has to be shown regardless and a player doing well or badly doesn't reflect on their character unless it's highlighted. In a similar vein, in real-life Survivor games players typically get just one tribal question each, perhaps more depending on the circumstances. That means it's hard to judge a character based on their answer to tribal because there's a good chance that was their only answer - and had to be shown. The key is to look for optional footage, scenes that didn't have to be included but were carefully selected. The main one is confessionals, who is getting confessionals and what parts of their confessional is shown? I also look at camp scenes and voting confessionals to get a sense of where players' storylines are going. I do not look at 'next time on survivor' until my edgic recap is done either - that's next episode's story not this one.

With that in mind, I'm going to go through every player featured in the episode, roughly in order from 'least' complex to most complex. The final 5 will be my winner contenders, who I believe have the strongest edits in terms of either winning or being the main characters of the season. Remember that this is just about the edit, not how these people are in real life (they're all lovely if you weren't sure).

Under The Radar

Joseph is an interesting case. His first confessional gave excellent personal information about where he's lived, and how he found an interest in Survivor. It was a promising start but afterwards he mostly disappeared from the edit - despite the fact he received a vote at tribal. I considered MOR just for the opening confessional but I sided with UTR because I think it more accurately represented the editor's intent this episode, he wasn't given any significant development after that. It's definitely not a good sign to receive a UTR rating in the first episode, especially not to be the only one out of the entire 16-person cast. His only other confessional this episode was about Mel, which could've come from any player and didn't advance his story. He was in some group scenes but didn't say many lines, and only received a small bit of SPV from Hayley saying he 'wasn't fitting in the group'. The only potential good way to look at it is perhaps Joseph was protected by the edit? He wasn't highlighted as a target and by not showing him it might make the audience ignore it. With that said, if he doesn't comment on the vote next episode or get substantial content I would say Joseph will not be a prominent character this season.

Over The Top

Oh, Grace. You said you weren't here to make friends and if this premiere is to be believed it appears you achieved that goal. Grace in my eyes has an incredibly clear edit - an underdog villain. She laid out her plans for the season in her initial confessional, to be 'nasty', 'evil', and 'not a nice player'. It set us up for her running off to the love rocks, and being isolated from the rest of the tribe. All of this painted the picture that Grace is a big outsider, and without allies or social capital in the tribe. She then had a confessional that lead into Mar's story, which didn't add anything to Grace's character. One thing I noticed on rewatch is she quite literally was not seen again after that rocks scene. The remainder of her tribe were all shown strategizing or aligning with others, while her screentime this episode ended after her observation she'd distanced herself from everyone else. Grace has probably the edit I'd say is least likely to win - she has virtually no on-screen relationships and was primarily shown as out-of-touch with the rest of the tribe. Easy Over-The-Top Negative edit, and I think Grace is a likely pre-merge candidate. 

Moving on to another negative edit, Johanna had some strong points in her edit that stood out to me along with some early warning signs. She was introduced before the mat and explained her skill as being friendly, and at the mat she was shown stating she'd never watched Survivor. It build her character early, but it didn't strike me as particularly winner-esque. The issue is her interaction with Mar. Johanna appeared wishy-washy and Mar was given screen time to criticise her, to which it appeared that the audience was meant to agree with Mar's perspective. Along with this, her next confessional said she'd struggle with anything mental and that her 'brain wasn't switched on'. Not a moment that inspires confidence in her gameplay, and absolutely something that could've been left out if she was to become a strategic threat later on. I was close to giving her mixed tone but she didn't receive as much positive SPV (Second person visibility) as I remembered, she was mainly just shown being close to Mal. I'd say Johanna is set up as a comic relief character at the moment, it wouldn't surprise me if she left pre-merge. 

Simon's edit did have complexity, however this edit was also not a favourable look in terms of winner chances. How a character is first introduced into the audience is vital as it can sometimes tell you what their storyline will be - whether it be winning, personal growth, to be villainous or any other attributes they may have. What was Simon's first words to the audience? 'I think I might be trying too hard'. The editors could've put any number of random throwaway comments, why that as the first time seeing Simon? The answer was demonstrated in the rest of the episode, Simon is a comedic character. Winyu's footage was starkly different to Kubbadang, which had an array of connections and outlined alliances as opposed to Winyu's occasionally random groupings of people. Simon was not present in several of these groupings, and instead his footage was moreso him being an aloof and clueless personality. John's confessional on him was quite harsh, outright calling him someone who's 'gone throughout his life where he can say whatever he wants'. On its own it might've reflected worse on John, yet the editors chose to undermine Simon by showing his awkward comment of 'old bloke, young girls' twice without any confirmation from Hayley on if they wanted to work with him. His confessional on Mel was also out-of-place and didn't resolve its own thought of him stating he 'hasn't gotten his head around why they picked her'. His biggest connection was to Sam, who left this episode, meaning he's somewhat back on square-one in terms of on-screen bonds. Truthfully, I don't know where Simon goes from here. Is he a short-term goofball? Is he an early merge boot that actually goes right as the season heats up? I doubt he's the winner from this episode alone, and his lack of connections shown (aside from Sam who is already gone) is concerning for his long-term chances. 

Middle of the Road

Time for our first boot Sam, we hardly knew ya! Sam's content this episode revolved around her quite simply being a target and leaving the episode. She was the final person in the entire episode to be established to the audience, being shown at the 29-minute mark talking to Simon, and when she finally got confessionals they were primarily about the love rocks or being on the outside. I was tempted to go UTR because her content wasn't very complex but she did at least get shown describing why Anna should go instead, even if it was brief and didn't lead to anything this episode. When players get eliminated I'll recap their game story and how the general audience is likely to remember them, and unfortunately for Sam she'll likely be remembered for being too quiet and saying no to going with James to the water well. She starts and ends the game as MORN, and with one of the lower confessional counts. This suggests to me that rather than build Sam's story, the editors focused on building characters who'll be here long-term, so big edits this episode are going to be eyed closely. 

On the topic of quiet edits, we have Banfield. Between the two tribes if you asked me which tribe I think was more complex I'd say Kubbadang, as they had several fleshed-out edits despite not going to tribal. However, you also had Banfield, who had the opposite. He had three prominent moments this episode - his mat-chat and subsequent confessional where he made a joke about his 'back' jumper, his confessional about Mar, and his confessional after winning the challenge. Aside from that he was mainly named as a target by Mal, who used words like 'nervous', 'anxious' and 'hardcore'. It somewhat came out of nowhere in the episode, and it's always a red flag when a quieter player is named as a target (similar to Soph who is further down). I was close to giving him UTR as I felt he really wasn't developed much, I ultimately went with MORN due to Mal's confessional about him. Can Banfield do well from here? Definitely, and if his confessional after the challenge is meant to be taken at face value he was pointed out as the one who won the challenge. However, I'd like to hear more from him about his strategy or personal life to feel confident he will go far. As it stands he could be a pre-merge boot- there's been a justification for him being targeted and he doesn't have a strong narrative on his own. Let's hope the editors have his back next episode. 

Malcolm received the first confessional of the season and was the first player introduced to the audience, however along with several of the early confessionals it was more about the twist/season rather than Mal as a person. If anything I think this hurts his winner chances - it seems unlikely the first player to be seen would be the winner especially if they didn't establish his character. More worryingly, he wasn't shown answering a question on the tribe mat when the tribe members answered Dan and Liv. There's some plausible deniability that perhaps he wasn't asked one, or his answer wasn't good TV, but overall Mal became a narrator rather than a character this first episode. I would guess he has longevity in the game, nothing about his edit suggests he leaves soon, but usually a winner has a more standout story in the opening episode than Mal received. He was shown with some connections - Jo was called by Mar with a shot 'proving' the connection along with being included in several alliances, on addition of his named target being Banfield which gives us potential storylines if Kubbadang loses the next challenge. I'd guess he makes merge but probably doesn't make the final 3 - but that's just a preliminary guess. 

Soph had one of the more subdued first edits. Despite that, she laid out clear goals for the season - five different points that she was hoping to hit. The issue with the bucket list was that none of the points related to winning the season, instead relating to challenges and idols. This means if Soph were to win immunity or find an idol, does that 'satisfy' her goals and thus not narratively need to win? Right now her story looks to be how many of those goals can she hit, rather than if she is able to win the game. Soph tied for the least confessionals in this premiere with only 2, with her second one being a simple 'excited to be here' confessional. It's interesting that Nic was shown targetting her already as the tribe didn't go to tribal - was this just for drama if they went to tribal or will this pay off down the line? Right now I see a potential 'journey' edit for Soph rather than winner edit, where her narrative pays off by succeeding/failing her goals. 

Michael had what edgic writers call a 'circumstantial edit'. He was highlighted because of a significant circumstance that happened to him, rather than receiving content to develop his character. He was not at all introduced until after the tribe had gotten to camp - which is a terrible sign considering every single other member of his tribe was given at least some content. His first confessional was completely narrational too, spelling out the love rocks twist. He did highlight the importance of a social game after, which at least partially developed his strategy, but beyond that his content fell into talking about others. This was true both at the Kubbadang tribe and while at the Ultimate Sacrifice with Mel. The problem is that it doesn't help the audience understand Michael more as a player or a person. We know about his alliance, but what are his reasons for playing? His strategies? Why he can win the season? His content was quite surface level, so much so that despite receiving the most confessionals out of his tribe I'm only giving him a MOR edit, as his edit was quite simply not complex enough. I think Michael could and probably will go far but this would be an extremely unconventional winner premiere episode. 

Complex Personalities

John's edit is right near the middle for a reason. His edit wasn't good or bad, it was right in between. Initally when I watched I read his edit as potentially winner quality but on a review he didn't get a lot of personality moments and his content was more on the basic side. His first confessional of wanting to cause chaos was similar to James' but with less emphasis on how it'd assist him winning. Speaking of James, those two look to be a key duo to explore in future episodes. Last post I pointed out how duos early on made up the final 4 of last season and we might see a similar trend here if Joseph/James turns out to be an important relationship. John commented on James' 'love isn't real' comment, James then presented his own love rock to John, and the strategising segment ended on them two 'deciding' the vote. He had the comment about Simon, which suggests a pay-off in the next few episodes between them, and otherwise John got the confessionals after Mel's Sacrifice story - which advanced Mels' narrative not his own. A decent episode all-round, but I'm trusting my gut on this one that John is probably a strategy-based character rather than someone we get personal info/SPV from like Hayley or Mar. 

Anna is the biggest question mark for me out of everyone here. I could see her making top 5 or being next boot, both options have editorial weight. Her first confessional was theme exposition, but she did receive a confessional after her mat chat that held some importance, with her stating that 'behind her shyness' she can be a strategic thinker. This sort of confessional is great for main characters because it gives them a unique story early on, Anna is a player who'll utilise her shyness to play a sneakily aggressive game. However, this then didn't happen, quite literally in the same episode she said it would. Anna was called 'sneaky', 'big player' by Sam and 'silent assassin, all terms that suggest she didn't succeed in her gameplan, and could be a target as early as next episode. Her vote for Mel was shown too despite her saying nothing in it, this emphasizes Anna wasn't 'in-the-loop' in this vote. Anna could turn into an underdog, somewhat reminiscent of Alex last season who had negative SPV in her second episode but turned it around to be a rootable, likeable presence later on. I chose to give her CPN for this episode, as similarly to James she explained her strategy and thoughts in detail. On the topic of James, she got two seperate confessionals about him... there might be a rivalry brewing between these two? It makes sense logically why James might target Anna next vote, hence justifying Anna's concern about him. Next tribal Anna attends could be make-or-break, if she survives and builds new storylines she has potential. 

Over to the most visible player of the episode, Mel also had a circumstantial edit. Unlike Michael, she also received early development that quells some fears that she was only shown so much due to her decision. She had a comical moment at the beginning calling camping a 'sacrifice' - which tied her character to the theme in a notable way, and then got another confessional in her mat chat that tied her job into her strategy in an even more noteworthy way. She wasn't a part of the pre-challenge narrative, which isn't awesome for her, but her story this episode started with her being sent to the Ultimate Sacrifice and her dealing with the consequences. From there she weighed the pros and cons of the decision and was given ample time to elaborate on her concerns about surviving the next vote. She was undoubtedly CP, with mixed tone from Anna being skeptical of her (along with the focus on 'not enjoying camping', not usually a positive trait) and some tribe members liking her and declaring their interest in keeping her. She's my first winner contender because this edit would make sense if she won, but she was going to get a big first-episode edit regardless. Next few episodes are key for Mel, can she keep up the complexity? 

Nic had a simple yet effective first episode. He said his job, his strategy (stirring the pot), named a target to go with reasoning for it and was mentioned by Mal and Michael as someone they wanted to work with. In particular, Nic was called valuable twice and said to be good at challenges, which is fantastic PSPV (Positive Second Person Visibility, if you forgive my long titles) to receive on episode one. He wasn't shown talking about winning or a goal for the season, which you could read as his goal being to merely have fun, but I lean more towards it being implied that he will use his strategy to win. He's up so high as a winner candidate for me because he simply has very few edit issues. There isn't much more to say, his content was straightforward and easy to digest unlike some of the others on his tribe that had more unique edits. He seems like a candidate for the 'gamebot' of the season, and I would be surprised if Nic didn't at least make merge, if not deep into the endgame. 

James had an impressive premiere edit, which entailed almost everything you'd want in a first-episode edit. He was introduced to the audience early, and specified his goal of winning along with how he'd do it (pull a sneaky, push people into water etc). He was given significant strategic credit both before and after the challenge and was commented on by Anna as a strategic threat and seen connecting with John. Similar to Nic there's not a lot to say about it, he's seemingly one of the main strategic players on his tribe and will likely play a main role in the season. It is worth noting he has a clear negative tinge to his edit, which accounts for him being CPN over tonless CP, but unlike Simon, Johanna and Grace it felt lighter less damning to his winner odds. It's definitely possible James becomes the main antagonist of the season, he could be the final villain to take out near the endgame, but I'd say it's also reasonable if James was a complex villainous winner - it's hard to edit around villainous players with less footage than IRL Survivor receives. However, the other 3 winner contenders in the top 4 all received positive tone (and were the only ones to have it - there's a clear correlation) while James received virtually none beside Mel's desire to work with him. Tentatively, James is someone to keep an eye on. 

Time to get to the breakout Kubbadang star, Mar. Mar dominated the storyline on Kubbadang, almost every player commented on or was shown interacting with her. Not only was she on everyone lips, we heard from her a lot in this segment. Her excellent opening confessional about her water analogy, her complexity in her own thoughts and others of her.There's no way around it - Mar is the most important character in Kubbadang right now. What does this mean for her in the future though? Banfield and Grace were both given confessionals suggesting she was a social threat which is noteworthy, did we need both? Grace wasn't even shown interacting with her and yet she was given time to talk about Mar. The obvious answer could be that Mar is a big pre-merge boot character, but I disagree with that because her own content was excellent in its own right. She spoke about tribe dynamics with footage to back it up, complained about Johanna that was justified by the edit, and the alliances shown all included her to some degree. I believe Mar will be a massive character for the long-term, and I have her as a potential winner as well. My only hesitation is that this is an extremely visible first episode - there becomes an argument of if it is simply 'too obvious' and that a quieter but still complex episode from my #1 contender is a more likely winner introduction. Some people might be surprised I went for positive tone instead of mixed, but I actually found Grace and Banfield's criticism to be not all that negative, and in some ways kind to her social ability such as Grace calling her 'lovely'. Jeremy last season was a CPP presence, can Mar pull it off? It's definitely possible. 

Hayley's content wowed me on rewatch, it was picture-perfect in terms of exactly what you want from a winner candidate. Intro confessional stating her desire to win? Check. Spoken to at the mat with a follow-up confessional? Check. Repeatedly shown being included in chats and wanted as an ally by several players? Check check check. All of her confessionals showed adept strategical thinking and most importantly of all showed her ability to self-reflect in her admission of being 'quite loud' whilst laying out her social game. While I can see flaws in James or Mar's content in terms of being too negative or too visible, Hayley is in the perfect sweet spot where she's positively portrayed without being overbearing. This culminated in the end of the episode, Hayley's voting confessional was displayed to 'justify' her vote for Sam, and Sam on her way out after being voted out by her gave praise to Hayley! All this said though, Hayley is not necessarily the winner. While she has an excellent premiere, she might slip into weaker episodes later, or even be a shock pre-merge boot. However with only one episode of content to go on, Hayley is without a doubt the prime pick to win the season, and I'll be paying close attention to the next episodes to see if the superb edit continues.   

That wraps up the character analysis! Here's the final chart plus a confessional count:

You can check me out next week at a similar day for the episode 2 edgic! On top of this, I'm a part of the backbenchers podcast recapping this episode later tonight, I'll send a link in the comments. Thanks for reading this, see you next week!