On Thursday night's season premiere of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains," the rambunctious Sugar was voted off the island by a 6-1 margin. Earlier in the episode, however, Tom considered ousting Cirie instead of Sugar. That clearly didn't happen, and it may cost the cast of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" in the end.
While the 20th season of "Survivor" is a glorified all-stars edition, the castaways continue to make the same gross error every season--voting out the visibly weaker person rather than the mentally stronger one. On the surface, it makes sense in the short term. Keeping the strongest members and casting off the weaker ones in hopes to win future challenges is Darwinism at its finest.
That doesn't make it smart gameplay, however.
Stephenie from "Survivor: Palau" and Russell from "Survivor: Samoa" are just two examples of players who came from losing tribes yet they themselves advanced individually in the game. To vote out Sugar, who clearly wasn't a threat to win the $1 million and appeared both needy and irritating to her tribe, seemed to be a futile move at best.
Despite this cast being billed as the "best of the best," it would seem obvious that a master manipulator such as Cirie would be the bigger threat long-term in the game. Most already know that Cirie formed a tight bond with Amanda in "Fans vs Favorites," and the self proclaimed "gangster in an Oprah suit" finished within the top 5 in both Panama and Micronesia.
We'll see next Thursday if voting off Sugar was the right move for the Heroes.
For more "Survivor" recaps, news and more, click here.
Michael Langston Moore also writes for the BOSTON TV EXAMINER column, as well as the AFRICAN AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT EXAMINER page on Examiner.com.
MORE 'SURVIVOR' NEWS:
Natalie beats Russell in finale of "Survivor: Samoa"
'Samoa' winner Natalie receives $1 million check on 'The Early Show,' Russell still unhappy (Video) 
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