5 ‘Survivor’ Season 44 Castaways to Watch
The Survivor Season 44 premiere is less than a week away, and we could not be more excited to officially meet the brand new cast of 18 castaways. Based on their preseason interviews and CBS’s sneak peeks, we know that the group of players will win the hearts of fans. And even though it was difficult, we’ve narrowed the list to five players most likely to steal the show.
Carolyn Wiger will undoubtedly be a big personality in ‘Survivor’ Season 44
Most Survivor fans will recall that Carolyn Wiger is the woman who got excited about rocks in the season 44 preview. However, some others will recognize her from the online Survivor gaming community. Carolyn has been a fan of the show for a while and has been an active part of the online fandom for years, so we know she’s here to play. And she is determined to be her authentic self on the island.
In the trailer, Carolyn explained, “It’s the experience for me. I’m soaking up every moment. I’m touching every piece of sand. And I’m looking at every single rock, and I’m rubbing it, and like [screams].” And that tells us almost all we need to know about how fun it will be to watch her play Survivor.
Carolyn is a 35-year-old drug counselor from Hugo, MN, who will be in the Tika tribe. Carolyn said in her Survivor Season 44 cast bio, “I want to share my story. I want to bring the hope. Addiction looks different for everybody, and recovery does too. Survivor is so much more than a game to me. It’s the human interactions, the growth, and the fun! Of course, I want to be a part of that!”
Claire Rafson
The next Survivor Season 44 cast member on our watch list is Claire Rafson, a 25-year-old tech investor from Brooklyn, NY. Producers initially place Claire on the Soka tribe, where she will undoubtedly make waves.
Claire doesn’t have much of a presence in the trailer and sneak peeks, but her preseason interviews excite us about what she has up her sleeve.
Like many of her fellow players, Claire has been a Survivor fan for a while now (since she was four years old). And a couple of the former castaways she wants to emulate her game after are Survivor Season 32 winner Michele Fitzgerald and Survivor Season 29 winner Natalie Anderson. If she’s anything like Michele and Natalie, we’ve got a big storm coming, folks.
As for why Claire thinks she’ll be the Sole Survivor of season 44, she said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win. I’ve got the strategic knowledge and social skills to get me where I need to go. I’m also easy to underestimate. These people won’t see me coming til my knife is in their back.” Yes, Claire!
Matthew Grinstead-Mayle
Matthew Grinstead-Mayle makes a big splash in the Survivor Season 44 preview. And unfortunately for Matthew, we mean that literally.
The trailer begins with Matthew climbing a giant rock structure in the ocean for (seemingly) no reason. In a voiceover, Matthew said, “I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned from watching Survivor over the years is that no matter where you come from, whether you have money, if you’re a guy, a girl, if you’re a gay dad like me, anyone can come here and have the drive and can succeed.”
He continued, “You just, you have to want it. You have to want to go for it. You have to be just fearless. I know that it’s gonna be crazy. And I’m just gonna keep holding on, even if I’ve only got one arm.” Matthew then proceeded to slip and fall down the rock. Based on the preview, it’s unclear if Matthew is injured from the fall. But we hope he can continue in the game because we already love him.
Matthew is a 43-year-old barbershop owner from Columbus, OH, in the Ratu tribe. As for why he thinks he’ll be the Sole Survivor, Matthew said, “I have the heart, the drive, and the ability to see this to the end. And there will be tons of giggles and rainbows along the way.”
Carson Garrett
One castaway meets the “nerd” archetype in almost every Survivor season. From Christian Hubicki to (the gone too soon) Zach Wurtenberger, fans have seen it all. And it seems like Carson Garrett will fill that role for Survivor Season 44, especially since he expressed that he identifies the most with Christian. But we believe there’s much more to Carson.
Carson is a 20-year-old NASA engineering student from Atlanta, GA, and will be a part of the Tika tribe alongside Carolyn. In the preview, Carson shared, “I’m studying to be a rocket scientist with NASA. To prepare for Survivor, I read FBI books about interrogation techniques.” Let’s hope that all that reading pays off for him in Fiji.
Based on Carson’s preseason interviews, he wants to lay low at the beginning of the game and strike later on. He won’t reveal his engineering background to diminish his threat level. And there is no one more prepared than Carson.
“I want to be part of Survivor to win the game I know and love and prove that age does not define success,” Carson explained in his bio. “As someone who has obsessively studied the evolution of game theory within Survivor, I cannot wait to test myself and see how my unique thought process and strategic background fare on a game built upon the idea of adaptability. While I believe that winning Survivor requires some luck, I think that my intuition and discernment will lead me down a path to victory.”
Yamil ‘Yam Yam’ Arocho makes quite the impression during the ‘Survivor’ Season 44 preview
Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho undoubtedly stole the show during the Survivor Season 44 trailer. And we just know in our bones that he will be one of the most entertaining characters Survivor fans have ever seen.
In the video, Yam Yam said, “I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see Jeff. I can’t wait to not eat. [Laughs] Not shower, not brush my teeth. Poop in the ocean! Bring it!” We need more Yam Yam stat.
Yam Yam is a 36-year-old salon owner from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is on the Tika tribe with Carolyn and Carson. In his bio, Yam Yam said, “I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing the best game in the world. I’ve been watching since the very first episode when I was 13 years old. And I want to prove to me that I have the physical and mental strength to make my dreams come true and to win the title and money.”
Plus, Yam Yam wants to play like Cirie Fields. Say no more; we are rooting for you, Yam Yam!
Survivor Season 44 premieres on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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