75. Ben Driebergen (Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, 1st Place)
Ben would not be this low if he hadnt won Survivor: HHH. Im not one of those people who typically goes crazy and disowns a season because the winner is unsatisfying (usually because an unsatisfying winner is typically the result of a bad, season-long edit), but Ben is that ONE case in 36 seasons where an awful winner actively taints a good season. Its not even that hes a bad person (thoughwell get to personality soon), its just that the means by which he won the season are SO unconventional and emblematic of the problems with modern Survivor that it sucks.
Basically, Ben started out strong on the Heroes Tribe, right in the middle of all the action with little reason to worry about his safety. Fine. Great, even. And then he got swapped into a 3-1-1 minority against the Healers, where he bonded with Lauren and bonded with Mike. Fine. Then he reconnected with Chrissy and formed the Hero/Hustler majority against the Healer monolith. And at the right moment, he flipped against the Ryan/Chrissy/JP trio to take out JP, then played the part of a similarly-betrayed Hero right alongside them until blindsiding Joe. All of that is fine. Good gameplay, I cant complain.
But after all that, Ben established himself as a huge threat, and his own allies realized that he was a danger to their games. So they decided to target him. Lucky for Ben, he had a hidden immunity idol that hed kept a secret from everyone. He played it and saved himself. And again, I will not complain about Bens game prior to the final six. But thats where things start to get bullshit. Ben saved himself at seven with an idol. Then he goes out and immediately finds a second idol at the final six and plays it before the votes are even cast. Starting to get annoying. THEN he goes out and conveniently finals a THIRD idol right by where he tends to sit and give his confessionals (marked with a dig here marking.) He plays THAT as well. Thats three rounds in a row where Ben saved himself by finding a magic idol. Not strategic gameplay, not winning an immunity challenge. Nope, finding an idol.
But at least idols expire at the final five, right? And when Ben loses the final four immunity challenge, the other players could finally eliminate a guy they correctly identified as a huge threat? Yeah no. The producers decided to throw in a new twist that the final four vote went to fire-making, and wouldnt you know it? Ben beats Devon, securing a place in the finals and ensuring he wins because he had the best underdog story imaginable among the final three. Likeeven with the idol bullshit, Ben going out in fourth wouldve given him a perfect fallen hero story arc, and it wouldve given a great vibe to a strong season. Instead, its like if Terry beat out Danielle at the end of Exile Island and won the season.
Speaking of being like Terry, while Ben seems like a great person in real life, and I respect him bringing awareness to PTSDhe was kind of a dick in the game. Once he solidified his power in the early merge, he became extremely overbearing in an unpleasant way. He talked down to Chrissy and Ashley and acted like they were stupid for not going along with the course of action HE wanted. And then he was a complete cocky prick when he found himself on the outs and kept saving himself solely via immunity idols. So yeah, that definitely tainted his win a little more than just the circumstances did. It was like by the end game, the producers needed to white wash him and paint the opposition as either incompetent or assholes, and thats not fun at all. And it seriously diminished my enjoyment of the season, so Ben ranks low for me.