Each season of Survivor, we expect to see a new batch of “Survivor firsts,” even as we find ourselves over halfway through Season 36. But I think it’s safe to say that nobody – and I mean nobody – could have predicted this Survivor first: That following a merge episode – typically the best and most exciting episode of each season – a rap video starring the first member of the Survivor jury would outshine and overshadow all of the episode’s main events. Well my friends, it has happened. A Survivor first indeed.
Despite pleading with Chris Noble to set down his pen – or at least use his eraser – Wendell tried to do us all a favor when, while casting his vote, called Chris “trash…at rapping,” and urged him to give up his budding career. But if there’s anything we’ve learned about Chris during his time on Survivor, it’s that he’s going to march to the beat-box of his own drum.
If you missed any of the action, you can catch up with our Episode 8 Recap, as well as checking out the Podcast below.
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His mad (or maddening) rap skills aside, Chris Noble was indisputably one of the main characters during the pre-merge episodes of Season 36. His ongoing feud with fellow alpha-male Dom began on Day One and built slowly over the weeks, finally culminating in one heck of an episode where the two men’s battle was on open display. Chris though, was fighting off more than just the spirits and curses of Ghost Island…he was as self-unaware as they come when it came to the game of Survivor. Dubbed the “leader” from early on, he just wasn’t able to curb his assertive nature and right until the very end, his over-confidence and ego was his undoing.
The “Survivor Gods” threw him a lifeline in the form of a secret clue that led him to a sneaky midnight trip to Ghost Island, where he took possession of JT Thomas‘s “cursed,” unused Idol from Survivor: Game Changers. Chris decided to take the wager that would give his new Idol more powers, and while he was able to extend its life for not one but two Tribal Councils, he lost his vote in the next Tribal Council in the process. This move – to make his Idol last longer in the game – ultimately led to his undoing, because it presented Chris with a tough choice: Do I use my Idol at the very next Tribal or do I try to hold on to it and use it the next time? Chris, ultimately, chose poorly, and just like with JT, the Idol once again wasn’t played.
Without a vote and without using his Idol for protection, Dom and Wendell‘s main nemesis was finally made vulnerable, at this, his very first Tribal Council of the season. It wasn’t just Dom and Wendell though: Chris had a total of 10 votes against him (only Desi and Angela voted for Libby instead). Chris was sent to Ponderosa as the “Mayor,” – the first player to arrive there – and became the first member of the Survivor jury. Perhaps most importantly though, he produced his gloriously-terrible rap video that will forever put him in my personal Survivor Hall of Fame.
I had the chance to speak to Chris today on the FilmSurvivor Podcast (the full audio of which you can find and download at the bottom of this article). But here were some highlights from the interview:
CHRIS NOBLE INTERVIEW
On who he felt the most betrayed by in the game:
Chris Noble: Sebastian and Donathan. What didn’t make the edit was that after I had that meeting with the 10 or 11 tribe mates [at the water well] – which was definitely the worst decision I could have made. That’s the one thing that if I could take back any one thing, I would. That was a dumb decision. But after that I had actually gone up to people that I had created bonds with throughout the game and individually I asked them what their thoughts were, their opinions, if they thought that this was the right thing to do. And for the most part, they all lied to me. And Sebastian and Donathan, you know, considering some of the talks that we had and the unique bonds that we had…look, I get it, it’s a game. The game was bigger than that for them.
On if he has any regrets with how he handled himself when Dom and Wendell were shown trying to sincerely patch things up and work with him:
Chris: I don’t doubt [their intention and being sincere], I think that edit was probably right on. The thing that people have to understand though, is that Wendell is the mediator. Wendell and I may not have seen eye to eye on everything, but the amount of winning we had together and a number of other things that we had in common, we had a mutual respect for one another. Dom and I had the respect for each other where at least we wanted to take each other out. The real kicker was this: Dom had lied so many times, that I just couldn’t trust him at that point in the game.
For much more from Chris Noble, including my full interview and Chris’s response to his Rap Music Video, please listen to the latest episode of the FilmSurvivor Podcast below or by clicking here.
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TELL US: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CHRIS’S ELIMINATION? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIS RAP VIDEO?
Photo Credit: CBS/Monty Brinton/Robert Voets/Timothy Kuratek/Jeffrey Neira/Michele Crowe
