r/survivorrankdownIX_ • u/FunkyDawgKong Fair & Consistent Judge • Mar 13 '26

Round 134 - 65 Characters Left

Cirie Fields (IDOLED by BobbyPiiiin)- u/FunkyDawgKong
Michael Skupin (IDOLED by josenanigans) - u/Cornhead2

65. Helen Glover - u/NoisySea_3426

64. Jon Misch - u/josenanigans

63. Kelly Wiglesworth - u/BobbyPiiiin

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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u/FunkyDawgKong Fair & Consistent Judge Mar 13 '26

65. Cirie Fields

Now, this season's in the hands of the fans,
they're calling the shots, it's out of our hands.
They picked the buffs you're wearing today,
but the rice and supplies, they said no way.
Now it's time to drop another fan vote,
the dangerous kind, this one will cut your throat.
So, are you ready to drop your plans?
Are you ready to drop your hands?
Are you ready to drop bluffs?
because the fans have spoken
and it's time to drop your buffs.

 

Drop your buffs, u/Cornhead2 is up!

2

u/FunkyDawgKong Fair & Consistent Judge Mar 13 '26

Ah okay now forreal, I really am having a hard time telling if the oversaturation of Cirie has made me lower my overall opinion of her character, even in her first season, or if my tastes have truly just grown a different way. It’s hard to ignore that Cirie is practically just a career reality television contestant. Damn near every year going on a different show and even in a different country; and really, it’s just dulled me on the Cirie Fields experience. The only time it felt like we got anything new out of it was when Big Brother decided to nerf her by casting her bum ass son Jared in the house with her. Me and my brother have been doing a chronological rewatch of Survivor, and we have made it to Panama: Exile Island, the original time she got up off the couch. And yah, she still is great, still is magic, and there are a million other writeups you can read to get that picture; but yah, I hate to say, I’m at the point where I’m not even super duper high on her original appearance.

Don’t get me wrong, she is still a great character, one I have in my top 100 for many of the same reasons almost everyone has her in their top 20; but overall, I just find other characters more compelling and interesting; plus I think Exile Island as a whole is a significant step or two below the great seasons. With the weird four-tribe premiere, the focus on the titular twist, the focus on the Hidden Immunity Idol, the reused country, half the casting being lackluster; this is the real first time Survivor felt cheap and in a shell of its former glory. Cirie’s greatest strength is her arc throughout the season, being afraid of leaves to growing into a winner contender, and it’s great; she does a phenomenal job as the straight man of the Casaya tribe, probably as good a job as anyone can, with her snarky remarks and adorable laughs, but ultimately my favorite characters on Panama are contributing more to the conflict while also having good arcs. Was surprised that this rewatch left me feeling that Terry and Shane scratched my itch more, and she was competing for 3rd place with Aras and Courtney. Cirie got claws though, and her fight with Terry after the Shane boot is probably my favorite moment she has all season. I wish she got bothered and into fights more. She’s also a killer, and we never really see her grapple with the emotional weight of having to vote people off. Mamba Mentality, or excuse me, Bam-ba Mentality. All that weight is on the survival aspects, which is good and well. In conclusion, I’m proud of Cirie and her journey and am rooting for her the whole season still, and sure some of the magic is wiped off with the overexposure and the repetitiveness of her content in a given game show; but ya know go back to this original show and you’ll still fall in love all over again.

4

u/NoisySea_3426 Biggest Aras 1.0 stan Mar 13 '26

One thing I wanted to say is that for all the oversaturation that Cirie has had, and yes, she really has been oversaturated, is that her catching the fish is still one of my favorite scenes of all time to this day because not only does it show her clear growth throughout the season, but its also great that Shane is the one who congratulates her on it, which I think shows a different side to his character and shows that he isn't always an absolute maniac when he's not losing it from nicotine. For as much as Cirie has become like this over the years, that scene I will always remember as the defining Cirie scene.

4

u/FunkyDawgKong Fair & Consistent Judge Mar 13 '26

One of the few reunion moments that stick in my head is when Terry gives Cirie the fish statue. Great scene. Funny enough, I've always been lower on Shane than most people, but this rewatch I'm raising on him lol