Welcome to Inside Survivor’s 50 For 50, a semi-regular feature highlighting 50 former castaways who we think should be considered for a spot on Survivor 50. In a snake draft, the Inside Survivor team selected ten players each, with the only rule being they couldn’t have played more than twice.
PROFILE
Name: Earl Cole
Age: 53
Season: Fiji, 2007
Finish: Winner
HIGHLIGHTS
Survivor seasons that take place in Fiji may come and go, but there is forever and always only one Survivor: Fiji. The season itself is truly a one-of-a-kind viewing experience, with many forgotten Survivor firsts. Opinion on the gameplay in Fiji has definitely evolved over the years, yet the winner remains one of the most highly regarded one-time players of all time. He played the game with such finesse that he earned a unanimous vote from the jury to win the million dollars. He never won individual immunity and never needed to because the only vote cast against him was a throwaway. He is the King of Fiji, the puppeteer of the Syndicate, the one and only Earl Cole.
Earl’s road to the win had a far from glamorous beginning. The Haves vs. Have Not twist plagued the Ravu tribe no matter how hard they tried to turn things around. As an obvious leader amongst his tribemates, Earl was sent to Exile Island by Moto as yet another way to weaken their opponents. Despite all of this, Earl’s game was able to hold firm amongst the chaos, largely due to his social capital within Ravu.
Another shining point of his pre-merge game was his friendship with Yau-Man Chan, with whom he bonded over sharing idol clues. This continued over into the swapped tribes, where Earl switched over to the luxurious Moto tribe with him and their mutual ally, Michelle Yi. While the all-Black alliance had been in the works since the beginning, it was during this time that Earl solidified his allegiance with Cassandra Franklin. And so, the earliest version of the Syndicate alliance was born.
Earl’s strategy was steady in the pre-merge, but it was during the individual phase that he emerged as the top contender for the win. His position within the Syndicate was stronger than ever; he was never anyone’s primary target, and obstacles such as the Four Horsemen, the car deal, and Yau-Man’s immunity idol only made him more of a necessary ally for the players around him. Earl made Survivor look easy despite having never seen the show before playing.
During the finale, Earl’s game was awarded handsomely in more ways than one. He became the first Black man to win the show, the first player to receive a unanimous vote to win, and a part of the first and only time we had an all-Black final three. He is a true game-changer in every sense of the word. The worst part of Earl’s game is that we’ve only gotten the chance to see him play once.
WHY HE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
There are few players as in demand for a Survivor return as Earl Cole, and for good reason. He was a one-of-a-kind player on a one-of-a-kind season. Often imitated but never replicated, Earl thrived in a way that the game had never seen up until that point. This was the first time a player had ever received a unanimous vote to win, but it was not by luck or happenstance. Through it all, Earl was an intentional player, carefully crafting alliances and boot orders that benefited him above all else. There was never another player that season better positioned than he.
Earl may be most remembered for his strategic prowess, but his social game provided a personal touch that also made him a fan favorite. His bond with Yau-Man is still remembered as one of the best duos in Survivor history. However, I’ll always remember the work he and his other Black castmates put into fighting for positive representation on and off the screen. It’s the openness with which he and his castmates have spoken about their experiences as Black players that have made him and his fellow finalists some of my favorite players of all time. They were the representation I and many other Black fans needed to see in the old school era of Survivor. I will forever and always look back on Earl’s game as one of the highlights of the old school era.
There is a reason why Earl’s title as the King of Fiji has never been challenged (and frankly, never should be). No matter how many seasons have taken place in Fiji, you never forget the first winner, and one that played a near-perfect game at that. While we have yet to see Earl make a return, a player of his caliber is a necessary addition to the Survivor 50 cast.
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