Survivor: 50 For 50 – Twila Tanner

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: Twila Tanner
Age: 61
Season: Vanuatu, 2004
Finish: 2nd Place

HIGHLIGHTS

Playing on a season divided by gender, Twila started the game among people she struggled to relate to. Deeming most of the Yasur tribe as pampered princesses who wouldn’t be able to hack it in the wild, she put her road work experience to use and became the workhorse of the tribe, forming a strong bond with fellow outcast Scout Cloud Lee that would last through the rest of the game. With Ami Cusick and Leann Salby willing to work with her, the more mature women took control of the tribe.

However, Twila’s blunt personality would get her into hot water throughout the season, particularly with Eliza Orlins, who became Twila’s primary rival. Fighting with other players became one of Twila’s specialties, second only to her ever-present struggle between cutthroat lies and brutal honesty that defined her game in the latter half of the season.

After promising the underdog men her vote at the merge and immediately betraying them, Twila was torn apart by regret as all the men (except for Chris Daugherty) were wiped out back to back. This left Twila with an alliance she didn’t trust and a path to the end that seemed to be growing narrower by the day. But Twila took the game into her own hands, teaming up with Scout, Eliza, and Chris to form a ragtag final four alliance that took down Ami’s alliance one after another to reach the finale.

Once Chris won the last two immunity challenges and took Twila to the end, she was put on blast by a furious jury that held her accountable for her flaws and mistakes. While her argumentative nature and tendency to speak without a filter earned her some ire, it was betraying Ami’s alliance after swearing loyalty on her son’s life that got her in the hottest water. As Final Tribal came to a close, Twila painfully admitted that the game had played her, warping her into someone she didn’t want to become on her quest for the million bucks. She would ultimately get two jury votes, finishing as the season’s runner-up.

WHY SHE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED

The fact that Vanuatu has only seen two returnees is criminal in itself, but Twila not being one of them is just as unforgivable. Even in such an old-school season, Twila played a modern game, managing major lies and betrayals to carve her unlikely path to the final two. Her ability to work with anyone, even those she despised and argued with daily, proved her to be a flexible player. But in a modern season, her play style would be received much better now that honor and integrity aren’t valued as highly by the average jury.

Twila’s also pure entertainment in every scene she’s in, bringing raw personal drama when others might shy away from making a scene. If she feels some sort of way about you, you’re going to know, and the audience will too. She’ll make sure of that, even if it bites her in the ass. And with Survivor 46 bringing back character conflict in a big way, why not look back at some other drama starters who never got a chance to return and sow more chaos?

Would such a late return for Twila be a disappointment? It’s always a risk when bringing back players from so long ago. Perhaps the fast pace of the New Era would overwhelm her, or she’d argue herself right off the island on day three. But the potential reward is more than worth the risk of being let down, so give Twila the second chance she deserves. Let her play a cutthroat game without remorse this time. Let her fight her way through a cast of players willing to respect her grit. Let her end her Survivor story on a redeeming note rather than a tragic one.

• Survivor Vanuatu
• Twila Tanner
• Season 50
• Survivor 50
• 50 For 50

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