One of the stars of Survivor season 44 is Carolyn Wiger, who's among the most interesting and entertaining castaways to ever appear on the show. Carolyn is a 35-year-old drug counselor and mother from Hugo, Minnesota. She began the game as a member of the Tika tribe with Yam Yam Arocho, Carson Garrett, Helen Li, Sarah Wade, and Bruce Perreault.
Carolyn formed an early bond with Yam Yam and Carson, and so far, the trio has dominated Survivor season 44. There was some strife between Carolyn and Yam Yam in the pre-merge, but the two have reconciled. Along with Carson, they've expertly played the middle between two alliances in the post-merge game. Dubbing themselves the, "Three Stooges," the alliance has successfully navigated a complex game so far. Carolyn is a key part of their success, and there are numerous reasons why she's already a Survivor icon.
8 Carolyn's Distinct Accent
Carolyn's distinct Minnesota accent has led to several hilarious moments on the show. Her debates with her fellow cast members over how to pronounce the word, "bag" or the letter, "s" have added plenty of humor to the season. There have been many Midwestern Survivor players over the years, but Carolyn might have the most distinctly Midwestern voice of any player in Survivor history.
7 Carolyn's Challenge Performances
Carolyn's performances in Survivor 44 challenges have been incredibly memorable, to say the least. Her most notable challenge performance came when she got stuck in a twisted net in the mud. This happened during the individual immunity challenge, after the merge. Carolyn's partner Carson was sick, and attempting to muster enough strength to cheer her on. Meanwhile, she was squealing and squirming in the mud for the entirety of the challenge. The moment may have been horrible for Carolyn at the time, but it made for an incredible scene.
6 The Survivor Contestant's Enthusiasm
Carolyn is one of the most enthusiastic players of the modern Survivor era, and that's an accomplishment, given that the majority of modern players are super fans of the show. Carolyn's time on season 44 made it clear how much the game means to her. It's evident how important is to her to be playing Survivor, and that energy is infectious. She was inspired to play the game by watching Maryanne Oketch win Survivor 42. She's following in Maryanne's footsteps by being so into the game.
5 Carolyn's Refreshing Honesty
Carolyn's been an incredibly transparent and vulnerable figure on Survivor. Not only has she been open about her past, but she's also very introspective and upfront about her anxieties and flaws. The scenes of her struggling with social anxiety while in big groups were refreshingly honest and relatable. These moments make her an interesting player. Survivor is a game that encourages dishonesty, so Carolyn is sometimes forced to be less-than-truthful with her competitors. However, more importantly, she's always true to herself, no matter what's going on.
4 Her Alliance With Yam Yam
Carolyn and Yam Yam are one of the most likable and unconventional pairs to ever be featured on Survivor. They are easily the two biggest characters on the season, but they also make for a strategic force. Their back-and-forth banter is hilarious, and their close bond is made clear by how they navigate during gameplay. It's evident how much they care about one another, and that close friendship makes their stories compelling. This is especially true since only one person can win Survivor.
3 Carolyn's Eccentric Personality
Carolyn can easily be considered one of the most eccentric players in Survivor history. There's never been a player like her before, and there will never be another player like her in the future. She's unapologetically herself, and her unique facial expressions, accent, and tendency to act out at the drop of a hat make her a one-of-a-kind personality. She may draw comparisons to previous offbeat Survivor characters like Noura Salman, Debbie Wanner, or even Phillip Sheppard, but her specific quirks and idiosyncrasies separate her from any other contestant, past or present.
2 Her Strong Survivor Gameplay
Though she may be considered a kooky Survivor character, Carolyn is far more than just an eccentric personality. She's proven to be a great player with a strong chance to win Survivor 44. Not only has she deftly navigated the merge game with her Three Stooges alliance, but she's also proven to be extremely perceptive and intelligent when it comes to the strategic element of the game.
Many times throughout the season, she's been shown to have the correct read on the situation. Also, she's been able to steer the game in her favor due to her ability to understand the dynamics of the tribe. Carolyn's also managed to keep her Hidden Immunity Idol a secret for the entirety of the game so far, which gives her the ability to use it as a hidden weapon down the line. She's an extremely intelligent player, in addition to being an interesting character, which is an exceedingly rare combination on Survivor.
1 Carolyn's Inspiring Story
The modern era of Survivor has received criticism for being too reliant on "sob stories" to display the players' emotional journeys, but Carolyn's background is one of the most inspiring and important stories the show has ever featured. When Carolyn told her story of addiction (and living in recovery) to her tribemates, and the viewing audience, it allowed her to share a side of herself that was extremely vulnerable and personal.
Having lived with addiction in her early twenties, Carolyn's now been sober for 13 years. She opened up on the show about how staying clean has given her the opportunity to start a family, and be a great mother to her son. This was an incredibly moving and important moment in Survivor history. It's extremely rare for stories of overcoming addiction to be featured on Survivor. Before Carolyn, Vytas Baskauskas was the only player to be so open on the show about past addiction issues. Carolyn represents those in recovery, and her inspiring story is a blessing to the game of Survivor.