In 2001, Survivor's second season was the biggest show on television. More than half the cast of Survivor: The Australian Outback has come back to play again, for good reason: the cast was full of charming personalities, and unlike players in the first season, most had no scruples about playing strategically.
Colby's decision to bring Tina, rather than unlikable Keith, with him to the final Tribal Council remains one of the most controversial moves in Survivor's long history. Colby lost to Tina in a close 4-3 vote. Both were undoubtedly worthy of the title of Sole Survivor. Here are five reasons why Tina deserved to win, and five reasons Colby should've.
Tina: Voted For Her Best Friend In The Game To Avoid Becoming An Outsider
Tina immediately made a close connection with retired police officer Maralyn "Mad Dog" Hershey. As Tina's tribe skidded into a losing streak, it became clear that other tribe members would prioritize strong performers in challenges.
With the writing on the wall, Tina cast a vote against her closest friend on the game, virtually unheard-of in Survivor at the time.
Colby: Dominated Challenges
One of Colby's teammates on a future season memorably described Colby as one of the "baddest Survivors ever." That reputation was earned. Colby did not quite sweep challenges competed in as an individual, but he came close. Colby won five immunity challenges in a row, including the crucial final immunity challenge.
Colby also won every reward challenge but one. His performance in challenges was simply dominating and would have set him up as a worthy winner.
Tina: Broke Up The Young Person's Alliance On Ogakor
Tina and Colby began Survivor on the same original tribe, Ogakor. Colby spent the early part of his tenure palling around with other survivors close to his own age - including Jerri, Amber, and Mitchell. Tina spent more time with Mad Dog and Keith. Ogakor was not successful in team challenges against the other tribe, and Tina's position looked precarious as her allies started to be voted off.
Tina felt Colby out and convinced him to turn away from his initial social group to keep "strength" in the tribe. Tina said the right thing at the right time to the young person most likely to be receptive to changing allegiances. In so doing, Tina went from a bad position to safety that would last the rest of the game.
Colby: Made Big Moves
Early-season Survivor was very different from what the show has come to be. While modern Survivors fret about a lack of "big moves" on their resumes come final tribal council, early seasons of the show often featured a straightforward voting order that was heavily focused on which tribe came into the merge (or merger, as the Outback Survivors called it) with a numerical advantage. Colby switched things up, drifting from one group to another at Ogakor, and kept up that audacious spirit after the merge. While Tina definitely had a hand is booting Jerri and Amber before certain members of the old Kucha tribe, it was Colby who had to do the heavy lifting of deception. He lied persuasively to Jerri and kept Amber comfortable after her ally Jerri's ouster. As a result, Colby and his ally Tina were able to stay in control of the game.
Tina: Engineered Big Moves
Tina forged close ties to nearly every player shortly after the tribes merged. Tina had a final three deal with Colby and Keith, but also had strong ties to the other presumed group of three in her old tribe - Colby, Amber, and Jerri. Tina also forged a close connection with the two-person alliance of Elizabeth and Rodger.
That left only Alicia and Nick without close ties to Tina. Not coincidentally, Alicia and Nick went quickly. Tina was able to use Elizabeth's campaign against Jerri, and Jerri's own abrasive qualities, to provide cover for breaking an alliance while keeping multiple paths to victory open for herself.
Colby: Made Close Social Connections
Although Colby has a reputation as a great physical competitor, he didn't neglect the social part of his game. After the merge, Colby made sure to maintain a friendly rapport with other competitors.
He even brought back pieces of coral from the Great Barrier Reef for all of his remaining tribe members - an ecological no-no that got Survivor in trouble with Australian authorities. As a result, his tribemates did not seem to resent him for his consistent victories.
Tina: Avoided Ruffling Feathers
Colby could often be unsportsmanlike - for example, he doused his own teammate Jerri with a bucket of water after a narrow loss in a challenge. He also ended up in onscreen fights with several fellow castaways. By contrast, Tina almost always kept an even demeanor. She often came up with clever ways to stay on jurors' good side.
Memorably, she sat down with Rodger and asked him whether he needed the money more, or whether Elizabeth did. Rodger and Elizabeth were morality-focused, and might well have reacted badly to any hint of deception or gamesmanship. By keeping the focus on what was right, Tina ushered the two out with minimal rancor aimed her way.
Colby: Drew Attention At A Crucial Time
The two initial tribes entered the merge with five members each. At the time, a deadlocked tie at tribal council would be broken by looking backward at all votes cast in the past against the players subject to the tie. It was therefore imperative for the former Ogakor to draw votes away from Jerri and Keith.
Tina and Jerri played crucial parts in Ogakor's successful maneuver, but Colby was the key to the scheme that turned the game. He worked to draw attention and purposefully bowed out of the first immunity challenge in a way designed for maximum abrasiveness. His ruse worked and allowed members of the former Ogakor to win the first crucial vote that would place Colby on his path to the final two.
Tina: Kept The Focus On Who "Deserved" To Be There
Survivor's first-ever winner, Richard Hatch, was very unpopular at the time. His nakedly strategic game propelled him to a narrow victory, but he was largely received as a villain. Tina played a strategic game, all while carefully camouflaging her strategic choices to prevent drawing the kind of animosity that had imperiled Richard. Tina clearly had her eyes on the prize and constantly manipulated people and votes to forward her ends, but the way she discussed it was soft. Instead of describing people as threats or saying it would be strategic to vote other players out, Tina returned to her constant mantra of who "deserved" to remain on the show.
As a result, votes usually went the way Tina wanted, but no blame was attached to Tina in the process. By the end of the game, even the hyper-competitive Colby framed his decisions not in terms of how he would win, but in terms of who deserved to win. As a result, Colby chose Tina to go with him to the final tribal council and sealed Tina's victory.
Colby: Gamed The Rules To Provide His Tribe With Shelter
Colby showed an early propensity for thinking outside of the box. Survivor contestants were allowed to bring one personal "luxury item" into the Outback with them.
Proud Texan Colby made sure that his item could do double-duty. His large Texas flag made his allegiances clear. It also provided a handy makeshift tarp to keep his tribe out of the rain well before they received any supplies from Jeff Probst.