Simvivor: Granite Falls

***Simvivor: Granite Falls*** is the sixth season of *Simvivor*.

A season referred to as a "slow burn", for its steady yet intense pacing, *Granite Falls* was a hit with fans and newcomers to the series alike. Particular praise went to its unique cast of characters, but it was criticized for the delayed merge and minimal Reward Challenges to break up the over-strategizing within the episodes. The mutiny twist was also well-received for its game-altering effect. The season was won by great-grandmother Calypso Murano, who defeated the villainous mutineer Robbie Priestley in a 4-3 Jury vote.

## Production

*Granite Falls* was a season that was intended to feature three tribes of six members each, boosting the total castaways to eighteen, but this idea was shelved in favor of a regular cast size. Aside from this, there were no significant changes to the production process for the season.

## Twists/Changes

* **Tribe Composition:** The sixteen castaways were divided into two tribes of eight. In a *Simvivor* first, Trevor, the oldest man, selected the members of Pine, while Calypso selected the members of Oak.
* **Pre-merge Auction:** For the first time, the *Simvivor* Auction was held during the game's tribal phase. The auction itself was a bidding competition between the two tribes and not between individuals.
* **Mutiny:** Before the auction started, the castaways were invited to change tribe affiliations at will. Robbie took the offer, joining the Oak tribe.
* **Fake Merge:** The two tribes, having a collective roster of ten members, were instructed to live on one camp for the rest of the game. They took this to mean that the two tribes had merged. However, it was revealed not to be the case, with the tribes remaining separate and still competing for tribal immunity.

## Season Summary

At the premiere of *Granite Falls*, Merissa Horvath tasked the season's two eldest castaways with hand-selecting their tribes. Calypso Murano and Trevor Elliott became the two captains for the season, a title that became more or less decorative as time went along. Notable for her social-heavy strategy, Calypso became popular amongst her tribemates while Trevor's "basket of crazies" managed to spare him from elimination despite multiple close calls.

A mutiny twist came into play during the season's fifth episode, an offer that was taken by Robbie Priestley and forced him to join the opposing tribe. A controversial decision, Robbie was actually presented with strategic options within the Oak tribe and came into a power role alongside Calypso. Knocking out power players Nike Biamonti and Frida Cantu back-to-back, Calypso and Robbie managed to make it into the merge unscathed.

With a few attempts to overthrow the power structure by Savitri Markey and Trevor, outsiders stood no chance at stopping a close trio of Calypso, Robbie, and Trevor from eventually forming and running the end of the season. Trevor joined the Jury as its final member after losing the Final Immunity Challenge to his counterpart Calypso. The Jury was uncertain of their individual decisions heading into the Final Tribal Council, but appropriately challenged both finalists to own up to their games and elaborate on why they deserved the title of Sole Survivor. After a close match between Calypso and Robbie, it was the 67-year old great-grandmother who was awarded the win in a 4-3 vote.