Fans Versus Favourites

**Fans Versus Favourites** is the season premiere of Survivor: Croatia

## Story

### The Marooning

The season opens to an ominous shot of fog, laying low over tall mountains of Croatia. The camera pans across beautiful scenery, before cutting to a shot of ten strangers, all walking up a rocky hill, each with determined looks on their faces. Jeff's voiceover fades in, telling the viewers that these ten contestants will soon be playing one of the toughest social experiments, where they will have to battle the elements and each other. However, there is an added layer this season - they will be playing against veterans of this game. The camera focuses on different members of the group, as multiple confessionals play.

As the group reaches the peak of the mountain, the ten contestants look over to the valley below where Jeff Probst is standing. They make their way to him as he smiles. He welcomes them, and everybody cheers. He begins explaining that this is no ordinary season. Everybody here is a fan of the show, and will be playing against competitors tougher than in any other season, as they'll be pit against ten players who have competed over the past three seasons. Everybody has large reactions to this, some looking excited, while others are nervous.

As the reactions die down, Jeff starts bringing in the favourites. The first castaway played a very loyal game, sticking to their allies. Their likeable nature made them too big of a social threat to take into the endgame, where they were voted out at the final six. From Survivor: Huahine, it's Shelly!

The fans clap and cheer as Shelly walks onto the mat, she smiles and waves at them. The next person joining Shelly played hard from the start. Bonding with a few people on their original tribe, they went on to form a big alliance. This stuck for a while, but eventually folded in on itself. Being seen as the leader, they were blindsided early on in the game. Feeling as if they have more potential, they're playing once more. From Survivor: Taiwan, it's Joel!

Joel enthusiastically runs to the mat, where he hugs Shelly. The third favourite was also a pre-merge boot, being voted out too soon. They played a great social game, being seen as the mother of the camp. After having a Steal-a-Vote used against them, their fate was sealed. From Survivor: Taiwan, it's Ciera!

The fans applaud Ciera as she walks in, smiling. The next castaway to join them played a great game in all aspects. Being a physical threat, as well as having control of the game, this person was not afraid to play hard. They participated in many blindsides and orchestrated big moves, before their threat level became too high. From Survivor: Guam, it's Kyle!

Kyle smirks as he walks in. The next favourite was somebody who had a great eye for the game. They were set up in a great position with many allies at the beginning of the game, before the tribe swap. They found themselves in an even split, but bonded with others. After casually throwing out a potential target, the person was notified and suddenly they were targeted, being voted out before the merge. From Survivor: Taiwan, it's Robert!

Robert smiles and runs enthusiastically, greeting his new tribemates. The sixth person to join them was from the same season. They played passively and emotionally, which lost a lot of respect from the players around them. Their invisible gameplay lead to them being seen as a goat. They were taken to the end, but lost in a unanimous vote. From Survivor: Taiwan, it's Hayden!

Hayden nervously walks out, smiling sheepishly. The next contestant may come as a surprise, however, they believe they have what it takes to return and dominate. Having a rebellious and immature attitude while playing, this person found the game very hard. The elements took a great toll on them, which lead to them quitting just before the merge. This decision has haunted them for the past couple of years, which is why they're playing for redemption. From Survivor: Guam, it's Anita!

Anita grins as she's met with applause from the fans and favourites alike. The next favourite made it to the final three, where they were put up to the final immunity challenge. They lost it, which made them an open target. Their social game as well as respectable strategic game made them more of a threat over the other option to eliminate, meaning their game came to a close right before the final tribal council. From Survivor: Taiwan, it's Audrey!

Audrey runs out and makes her way to the mat. Next, this player played under the radar. They were seen as a non-entity until the very end, where people suddenly realised the strategic game they played. Their status as an underdog made them loved by the fans, however, they were taken out in fourth place, right before the final tribal council. From Survivor: Guam, it's James!

James looks excited to be back. He runs to the rest of his tribe where he's greeted with hugs. The final favourite had a fiery, sassy, and snarky attitude. This made them a favourite to the audience, as well as playing a great strategic game. However, they were taken out just before merge when somebody else played an idol for the target on a whim. This resulted in their early departure. Now they're playing for redemption. From Survivor: Huahine, it's Joanna!

Joanna pumps her fist and jumps onto the mat. The fans and favourites all cheer at the sight of their complete cast. Jeff then addresses them all. He asks August how it feels to be playing with past players, and she says it's really scary, as they have the upper hand. Andy pipes in, saying he really wants to play with them all, but knows that it's not going to be possible when they have to fight against each other. Jeff then turns to the favourites. He asks Anita how it feels to be back. She says it's the best feeling ever. She's changed her life in great ways since Guam, and is more ready to play than ever. Jeff asks Robert how his strategy has changed since the last time he played. He replies saying that he is planning to be more aware of what's happening, and be more careful with his mouth. This gets a few laughs.

Once everybody has settled, Jeff tells the fans that they are named Lastovo, while the favourites are Cres. Both tribes are named after islands of Croatia. He gives the tribes their maps and buffs before wishing them good luck. The newly formed tribes exit, buzzing to get the game started.

**LASTOVO**

Andy, August, JC, Klarissa, Kyan, Melanie, Phoenix, Rosemary, Shayne, Summer
**CRES**

Anita, Audrey, Ciera, Hayden, James, Joanna, Joel, Kyle, Robert, Shelly
### Lastovo

After the marooning, the ten fans hike through mountains before finally arriving at a flat area where their camp is located. Everybody cheers upon arrival and takes in their beautiful surroundings.

Once everybody has settled, they begin to introduce themselves in high spirits. After everybody reveals their names, ages, and occupations, Phoenix tells everybody they have an announcement. Everybody listens up as they begin talking. They explain that their pronouns are they/them, and hopes everybody respects that coming out here. Everybody smiles and reassures Phoenix that they will respect their pronouns. Rosemary hugs Phoenix, who has a big grin on their face.

After Phoenix has finished what they were saying, the tribe begins discussing shelter building. JC takes charge, creating a plan of action when it comes to how they're going to go about building the shelter. He splits the tribe into two groups. On material gathering and shelter construction are the six strongest: himself, Klarissa, Kyan, Phoenix, Shayne, and Summer, which leaves Andy, August, Melanie, and Rosemary on the palm fronds. The tribe splits and begins getting to work.

The tribe then begins working on the shelter. The four on palm fronds get to work immediately, and seem to be working well together. On the other side of camp, JC, Klarissa, Kyan, and Phoenix collect bamboo, while Summer and Shayne work on piecing them together. Casual conversation breaks out between the two of them. Shayne and Summer both seem to be getting along well together. Shayne shares that he's a brewery worker, while Summer tells him about her work as a translator. Shayne is fascinated by this, and asks what languages she can speak. Summer smiles and says she's fluent in English and Italian, but is also learning Dutch. Shayne asks her to speak in Italian, and Summer replies with "Shayne, per favore, smettila di fissare le mie tette". When asked what it means, Summer translates saying "Shayne, it is very nice to meet you". Shayne is completely amazed, while Summer smiles.

Over by the group weaving the palm fronds, there are some pleasant conversations. Andy and Melanie are talking. As both are wanting to play strategically, they're making sure not to give away too much information about themselves, while trying to get a feel for the other person. Meanwhile, August and Rosemary are chatting. August is interested in Rosemary's life as a bus driver, and what happened behind the scenes that most people travelling on public transport won't know about. Rosemary then becomes interested about August's career on classical studies, and what that entails. After a while, the two women form an agreement to not target each other for the time being.

Later on, the shelter construction has been completed. People are feeling great after this accomplishment, and the tribe is in a great mood. Andy, pulls JC and Kyan into the forest. Andy explains that he admires JC's leadership skills when it came to the shelter, and gets a good feeling from Kyan. He wonders if the three of them could form an early trio, where they could look out for each other. JC is ecstatic at this offer, and Kyan smiles. Kyan says he really appreciates Andy's offer, and would love to create an alliance. JC says that this alliance works perfectly, as he and Kyan can be the brawn, Andy is the brains. Kyan laughs, saying he isn't as strong as he used to be after having kids, but JC pats him on the back and tells him he's in great shape.

There is then a short montage of Rosemary talking to different people. She hugs Melanie, laughs with Summer, and has a deep conversation with Andy. She then approaches Klarissa, wanting to get to know her. After some questions to break the ice, Rosemary tells Klarissa that she has a daughter with the same name. Except her Clarissa is spelt with a C, instead of a K. Klarissa nods, but doesn't say anything. Slightly off-put, Rosemary asks what Klarissa does in her free time. She says that she sleeps. Rosemary raises an eyebrow and goes to ask for more information when Klarissa turns her back and walks off. Rosemary shakes her head and sighs.

### Cres

The ten favourites then arrive at their camp. Everybody begins settling in as Anita and Joanna hug, James and Joel shake hands, and Shelly laughs at a joke Robert makes. Eventually, everybody comes together and introduces themselves, agreeing that it's good to be back.

The tribe then quickly gets to work on building a shelter, knowing that's an important part of camp life. It's a team effort, and everybody works quickly and effectively with each other. There is a montage of Kyle cutting bamboo, Ciera weaving a palm frond, and Hayden supporting Joanna as she puts a piece of bamboo in place. After a few hours of construction, everybody stands back and admires their newly-completed home. Shelly tells everybody that they did an outstanding job, which everybody agrees to.

Once everybody settles into their new home, Robert mentions they haven't yet found the water well. Anita enthusiastically jumps up, saying she'll take the responsibility. Anita then suggests Joanna comes along with her, which makes Joanna jump up and accept the offer. The two women walk out of the campsite, making sure they're out of sight from the rest of the group. Once they're alone, they hug each other and jump up and down, yelling out quietly in excitement. Once calmed, Anita says she's so happy to see her, Joanna agrees, and says they don't even need to discuss it: they're an alliance. Anita nods and says for sure, and that they're going to dominate.

Later on in the day, Kyle and James go for a walk together. James breaks the tension by saying long time no see, which makes Kyle laugh. He says it's been a while, but he's glad to see him. James smiles and asks if everything is good between them since their time on Guam, and Kyle nods. He says there's no bad blood, but there is somebody he's not pleased to see out here. Intrigued, James pushes for more information. Kyle says he's curious as to why Anita is back, as she quit. James says that in post-season interviews, Anita often revealed that she was putting in a lot of effort into training herself up to play again, so they have to give her credit for that. Kyle nods, but says he doesn't like quitters in the real world, so it's hard for him to see Anita getting a second chance.

On the other side of camp, Joel is looking around at his competitors. He walks over to Ciera, and asks if everything is good between the two of them, as he tried to organise her blindside last season. Ciera laughs, and makes a joke about how his plan backfired. Joel smiles sheepishly, saying it definitely wasn't his finest moment. Ciera says she doesn't hold anything against him, and appreciates him coming to talk to her. Joel smiles and thanks her. Later on, Joel walks over to Kyle. He tries to establish a relationship, by asking questions about his first season. Kyle responds happily, and the two get to know each other. Joel asks Kyle if there's anybody he's getting on with, and he says he talked to James earlier. Joel then wonders off to James, and the two talk for a while. Eventually, James says he really likes Joel, which makes the latter laugh. Joel then thanks James and the two continue to chat.

Ciera is hanging out by the shelter alone before Shelly joins her. Both women are in enthusiastic moods, having just started off the game. Shelly asks Ciera how she's feeling, and Ciera says she's very excited to be back. Shelly agrees, saying she's feeling the same way. Light conversation is made between the two of them, with some discussions about their past seasons. Shelly says when she was being interviewed by CBS, she listed Ciera as one of the past players she respected the most. Ciera looks taken aback, but thanks Shelly as the both of them laugh.

Audrey is walking along the path in the forest when she stumbles upon Hayden. He smiles at her, and Audrey approaches him. He asks her about how she's doing, and Audrey says she's doing well. Hayden nods, saying the game is a lot more peaceful currently than it was in Taiwan. Audrey nods, saying that's very true. Hayden then asks where their alliance stands now. Audrey looks surprised, and asks for clarification. Hayden says he's talking about their alliance from last season. Audrey says she's totally open to continuing it as long as he is. Hayden smiles and says it's settled.

### Challenge

**LASTOVO**

**CRES**

The tribes arrive at the set of the challenge for the first time. Upon seeing the castaways, Jeff smiles and greets them. There is some talk about the beginning of the game, and what life is like at camp. Both tribes admit to having built a shelter, but no fires have been started. Jeff smirks and reveals that the winner of this challenge won't just be receiving immunity, but fire in the form of flint in addition.

Jeff then tells the tribes that for their first immunity challenge, they'll be doing a team endurance challenge. They will be playing **Chain Reaction**. Both tribes will form a human chain. Between each person will be a disc they must hold up with the people next to them. If anyone drops a disc, they'll break the chain. The last tribe standing with at least any two people holding onto a single disc wins.

Survivors ready? GO!

After deciding where each person will sit in the chain, the challenge is on. On both tribes, there are a few who drop fairly quickly. For the fans, these are Andy, August, Rosemary, and Shayne. For the favourites, these are Anita, Ciera, Hayden, and James. After a few more minutes, the pain really begins to set in. Melanie drops, breaking her chain with Klarissa, who swears under her breath. Audrey then breaks a chain with Shelly, who was already struggling. The fans have two chains (JC with Phoenix, Kyan with Summer) whereas the favourites have a long chain of four (Joanna, then Joel, then Robert, with Kyle on the end). After a while, everybody begins struggling. Most notably, Robert and Summer. Despite much support from his tribe, Robert drops his disc which also eliminates Kyle, who is on the end of the chain. Not too long after, Summer drops her disc which eliminates Kyan. Now, JC and Phoenix are remaining for the fans, while Joanna and Joel are left for the favourites. It's a tough battle, with both pairs in pain from holding their arms up for so long. Eventually, Joel drops his disc, eliminating Joanna and therefore losing immunity for his tribe. Lastovo win immunity! JC and Phoenix hug each other as the fans tribe celebrate.

### Cres

After arriving back from the challenge, the favourites tribe members are all disappointed. A sombre mood lingers as they file into their campsite. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Shelly tells them all that they were very close, and that they all did a great job, Joanna and Joel specifically. Everybody agrees, and the two both smile. After a while, people start to break off to talk strategy.

The first people to group together are Kyle, James, and Joel. Kyle says the three of them need to be on the same page for this vote, which everybody agrees with. Joel asks what the plan is going to be, and Kyle responds by saying he wants to vote for Anita. James shakes his head, but agrees. Kyle explains that he wants to play the game with all stars, and Anita quit on their season. She simply doesn't deserve to have a second chance. Both James and Joel agree to this plan, and Kyle says their going to go on and run the game after this vote.

James walks off and approaches Audrey. She smiles at him, and he asks if she's willing to chat. After she says of course, James explains the situation with Kyle, and how he's wanting to turn the tribe against Anita. He voices his concerns for this plan, and how he believes it is unfair to target Anita simply because she quit previously. Audrey agrees with what he is saying, and asks if he has any other ideas. James says that he thinks Kyle should go tonight. Audrey nods in agreement. After talking through their new plan, the two talk about how they've gotten along in the first stages of the game and trust each other. Audrey asks if they should form an alliance, and James agrees. They call themselves 'The Final Boots Alliance' as they were both voted out before the final tribal council on their respective seasons. Audrey suggests talking to Hayden to bring him in on the plan, as he trusts her. James agrees and after a hug, the newly formed duo walk around camp together to strategize.

James and Audrey find Hayden, and the three walk off to a secluded area. James and Audrey give Hayden the run down about how Kyle wants Anita out, but they want to flip the vote onto *Kyle* instead. Hayden asks for reasons they're changing the vote, and James responds by saying Kyle is clearly playing emotionally after being hellbent on sending Anita home, and it's not a strategic way to play. Simply, Kyle is a wild card. Hayden nods and agrees to the plan, saying he's onboard with following them.

On the other side of camp to all of this happening, Kyle approaches Shelly and Ciera, who are talking together in the shelter. Making sure nobody is around, Kyle sits next to them. He asks if either women know where their votes are going, and both shake their head. Kyle explains that he would love if they could all vote together for Anita. When asked why, he explains that she is a quitter, and if she quit last time because the game was too much for her, who is to say she wouldn't do it again? She also caused chaos last time she played, such as stealing food. Ultimately, she is a liability to the tribe. Shelly nods and says she sees where he is coming from. Ciera says as long as everybody is on the same page, she is happy to vote that way. Kyle smiles and thanks them.

Later on in the day, James finds Joanna and Anita together by the water well. He asks if he can talk to them really quickly, and the two women accept. James tells Anita that he wants to give her a heads up, because Kyle is targeting her. Joanna's mouth falls open, while Anita looks taken aback. She asks in a confused tone what she did to him, and James reveals that Kyle wants her out because of her quit. Anita's eyes widen as she curses. Joanna tells James that it's a f\*cking ridiculous reason, and James says he agrees. He just wanted to let them know because he is on their side.

After James leaves, Anita says she needs to be alone. She storms off deeper into the forest. She sits down on a log and screams out in rage, trying to work through her emotions. Her scream attracted Robert, however, who looks around to see what's wrong. He sees Anita and walks up to her, much to her annoyance as she doesn't want company. However, Robert stays to make sure everything is alright. After asking if she's okay, Anita vents to Robert about everything James said. She tells him that she put in *so* much effort to try and make herself a better person, and to see her old legacy haunting her is painful. Robert gives her a hug and tells her she understands how she feels, and he's not going to vote her out based on what she's done in the past.

After composing herself, Anita goes back to Joanna. The two share a long hug before discussing what to do. Anita says she needs to get people on her side, so the duo walk into camp. They meet Audrey and Hayden and Anita stops them. She asks if they know about Kyle's plan to vote her out, and both of them nod. Anita groans, but starts pitching her case. She says that she is not wanting to target either of them, and if she continues to be targeted by whoever Kyle is aligned with, she can be a shield. Audrey nods and tells Anita that she appreciates her coming to them.

As the sun begins to set for the evening, Shelly and Ciera meet up with Robert. The three begin talking about what has occurred this afternoon, starting with Kyle wanting Anita out. Ciera and Shelly agree that they're going to be voting for her, but Robert looks surprised. He says he thought it was set that people were going to keep her and vote Kyle out instead. Shelly raises an eyebrow and says she's heard nothing about this counter plan. Ciera asks where he heard this from, and Robert explains the situation where James leaked Kyle's plan to Joanna and Anita. Both Shelly and Ciera look surprised at this. Shelly then deduces that James has made deals with Audrey and Hayden, and is pitting Kyle and Anita against each other. She says that he is running the game, and it may be best to strongarm him into voting for Anita to weaken his game. Robert agrees, saying they've been left out of the loop and need to work together from now on. Ciera says they should call their alliance 'The Older Trio' as they're the oldest three in the tribe. Everybody is excited for this and begins to strategize more.

Minutes before the tribe leaves for tribal, Shelly, Ciera, and Robert approach James in private. Shelly asks James where he's voting at tribal, and James says he's undecided. Shelly tells him that that were considering voting for Anita and going along with Kyle's original plan, and hoped James would be the sixth vote for her. James' eyes widen. He tells them that he's not too sure, as most people are already set to vote for Kyle. He thinks it would be best to stick to the plan. However, Shelly continues saying she thinks voting for Anita could be the best option. Eventually, James gives in and tells them he doesn't want to go to a rock draw on the first vote, so he will vote wherever they want him to. However, he strongly advises voting for Kyle.

### Tribal Council

Anita, Audrey, Ciera, Hayden, James, Joanna, Joel, Kyle, Robert, and Shelly make their way into the tribal council area. They each grab a torch, then dip it into the firepit to collect fire. Jeff explains that in this game, fire represents life. Once it's gone, so is it's holder. Once everybody has seated, Jeff asks Robert how the start of the game has gone. Robert says that they started off well, but he wishes they could have won the challenge. Jeff nods and asks Joanna what it means to be a favourite in this game. She says that the favourites have past experience, which can be an advantage as they're familiar with the game, but also a disadvantage, as people know how they played in the past. Jeff says that's an interesting point, and asks Anita if past reputations are coming into play. Anita rolls her eyes and says this question should be directed at Kyle. Kyle looks confused and says he doesn't know what he's talking about, which makes Anita turn to him. She sarcastically says, "Oh? So you haven't been targeting me since we arrived, then?" Kyle's mouth falls open as he asks who leaked the plan. The tribal council then erupts into chaos, with Kyle interrogating everybody and people getting defensive. Joanna says that Anita deserves a second chance just as much as the rest of them, which makes Anita hug her. Kyle looks furious. He stands up on his seat and points at Anita. He tells that tribe that she *literally* quit the game in the past, and does not deserve to be here whatsoever. If they want to play with a quitter then so be it. Anita swears at him and Joanna scoffs, Hayden shakes his head, and Shelly whispers something in James' ear, who nods.

Eventually, once everybody has calmed, Jeff asks if they can get to voting. They all agree, so they cast their votes one by one. Once the castaways return to their seats, Jeff collects the urn and asks anybody if they would like to play an idol. No idols have yet be found, so Jeff reads the votes.

First vote...

**KYLE.**

Kyle shakes his head.

**ANITA.**

That's one vote Anita, one vote Kyle.

Anita rolls her eyes.

**KYLE.**

**KYLE**

Kyle exclaims that this is ridiculous.

**KYLE.**

That's four votes Kyle, one vote Anita.

James looks over at Shelly, who has a poker face.

**KYLE.**

Kyle lets out an exasperated sigh.

First person voted out of Survivor: Croatia...

**KYLE.**

Kyle doesn't look at anybody as he stands up and collects his torch. Joel looks sad, while Anita and Joanna hug, both deeply thrilled. Shelly and James' eyes meet, but they do not say anything to each other. Kyle stands in front of Jeff who snuffs his torch. Kyle turns back to the tribe and looks at Anita. He says that being a quitter is all she'll every be known for. Anita pulls the middle finger at him before Kyle finally walks out of the tribal council area.