Raini Rodriguez

***Raini*** was the Runner-Up of Essential Survivor: Anarchy. She later returned for Essential Survivor: Peru

## Anarchy

Raini was a character. They are erratic, loud, confrontial, and the textbook definition of ‘Over The Top’ times 90. But Raini wasn’t all OTT, they had lost strategic merit to them and was one vote away from winning the game. Let’s talk about it.

In the pre-tribe phase to the game, Raini wasn’t the main focus of it at all. Mainly due to their winning streak which made her safe. Regardless, she buddied up with people such as Tal, Parker and Joseph. Raini had also made decent connections with everyone to the point where her name was rarely brought up as an option to target (pre-challenge of course). Heading into the tribe phase of the game, Raini was originally in the majority which consisted of herself, Kam, Charles, Mink and Barney. Leaving Tal and Parker in the clear minority. So when they lost the challenge, those two were prime targets, mainly Tal. Behind the scenes, Kam and Charles had flipped to the other side due to Tal and Parker’s persuasion. But Raini was under the impression that they were in the middle.

Come Tribal, Barney used an idol on himself and Charles. Idoling Tal out 4-3, causing Barney and Mink to distrust Raini. After loads of pleading, she finally gained his trust back. At the next Tribal, Parker was easily voted out. But once 5 people remained on this tribe, their next Tribal was interesting. Raini began to work with Kam, both of them agreed to vote out Charles. However they struggled getting a third. Meanwhile, Charles was dead set on voting Raini, while allies Barney and Mink tried to get him to flip on Kam instead. Their plan failed as Kam and Charles tied by a 2-2-1 vote (with Raini only having one vote). Blindsided by the result, Raini felt betrayed by Mink and Barney, as they voted out Kam.

The merge was extremely uneventful for Raini, this is the point where people begin to perceive Raini as a huge goat in the game. And while Raini would beg to differ, they were right. The game didn’t exactly heat up for Raini until the Final Five, where she was finally in danger as Lauren revealed that Raini would be receiving her vote. Of course, Raini clapped back by proposing an Elle vote. But Lauren didn’t listen regardless, and due to Raini forgetting to vote. She now had two votes placed onto her, resulting in a tie with her target Elle. Luckily, Charles and Brittney booted Elle, advancing Raini to the Final Four.

Come the Final Four, it looked like Raini would automatically be brought to the end due to being perceived as the ultimate goat. But when Lauren won immunity, she again told Raini that she may be sent to fire. But Raini didn’t lay down and die, she pleaded for her life in the game, and somehow convinced Lauren to take her to the Final 3 and let Charles and Brittney duke it out in fire. Luckily for Raini, Brittney was taken out and it was an even playing field heading into the last Immunity Challenge.

Having no hope in herself for immunity, Charles easily beat the girls. Voting out Lauren rather than Raini. Well it seemed like Charles took the trickier path as Raini did very well in FTC. Despite not doing much, Raini’s game garnered 3 votes from the jury. Unfortunately, Charles’s performance garnered 4 votes, beating Raini.

## Peru

Raini came back to Essential Survivor as a 2nd-placer, wanting to finally win the crown they had been close to in Anarchy, but never truly got off the ground.

Starting off on the Inti tribe, Raini was never really very active or social, and quickly fell to the bottom of the tribe. When Inti lost the 3rd challenge of the season, though Contessa and Lindsay created chaos by trying to take out a big player and targeted Kristin, but more people wanted to take out Raini as the “easy vote” since they were inactive. Raini did not really fight for themselves at all, and their torch was snuffed in 18th place. Overall a disappointing second run for Raini.

## Voting History

 Lost The Plot
 Boot Bingo
 Fakey McGee
 Voted Out, Day 7