Former Survivor castaway Rick Devens gave his take on the most recent contestant to have their torch snuffed, Hannah Rose. But, she didn’t leave Tribal Council the traditional way during Survivor 45’s premiere episode on Sept. 27, which a “ticked off” Devens found as “a real bummer.”
She checked out of the game and asked her fellow Lulu tribe members to vote her out. The five others verbally agreed, and instead of ceremoniously walking up to the urn and jotting Hannah’s name down, host and showrunner Jeff Probst heard enough and called on Hannah to approach him. He extinguished her fire and she left the reality show competition for good.
There’s a stark contrast between Hannah and Rick’s games. Hannah was on the island for three days before succumbing to her hunger, sleep deprivation, and the elements. By the time she made it to the third night, she was finished with her Fijian experience.
On the other end, Devens’ marooning was all about pushing past his limits and persevering. In many ways, his run on Season 38 Edge of Extinction was what Survivor is all about — finding the strength inside to keep going, even when being showered by a monsoon or swarmed by insect bites.
It was the first season with the Edge of Extinction, a desolate island where voted-out players would sail off to and live while awaiting a chance at winning their way back into the game. Devens was the fourth person eliminated. But, after living six days on the island with very few supplies, he won the first battle-back game and reinserted himself back into the mix.
And he did so emphatically by notching four individual Immunity Challenge wins, while also finding and playing multiple Hidden Immunity Idols fueled by strategic plays. His game finally came to an end at the final four when eventual winner Chris Underwood toppled Devens in the fire-making competition on day 38.
Devens spoke about Hannah’s game on the official Survivor podcast
With his up-and-down experience on Survivor in mind, Devens broke down his thoughts on Hannah’s early departure from Survivor 45 while speaking with his co-host Jay Wolff on the Sept. 28 episode of the On Fire: The Official Survivor Podcast.
“You played in Season 38 Edge of Extinction, you went to the Edge, you survived with nothing, and you clawed your way back to the game,” Wolff said to Devens. “You fought your way to the final four fire-making and tragically exited the arena. How did hearing Hannah quit make you feel?”
“As someone who went through everything you just described, I was bummed and I was ticked off,” Devens responded. “I was really upset about it. I know how much goes into getting out there on that island — by so many people other than yourself.”
He then brought up Reem Daly, the 46-year-old sales representative who was the first person voted out of Edge of Extinction but lived on the bare island for over 30 days with very little supplies and hope of winning her way back in. It was an impressive feat of grit, something that Hannah didn’t come close to achieving.
“I’ve met these people,” Devens said about first boots. “And a lot of other people who were voted out early on Survivor. And they would have clawed their way to the end if they could. They would do anything to go back. So, I feel for them.”
Devens also said he felt for the actual Survivor 45 competitors. He was referring to the Lulu tribe members planning and strategizing for three days before Tribal Council, but all of it “went out the window because this alliance member would prefer a cigarette than to stay in the game and work with” them.
However, the 39-year-old also admitted that one of the other players (likely Emily Flippen) who would’ve been voted off that night “got a free pass.”
Nevertheless, 17 players remain vying for the $1 million grand prize. And with 23 days left on the island, the political wheelings and dealings will likely be fast and furious from here on out.