Hall of Fame Moment: Danni Turns ‘Survivor: Guatemala’ Around

On Survivor: All-Stars, Shii Ann was about to be the twelfth person voted out. The only thing it seemed she could do to avoid it was win an immunity challenge that was all about force of will. She did exactly that and earned a Reality TV Hall of Fame Moment.

Fast forward to Survivor: Guatemala. Danni was about to be the thirteenth person voted out. The only thing it seemed she could do to avoid it was win an immunity challenge. Sound familiar? Well Danni won that challenge and then went on not to just stick around a few more day, but to turn the game upside down!

Danni’s position in the tribe was obvious. There was an alliance of New Nakum members including Judd, Stephenie, Lydia, Rafe, and Cindy. They had all just voted out Gary at the previous Tribal Council. Danni was the only non-alliance member left, and things were not looking good.

Then there was a Survivor auction. Most of the items were food in the early stages, but then Jeff Probst held up an envelope that he said held a clue to the next immunity challenge that could really help its owner. Surprisingly, Danni won the clue for only $200. She knew she needed all the help she could get and was smart enough to grab it, but apparently the others weren’t terribly concerned. That was their mistake.

Danni used that clue and her brainpower in the immunity challenge to win, foiling the Nakum alliance’s plan to get rid of her. Some might say Shii Ann’s triumph of will means she deserved the Moment she got, but all Danni did was buy a clue. However, Danni had the presence of mind to both know she needed that clue when everybody else was virtually ignoring it, and she had to be smart enough to know how to use it properly during the immunity challenge. Many former contestants have said that after this long a period in the game, with little food, their brains are as weak as their bodies. So winning in a mental challenge is by no means easier than winning in a physical one.

Getting herself an extra few days to the next Tribal Council would have likely already gotten Danni a mention in these halls, as it did for Shii Ann. But Danni went one step further. Although she was safe, she didn’t stop working the situation (just to be clear, neither did Shii Ann – but it didn’t work for her).

The alliance figured they would just turn on Lydia instead of Danni, and then send Danni packing with the following vote. Danni had the opportunity, with an immunity necklace around her neck, to work the situation differently than she could have if she was the default target. She used her new position to maneuver her way into the good graces of Stephenie and Rafe while targeting Judd and using his own words against him. With Lydia on their side (because she certainly didn’t want to be voted out), they turned on Judd and completely blindsided him. The man who thought he was controlling everything was sent packing, and the woman who was supposed to be going home instead had grabbed power.

Danni’s success might not have been as exciting to watch – puzzle challenges rarely are, especially when we aren’t really shown every move the players make – but the fact remains that she made all the right moves. Danni knew she needed immunity and out-thought the other players twice, first in buying the challenge clue and second in using it properly. Then she out-thought the ruling alliance again by convincing three of their members to join her in overthrowing Judd, ensuring Danni’s would stick around even longer than she wore the immunity necklace. For these reasons, Danni is deserving of a Reality TV Hall of Fame Moment.

David Bloomberg is the Editor of the Reality TV Hall of Fame, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

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