The competitor's strategy was an object lesson in how to lose friends and alienate people

Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for PEOPLE since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach. Erik Reichenbach is a Survivor fan-turned-favorite, a comic book author and artist. He placed fifth on both Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. Follow him on Twitter @BloodyAmer1can.

“How about you go talk to someone and you form a bond and you establish some trust. That’s strategy.”

– Mike Chiesl, Survivor: Redemption Island

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Drew exhibits all the classic symptoms of the Egotisticus Malus, a common species of Survivor best known for delusional proclamations of grandeur and falling flat on one’s face.

Does he dictate strategy to his tribe without listening? Check. Does he think he’s awesome, but is actually really lazy? Check. Is he paranoid that the women are out to get him? Check, check and check.

Perhaps most egregiously, Drew thinks he will be able to negotiate with Probst. One does not simply trade flint with Jeff Probst.

With his surfer boy ‘tude and his habit of ogling girls’ butts, Drew has come off all season as a dopey egomaniac. And sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover.

On Wednesday night, he escalated his bad gameplay.

I’m not talking about his decision to throw a challenge. Tribes that never go to tribal council risk incubating a few bad eggs that hatch after the merge. If Drew had actually been in control of his tribe, we might have been applauding his decision to throw the challenge and eliminate his competition before the tribe swap.

But when the tribe returned to camp from the challenge loss, Drew’s strategic maneuvering was an object lesson in how to lose friends and alienate people.

Just witness one brief scene, where various tribe members approach Drew with their suggestions. He completely and unilaterally shoots down each one of them in turn.

Jon comes to Drew and suggests they vote out Julie. He’s worried that in a game of Blood vs. Water, individuals might ally with each other against the pairs. That’s what happened in the first BvW season, when Tyson, Gervase and Monica teamed up to the final three. Eliminating Julie would ease that threat. “She’s kind of worthless in the challenges,” Reed adds.

Drew vetoes the idea without even considering it. “Listen to me first,” Jon says. Drew just shakes his head and refuses. He wants to vote out Kelley. Why? Because she has watched every episode of Survivor.

It’s an unbelievable moment. In Survivor, as in life, you should always listen to people even if you disagree with them. That’s especially true if they are literally saying to you, “Listen to me.”

Maybe Drew could have watched a few more Survivor episodes himself.

Jeremy’s Suggestion

A few minutes later, Jeremy approaches the group and suggests they vote out Keith. Jeremy’s still upset because Keith spread the rumor that Jeremy had an idol.

Drew negs Jeremy’s suggestion too, and again insists that Kelley is really the mastermind. After all, if DVR-ing Survivor isn’t proof of deviousness, what is?

“With Drew, there’s no going back and forth,” Jeremy says.

The best part is that, as Drew alienates his entire tribe, he keeps talking about how awesome he is.

“Basically I’m a badass and a manipulator of this game,” he says, shortly before being blindsided.

“The fact that I’m a ladies’ man seems to work in my advantage,” he says, a few hours before being voted out unanimously by the ladies.

Natalie wins the Fishy Award for this episode. She notices the men are in disarray and seizes an opportunity to eliminate Drew, whom she’s long found annoying. She rallies the girls and brings in Jeremy.

Natalie also deserves credit for being the one person who is a part of almost every conversation. Whenever the guys are huddled together, Natalie is there too. When it’s just a few a girls, there’s Natalie as well. She’s integrated herself into the tribe in a way that her twinnie failed to do.

Could losing her twin – and being a solo player – give Natalie the leverage to go all the way?

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