How Has Ryan Avoided the Team Captain Target?

We’re approaching the midway point of Battle of the Eras and all of the remaining players have been nominated as a team captain/ representative/ target except for one person: Ryan. People like Nehemiah and Bananas have been put in the dangerous position more than once, but Ryan has flown under the radar so far.

It’s no secret that the team captain twist has been a bit of a strategic challenge for some people, and these types of positions are often viewed as popularity contests. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like Ryan would be the sole competitor who hasn’t been named a target, and he’s been quite fortunate to avoid the hot seat.

Bananas has confronted Ryan about his safety, indicating that the veterans are not behind this plan. It’s not like Bananas wants to keep him safe so his team remains intact — on the contrary, he wants Ryan to be a target so he has another week of safety. But, this is why Ryan has been so successful:

• Ryan is friends with people who actually matter. In this game, Bananas can’t force him to be a team representative because the women pick the male captains, and clearly, he’s connecting with the girls.
• Bananas perceives Ryan as the weakest player on the team, as implied during his commentary when Derek solved the puzzle during Leap of Faith. Other competitors see that too, and leaving Ryan on Era 2 makes the team seem weaker.
• Ryan has a really solid, though small, group of allies including Averey and Derek. If Ryan becomes a target involuntarily, multiple people will try to retaliate.

There are a few reasons for Ryan’s safety, but he’s still really fortunate that he has avoided the team representative position so far. However, there’s a good chance his luck will run out after episode 8.

Bananas was kind of rude by audibly complaining about Ryan’s safety, but it’s kind of hard to deny that he has a point. Including the captains named at the end of episode 7, Bananas, Nehemiah, and Derek have all been targets twice. It doesn’t seem fair that Ryan has avoided that position.

Whether or not Ryan deserves to be a team representative, other people are likely to notice his continued safety. This is a pretty guilt-free way to pick a future target, and I doubt the other Era 2 males will be compelled to self-nominate when there’s a clear inequity.

Regardless, it’s quite an accomplishment, and I doubt many people expected Ryan to be the one person with the longest streak of guaranteed safety.