Is Brandon Hantz His Own Man or Just Another Russell?

Posted on 04. Oct, 2011 by Michelle Ealey in Survivor Season 23 "SOUTH PACIFIC"

We are only three weeks into Survivor: South Pacific and one player has stood out from the beginning—Brandon Hantz. Nineteen, married, and a father, Brandon entered the game with a secret. He is the nephew of three-time Survivor player Russell Hantz. Not wanting to be judged on his family ties, Brandon kept his shirt on to hide the tattoos that would reveal the truth. In the third episode, Brandon finally told his fellow Upolu tribe members the truth. On the surface, they seem fine with this new information, but Coach and Sophie both agree that Brandon does have a little Russell in him. Are Coach and Sophie correct? Does Brandon have anything in common with Russell?

Brandon Hantz (L) and Russell Hantz (R)

Before we compare Brandon to his uncle, we need to establish if Russell is part of Brandon’s life. According to Russell, the Hantz family is in the oil business together. Russell and his brother work with their father. Brandon has the family name, so he is probably Russell’s brother’s son. On the show, Brandon said that he acted like Russell during high school, being mean and a bully, so Brandon is familiar with his uncle’s behavior, and he has mentioned that he doesn’t want to go against what his family has taught him or disappoint them.

Evidence suggests that Russell has been a part of Brandon’s life since childhood. Russell and Brandon’s father have passed to him the values they most likely learned from their own father. The Hantz family seems to be close, but like many young people entering adulthood, Brandon is trying to figure out if he wants to be like his uncle or break free from that influence and be a different kind of man. In his bio, Brandon states that he is playing Survivor to show the world a different side of the Hantz family. Has Brandon been able to show that a Hantz can be honest, respectful, and kind? Not quite.

Considered one of the best players to never win Survivor, Russell Hantz has played three times: Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains, and Redemption Island. Many, including host Jeff Probst, agree that Russell should have won Samoa. Russell played the game from day one with an unusual strategy of making everyone miserable. He emptied canteens and burned socks. He lied and had secret alliances with almost everyone. Remember what he did to Shambo? Russell convinced her that they were in an alliance to the end in order for her to flip on her old Galu tribe members. His plan worked. Once he no longer needed her vote, he and his Foa Foa alliance voted her out (of course, if he would’ve taken Shambo to the end, he would’ve won; she had no social game whatsoever).

Has Brandon demonstrated that he could be capable of similar actions? Yes. Brandon has lied. He started the game by hiding who he is, which can be interpreted as lying by omission. In the second episode, he tried to manipulate Stacey and Christine into voting for Mikayla and told Coach that the two women were conspiring to vote Mikayla out. However, Brandon has not been able to complete any of his schemes. He’s admitted who he is, and during tribal council he told the truth behind the move to get Mikayla voted out. Although he decided to tell the truth, Brandon’s actions show that he is ready to lie to get his way in the game, just like his uncle.

The biggest similarity between Brandon and Russell are their views toward women. During his time on Samoa, Russell stated many times his distaste for strong, out spoken women. When Liz figured Russell out, she attempted to convince her fellow Foa Foa members to vote Russell out. Although she was helpful at challenges, Russell got rid of her because she had the nerve to refuse to bow down to King Russell. Russell likes women who keep their mouths shut and do what they are told. Brandon has a similar attitude toward Mikayla, an attractive, strong, and capable woman. In episode three, Mikayla confronted Brandon about why he wants her out of the tribe. He doesn’t like her. And in front of their tribe, he declared that he didn’t like the way she came at him. Like Russell with Liz, Brandon did not care for Mikayla confronting him. Complicating matters for Brandon is how attracted to Mikayla he is.

While Russell was sometimes charming, he never seemed to openly wrestle with feelings of desire toward another tribe member. However, Brandon admits being in a constant struggle between the flesh and his religious teachings. Instead of accepting his feelings of desire toward Mikayla, he blames her for his own feelings by labeling her a temptress and seeing her as a Delilah/Jezebel figure. Denying his feelings only feeds his demons more. If he would just take ownership of his desires, realize the desires are natural, and tell himself Mikayla was a temporary distraction because he has a wife at home, then he wouldn’t be acting like a creepy pervert. The more Brandon disrespects Mikayla the more likely he is to start playing the game like Russell.

Brandon says he wants to be a different player than Russell. Perhaps spending time with Coach will help him accomplish this goal.

Many have gone through a struggle like Brandon’s. Including myself. Breaking a cycle is hard. It’s easy to fall back on what you have known since you were a child. For me it has been overcoming treating others in a harsh, cold and cruel manner and calming my temper. I made the conscious decision to act differently, which has taken time, but I think I have accomplished my goal. True, being a contestant on Survivor is not the same as real life, but Brandon says he wants to be honest and kind, to value friendship over money, and to follow the teachings of Christ in the game and in real life. However, many of his actions contradict his statements.

Soon, Brandon needs to commit to a strategy. He either acts all-out Russell or the opposite. Making promises to himself and then breaking them is not going to help him in the game or in life. Perhaps his time on Survivor will help him end the confusion. Coach is a very different man than Russell, and Brandon formed a connection with Coach on day one. Time away from his family plus interacting with a variety of personalities might open Brandon’s mind to a new way of thinking, giving him the opportunity to show others that the name Hantz does not mean lying and bullying. Maybe. Or maybe not. We will just have to tune in and see which path Brandon Hantz takes.

Tags: Brandon Hantz, Russell Hantz, Survivor South Pacific