Will the ‘Survivor 44’ cast be the first to start a season with 5 women voted out?

At the start of “Survivor 43” it was looking like series history would be made if they had become the first season to vote five women out in a row. Thankfully they dodged setting what would have been an unfortunate record, but sadly “Survivor 44” is already in the same position. Setting aside the medevac of Bruce Perreault on Day 1, four women have once again been the first four voted out of a “Survivor” game. If the players extend it to a fifth next week, they will make history as the first and only cast to eliminate five women out in a row.

As things stand, the game will remain in the three tribe format for at least one more episode. Ratu voted Maddy Pomilla out first, Tika is responsible for sending home both Helen Li and Sarah Wade, and Soka ousted Claire Rafson after she sat her out for three straight immunity challenges. Based on current tribe dynamics and who loses the next immunity challenge, Tika could choose to send Carolyn Wiger home, Soka could opt for voting out new member Jaime Lynn Ruiz, and Ratu might consider ousting Lauren Harpe, who has already been exposed in a lie she told. Let’s hope that the losing tribe targets one of their male players instead!

Regardless of the outcome at the next Tribal Council, “Survivor 44” has already entered the record books alongside three other seasons. In addition to the four women voted out at the start of “Survivor 43,” four women voted out first also happened in “Survivor 12: Panama” and then again in “Survivor 17: Gabon.” It took over two decades for it to happen between seasons 17 and 43, but it has now happened two seasons in a row. Hmm, could smaller tribes to blame?

It’s worth noting that in all three of those seasons a male was declared the winner: Aras Baskauskas for “Survivor 12,” Bob Crowley for “Survivor 17” and Mike Gabler for “Survivor 43.” Is this a secure enough stat that we should expect a male player to win “Survivor 44” as well?

Men have historically had a “better” track record at the game than women. When it comes to winners, 26 of them have been men compared to only 17 women. On the flip side, which is almost a perfect mirror to the winners, it has now happened 27 times that a woman is the first eliminated compared to only 17 men being the first boot. Aside from the aforementioned stat, there is no distinguishable correlation between the gender of the first boot and the gender of that season’s winner, however.

Three seasons ago, “Survivor 41” winner Erika Casupanan stopped the show’s longest streak of male winners at six, from Ben Driebergen on season 35 to Tony Vlachos on season 40. The longest streak of female winners is three and happened twice: first with Jenna Morasca, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Amber Brkich on seasons 6-8 and again with Sophie Clarke, Kim Spradlin and Denise Stapley on seasons 23-25. Gabler’s “Survivor 43” win stopped the active streak of female winners from reaching its third.

SEE exclusive predictions: Who will win ‘Survivor’?

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