Which perceptions of a team/contestant changed the most?

[amplify26]

On TV Tropes, there's this phenomenon called "character perception evolution", in which over time, some characters are seen better after time, and those who were once beloved aren't as liked over time.

Basically, an expanded "Rank over time" thread, but for the whole series.

It seems like E5 Green got some rehabilitation over time. They are mostly perceived as being "carried" by Purple, which is how they got into the finale. However, as time went on, the fandom noted how they were genuinely remorseful about their actions and how they wanted to change. Cealey's comments about Teylor, especially considering what she said in "Create Your Own Game", solidify their redemption arc a bit. In addition, they won a mission when they needed to (otherwise, we'd be seeing another Cherry Picker scenario), and worked together well. I don't think that meant they deserved to win, but I could see why people do now.

On the other hand, it feels like E3 Gray has gotten a more polarized reception over time. Partner game aside, they seemed low-key, worked together well, and basically were a strong team throughout. Yet that "low-key" nature also hid their more malicious sides, such as with how they held the whip throughout the season and were pretty complicit in harming the Yellow Team. Pretty duplicitous, I might say (though them winning is better than Orange winning, right?.

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

That’s a good point about E3 Gray. They were definitely super popular at the time but now their perception is more negative, even though they were a dominant team and played the game well to get the win. I would say E5 Purple is in this category as well to some extent; their reputation seems to have soured slightly over time.

I would say players/teams with negative backlash have actually slightly improved their reputations over time. I’m thinking specifically of Nicole and Sabrina although there’s probably others. At the time, the viewers (their peers) found their actions quite reprehensible and they were disliked. Now, since the audience of the show has grown up, we can view their behavior in a different lens. We can look back and see them as immature teenagers (sorry to all teenagers, but it’s true) and not judge them so personally and harshly. Of course, I’m not trying to justify their behavior and say they were angels, but it doesn’t seem so personally offensive anymore. Also, I feel like Endurance is mostly viewed nowadays by either people who are nostalgic for the show or general reality TV enthusiasts, instead of a wider general audience. Reality TV enthusiasts and fans of the show are likely to appreciate on some level the “good TV” they created with their negative actions.