Greetings! Yesterday, I did my review on Wednesday nights’ episode of Survivor. Now that we’ve hit the merge, I thought it would be a great time to list my ranks of power for each of the remaining 11 castaways in the game. It’ll be a guarantee that this list will change after episode but it’s good to see where people stand within the game. Let’s get to it!
- Troyzan
Troyzan, to me, is not doing much in this game. He is following pack leaders Sierra and Brad to do their bidding. I don’t know if it’s the less TV time he’s getting or something else, but he’s not in control right now. He does have the immunity idol still. So, if he plays his cards right and makes a big move against his alliance, it could serve him right in the long run.
- Michaela
With the whole tribe gunning for her in the last episode, Michaela is definitely on the bottom of the totem pole. Last time she played, Michaela never got passed the merge so she’s definitely feeling a lot of pressure right now. The one thing she has going for her is sticking with Cirie. If she stays with Cirie, Andrea and Aubry and they happen to get rid of Brad’s alliance, she would have to time it right to turn on her alliance so she can gain control. Michaela is a bright, strong person. We’ll see if she can figure it out.
- Zeke
Zeke had 4 of the 13 votes last night, all 4 of them were from his own alliance! That’s what you get for turning on your own alliance so soon. Now that the group of 6 are in control and Cirie, Andrea and Aubry don’t trust Zeke anymore, Zeke will have to defend himself and try a different way to gain control. Zeke made power moves way too early in this game and made the same mistake in his last season. His best bet would be to work with Sarah and see if there are any cracks he can find to get to the top.
- Aubry
Aubry is taking a little bit more of a cautious approach to her game this year compared to the last time she played. While everyone is scrambling for power, Aubry is taking it easy. Staying cool with her alliance with Andrea and Cirie is her best option right now. Sooner or later, the group of 6 will target each other and having Aubry’s vote will be very important. She has to make sure that her decision is the right one.
- Sarah
Much like Aubry, Sarah is taking a cautious approach as well. She turned on her alliance with Cirie, Andrea, and Aubry to vote out her ally Ozzy. Great move for her. She eliminated one of the biggest threats in the game. And it looks like she’s ready to turn on Brad and company in next week’s episode. In contrast, her game is much like Adam’s game in Millennials vs Gen X. Adam let power players play above him and let them think they had control, while in secret, he was the one controlling the strings, removing the target off of his back. Sarah’s method is almost the same. Let’s see if that continues
- Andrea
With Ozzy out now, Andrea is now on the minority side. But, the one thing that Andrea is good at is her social play. She knows how to create relationships and form bonds with everyone out on the island. Everyone knows that she’s in trouble but she can still find ways to stay in the game. If she could pull in people like Sarah and Troyzan onto her side and get the majority of the votes, she could win this game. I believe that she’s more aware now, socially, compared the last time she played on Fans vs Favorites 2. She just can’t get blindsided again.
- Cirie
Cirie is kind of the same as Andrea. The reason why I have her ranked above Andrea is because of her social and brilliant strategy to save Michaela. Everyone was gunning for Michaela, and she convinced the entire tribe to flip on Hali because she might have an idol. In a way, Cirie kind of reminds me of Boston Rob when he played on redemption island. Rob brought in Phillip and Natalie to his side and kind of mentored them on how to play the game. He fully gave them their 100% trust and received their trust in return. Cirie is doing the same with Michaela. She’s nurturing and guiding Michaela on how to play Survivor with the right ego in check. Now that Cirie saved Michaela, you can guarantee that Michaela will always have Cirie’s back. That’s an extra vote for Cirie, and I hope that she can get out of the minority and hopefully take control.
- Brad
We are definitely seeing a new Brad Culpepper this season compared to the last time he played in Blood vs Water. He took a lot of heat in Blood vs Water due to his scheming and back stabbing. This time around, he is playing with people and making sure that they’re on his side. He may believe that he has control right now, which he does, but in reality, the women in his alliance are calling the shots.
- Tai
Tai is still a mystery to me this season. Yes, he’s loyal within his alliance but I’m not sure whether or not if he will betray them soon like he did in Kaoh Rong. The reason why I have him ranked so high is because he has 2 idols! Tai really can’t mess this up. He can’t be another James and be blindsided with 2 idols in his back pocket. He’s doing a good job not telling anyone about it, and he better not be playing the idol for anyone else but himself. He’s in a good stance where he is now. But unless he gets rid of Debbie, Brad and Sierra, he won’t win the million.
- Sierra
The new sheriff in town is here and doesn’t plan on going away soon. Sierra has found her in a good spot within her alliance and has a legacy advantage at her disposal. She can only play it when there are 6 people left. She has to be very cautious in the next couple of weeks because people are starting to notice the line drawn in the sand and people with the power. I wouldn’t be surprised in a couple weeks if she’s knocked in the rankings.
- Debbie
I did not expect this version of Debbie at all this season. I think what made her realize her potential was the exile experience with Cochran. The advice he gave her really helped in her favor and it showed in her game. The way she was able to flip the vote on Ozzy at the last second and successfully pull it off makes her #1 on the rankings. When she went to the people in her alliance about the vote on Ozzy, she took a dictatorship role and demanded that they not tell anyone about it and they followed. It was just a great move for her. The problem now is will she continue on with that power? She knows she’s public enemy #1, she has to play along with it for now.