Survivor 49 has had its premiere, and I think we're in for another good season. Like past seasons, I'm going to give each player remaining in the game (and the booted player) four words to describe the current state of their game, what they need to do, what I noticed, and anything that might stand out about them to me. I'll then elaborate a tiny bit on that, especially only a little early on, considering I have a lot of players to get through.
As always, I'll be starting with my lowest-ranked player, then going sequentially to my highest-ranked player. This first week is based on my pre-season rankings from my other Survivor 49 post. Let's go!EPISODE 1 FOUR WORD GAME
Matt: WAY off on him
I don't know why I thought he'd be an even kookier Gabler, but I did. But no, Matt seems to be very well-prepared for Survivor, at least physically. His biggest obstacle will be connecting with players 20+ years younger than him. But he seems grounded and
Steven: Tribe gushing over him
Another I think I may have been way off on is Steven. His whole tribe seemed to gush over him: Matt, Jason, and MC. That is HUGE. I can no longer see him as a pre-merge boot. He may have a long run in him. We shall see.
Shannon: Connecting better than expected
Shannon seemed to form a duo with Savannah. And you know what, that's EXACTLY what I thought would happen when first seeing the tribe divisions. But I allowed other people's predictions for her to infiltrate my mind. I gotta go with my gut more.
Nate: Call him Papa Cool
At least, that's what I would if I was on his tribe, even though Nate is less than 6 years older than me... sigh. He seemed to immerse himself well on his tribe, connecting with Savannah.
Sage: Too weird for Survivor
She's mentioned collecting pimples (pre-season interview), peeing off the boat and showing her butt, and that she likes poop. There is no way she will be taken seriously if she gets to the final tribal. I did like how she connected with Shannon, but I get this feeling Shannon would turn on her if she had to.
Jason: This season's puzzle master
We've had some puzzle masters in the New Era (Evie, Carson, Kamilla), and I think Jason could join their ranks. He dominated the cube puzzle in the first challenge.
Kristina: Cirie style of edit?
Cirie's first ever episode of Survivor showed her afraid of bugs and leaves and how she's a couch potato. VERY similar of edit and story for Kristina. I 100% believe they are trying to recreate a New Era Cirie. Whether or not they are successful, I'm not sure. I'm surprised we didn't see an instant connection between her and MC, but perhaps their personalities are too different.
Alex: Set up to fail
Not just in the one-on-one challenge against Rizo, but the edit is setting him up to be blindsided. At least that's how it feels to me. But in the challenge, man, how could he have 15 extra minutes of digging and not find the shipwheel before Rizo? I like his connection to Jake, and he tried to make one with Annie before she threw his name out.
MC: Physically perfect for Survivor
She seems in great shape. I don't think we got much of her game socially or strategically. One note I'll make here: She sounds a lot like Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) from the TV show "The Bear". They have similar voices. Would love to see more next week from MC.
Jawan: Not a great start
He seemed to really be into the fact that Nate worked on a Spider-Man film, but we never saw Jawan and him connect much. Then, he tries to start a fire, and it gets to him both physically and mentally, and Savannah takes notice. Just not a great start for him. Savannah DID like him, but after his fire-making debacle, she might be willing to just let him go.
Sophi: Have to be careful
And what I mean by that is if people notice you're making too many connections, they will target you. See Swati in 42. But the way it was portrayed, it didn't seem too bad. I think she's in a great spot, since Annie would prefer to go with her and Jeremiah over Jake and Alex.
Jeremiah: That damn annoying laugh...
My word. I don't know if I can take a full season of it. Here's hoping we have a few episodes without it. I do like his positioning in the game and the connection he made with Sophi. He seemed to also get along with Jake, a fellow Canadian. Socially, he seems to be there, unless people realize they can no longer put up with his annoying laugh.
Jake: Too much bro energy
He's just too much. I do like his connection with Alex, but I am foreseeing a blindside on him shortly after the merge. He should survive the pre-merge unless their tribe is dumb and wants to lose 3+ pre-merge challenges.
Annie: Doesn't have it socially
She literally said she's never done a competition with a social element before. RED FLAG. She also threw Alex's name out AFTER making an alliance with him. She also went off on her own and didn't connect to too many other people (Sophi, kind of).
Rizo: Will be featured player
He's definitely going to finish at or near the top for confessionals, no doubt. Sure, the one-on-one challenge helped since they make players narrate it, but he still would've been in the top half without it I think. He also seems to have ingratiated himself well into his tribe. His tribe seems to like him.
Sophie: Did well guiding challenge
I really don't recall any camp life stuff with her, so this is all I have. She seems to remain calm under pressure, which is good. But I feel if she was a major player this season, she would have had more in the premiere episode. Plus, we don't know of any alliance for her. So I am a bit concerned.
Savannah: Exactly how I predicted
I had a good feeling that Savannah would form good bonds early. She would be the one person on her tribe I would most be surprised to be blindsided. We saw her perspective on a few different things, which always bodes well for a potential winner.
And to our departed player...
Nicole: Not for this show
Physically she wasn't handling it well. Socially, she spit in Jeremiah's face to help clear the mud out of his eyes, which I'm sure rubbed him at least a little the wrong way. And lastly, she couldn't detect that her tribemates were lying to her. She just wasn't cut out for Survivor, unfortunately.
First official power rankings! There is obviously going to be a LOT of movement early from my pre-season rankings. Some players I think I already got massive misreads on.
17th: Jawan (-9)
16th: Annie (-12)
15th: Sophie (-13)
14th: Sage (-1)
13th: Kristina (-2)
12th: Alex (-2)
11th: Shannon (+4)
10th: Jake (-5)
9th: Jason (+3)
8th: Matt (+10)
7th: Sophi (0)
6th: MC (+3)
5th: Nate (+9)
4th: Jeremiah (+2)
3rd: Steven (+14)
2nd: Rizo (+1)
1st: Savannah (0)
Big risers: Matt (+10), Nate (+9), Steven (+14!)
Big fallers: Jawan (-9), Annie (-12), Sophie (-13)
Comment: Jawan falls the hardest for me and to #17. I'm going to predict we don't quite have a disaster tribe this season and both red and yellow go to tribal pre-merge. I worry for Jawan if red goes. I'd like to put Annie higher, but socially, she just doesn't seem to be quite there. I also thought that about Gabler, so maybe she has a Gabler-style run in her. Then we have a bunch of players we didn't see enough strategy from (#15-11), then some who I got good feelings about but still worry a bit (#10-6). My top 5 I could see going far. We shall see.
AFTER EPISODE 2 FOUR WORD GAME
Jawan: Endeared himself to tribe
Interesting how we got Savannah's take on it (again), but Jawan did endear himself to his tribe by not only winning the journey but choosing to help his tribe over himself. But then that put him in the tough spot of having to alienate an entire tribe. For that reason alone, I might've chosen to help myself.
Sophie: Somehow connected to group
We saw something, I guess, with her connecting through MC to the main foursome on Hina. But Sophie undoubtedly will be in trouble if Hina loses a challenge, which after seeing this past immunity, might not happen.
Sage: Oddly sat out challenge
To me, Sage comes across as one of the more physical women on the cast, having served in the military. Yet she was Uli's first ever sit out. Not tiny Savannah, not skinny Shannon, and not skinny Rizo. Her. Seems like it worked out, though.
Kristina: Should watch allies closely
Especially MC, who seems to maybe not want to be in the group. We might have a power struggle. But with how little content we've gotten from Hina, they might not go to a pre-merge tribal.
Alex: Saving idol smart move
Also was getting Jake to help him. If Alex had saved Annie, that would have earned her trust but lost Jake's, Sophi's, and Jeremiah's. He is now the most powerful player in the game, being the only one currently with an idol or advantage.
Shannon: Spiritual stuff must stop
She can't be the Kumbaya leader, even if that makes people happier. People won't respect her as a Survivor player at the end. Shannon might get far, but her win equity remains low.
Jake: Shoe bandit must stop
Even if he doesn't get caught, it's contributing to his tribe's low morale. If he absolutely must do it, he needs to hide his own shoe. But so far, the person whose shoe he has hidden has been voted out, so that might not be the wisest.
Jason: Still the puzzle king
Hina absolutely killed it at the challenge, and it was largely because of Jason's puzzle prowess. Even Jeff is starting to take notice. Let this be a lesson to future Survivor players. It's more important to be able to do puzzles than to be in top notch physical shape. Although you do have to be in somewhat good shape.
Matt: Smart to form alliance
Jason: Still the puzzle king
Hina absolutely killed it at the challenge, and it was largely because of Jason's puzzle prowess. Even Jeff is starting to take notice. Let this be a lesson to future Survivor players. It's more important to be able to do puzzles than to be in top notch physical shape. Although you do have to be in somewhat good shape.
Matt: Smart to form alliance
And it was an interesting one, with two white males and two black females. I don't think we have ever had an alliance like that on Survivor. I think it will largely be on Matt to keep it together and not do anything to cause the women to go with Sophie and pick up Jason.
Sophi: Weirdly close to Jake
I'm getting a weird vibe with how close she seems to be to Jake, but it's not really shown, only told. Like the producers are cutting stuff out they don't want to show us. Anyway, Sophi needs to pick it up at puzzles or she could be the next to go.
MC: Absolutely right move made
Not only did she form a foursome, but she connected with Sophie just in case she wanted to make a move against them. Worst comes to worst, she turns on Sophie pre-merge, which won't hurt her since Sophie wouldn't be on the jury.
Nate: He's not that old
I'm sorry, but Nate is still a millennial. He is now the old man on his tribe. That's crazy to me. I'm a millennial, so it makes me feel old as well. At least he's trying to relate to his tribe.
Jeremiah: Next on chopping block?
He might be. If Kele loses AGAIN, it sure looks like Jeremiah might be the next to go. He seems the least connected player remaining on his tribe.
Steven: Left out, stock falls
Steven was largely absent from this past episode, so my winner stock in him ultimately has to fall. I like how he formed that foursome with Matt, MC, and Kristina, and I think even if MC and Kristina turn on them, they're more likely to turn on Matt than Steven... I think.
Rizo: Showing that generational gap
I think that was Rizo's purpose this past episode. We saw a bit from Savannah as well, but mostly Rizo. He was largely devoid of any real game content, so that's a small concern, but I don't believe winners in the New Era get game content EVERY episode.
Savannah: Devious but at top
I'm keeping Savannah here until I see any large evidence to think otherwise. She's gotten good content the first two episodes and outside of Kele has been the most consistently prominent player.
And to our departed player...
Annie: Not her ideal season
Switch Annie with Sue Smey from 47. Does Sue do any better this season? I don't think she does. She wouldn't help the tribe more. My point is, Annie was put on a bad tribe on a less than ideal season. Timing is everything in Survivor, including what season you get put on.
New power rankings! Obviously, this early on, there will be a LOT of movement. I've definitely gone back and forth on multiple players. Here it is:
16th: Jeremiah (-12)
15th: Sage (-1)
14th: Jawan (+3)
13th: Sophie (+2)
12th: Jason (-3)
11th: Matt (-3)
10th: Alex (+2)
9th: Sophi (-2)
8th: Kristina (+5)
7th: Steven (-4)
6th: MC (0)
5th: Jake (+5)
4th: Nate (+1)
3rd: Shannon (+8)
2nd: Rizo (0)
1st: Savannah (0)
Sophi: Weirdly close to Jake
I'm getting a weird vibe with how close she seems to be to Jake, but it's not really shown, only told. Like the producers are cutting stuff out they don't want to show us. Anyway, Sophi needs to pick it up at puzzles or she could be the next to go.
MC: Absolutely right move made
Not only did she form a foursome, but she connected with Sophie just in case she wanted to make a move against them. Worst comes to worst, she turns on Sophie pre-merge, which won't hurt her since Sophie wouldn't be on the jury.
Nate: He's not that old
I'm sorry, but Nate is still a millennial. He is now the old man on his tribe. That's crazy to me. I'm a millennial, so it makes me feel old as well. At least he's trying to relate to his tribe.
Jeremiah: Next on chopping block?
He might be. If Kele loses AGAIN, it sure looks like Jeremiah might be the next to go. He seems the least connected player remaining on his tribe.
Steven: Left out, stock falls
Steven was largely absent from this past episode, so my winner stock in him ultimately has to fall. I like how he formed that foursome with Matt, MC, and Kristina, and I think even if MC and Kristina turn on them, they're more likely to turn on Matt than Steven... I think.
Rizo: Showing that generational gap
I think that was Rizo's purpose this past episode. We saw a bit from Savannah as well, but mostly Rizo. He was largely devoid of any real game content, so that's a small concern, but I don't believe winners in the New Era get game content EVERY episode.
Savannah: Devious but at top
I'm keeping Savannah here until I see any large evidence to think otherwise. She's gotten good content the first two episodes and outside of Kele has been the most consistently prominent player.
And to our departed player...
Annie: Not her ideal season
Switch Annie with Sue Smey from 47. Does Sue do any better this season? I don't think she does. She wouldn't help the tribe more. My point is, Annie was put on a bad tribe on a less than ideal season. Timing is everything in Survivor, including what season you get put on.
New power rankings! Obviously, this early on, there will be a LOT of movement. I've definitely gone back and forth on multiple players. Here it is:
16th: Jeremiah (-12)
15th: Sage (-1)
14th: Jawan (+3)
13th: Sophie (+2)
12th: Jason (-3)
11th: Matt (-3)
10th: Alex (+2)
9th: Sophi (-2)
8th: Kristina (+5)
7th: Steven (-4)
6th: MC (0)
5th: Jake (+5)
4th: Nate (+1)
3rd: Shannon (+8)
2nd: Rizo (0)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Shannon (+8)
Biggest fall: Jeremiah (-12)
I'm going all-in on Kele being the disaster tribe and voting out Jeremiah next episode. Yes, he was included in the promo for 49, but so was Brandon Donlon for 45. The next few are who I feel are either at the bottom of near the bottom of their tribes, then two of the other Kele and Alex and Sophi, than the remaining Hina members, then Jake, then the power alliance on Uli. With Kele struggling and Hina not getting screen time, that says to me Uli is the tribe that goes furthest in this game. That's usually the case. It's not the disaster tribe (outside of 44), and it's not the tribe ignored in the edit. We shall see.
AFTER EPISODE 3 FOUR WORD GAME
Quick side note: I did NOT like this past episode. Kele lost again, and I am so sick of the current format which almost ensures we have one tribe taking up all the screen time and time at tribal. It's BEYOND old at this point. Also, I was VERY tempted to not do a 4WG for some players who barely got any screen time this past episode, but a lot of these will be very short and brief.
Sage: Wise to do something
Besides just be on the outs. Good for Sage to stir something up.
Jawan: Still thinks he's in
The majority, or so it appears. With a tribe swap coming up, we will never find out. Thanks, Jeff.
Sophie: Medevac got her emotional
Sophie was one I noticed was particularly shocked by the news.
Jason: Jeff making him threat
Jeff keeps pointing out how well Jason is doing at the puzzle portion. That's not doing Jason any favors.
Matt: Bring in someone else
Whoever is a new tribemate to Matt, Matt needs to bring them into his four.
Alex: Had to play safe
He had to play his idol, right? Despite not getting votes from both Sophi and Jeremiah, he would've been kinda silly not to, since he could always find another. That should be a rule of thumb for future Survivor players: If you have a tribe of 3 and you have an Idol, play it.
Sophi: Will find new life
The complex content Sophi has gotten leads me to believe she will go fairly far. Obviously, Alex and Sophi will not be considered threats, as Uli and Hina will be gunning for each other.
Kristina: Did challenge surprisingly well
I think it's safe to say that Kristina is of a similar build to Cirie, who famously struggled with a water balance beam in Game Changers, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how well Kristina did.
Steven: Social game determines everything
We know Steven isn't too physically threatening nor weak, which is good. He can likely strategize. Him bonding with other players come the tribe swap and merge will determine how far he goes.
MC: Found advantage, good position
To me, MC is the top of the Hina tribe. She has the beware advantage that seems easy enough to become an idol, and she has connections to the four and Sophie. She's solid.
Nate: How will age affect?
If not at all, I could see Nate going very far. If it's a slight issue, it could be the reason he goes.
Shannon: Power position, but vulnerable
Shannon was referred to being in a power position, but I could easily see Savannah casting her aside if she needed to. I have a feeling that may happen shortly after the merge.
Rizo: Lack of maturity there
It makes me think if Rizo gets to the end, he won't even be 2nd. I worry about anyone taking him seriously.
Savannah: Must lower threat level
I think her lack of size won't fool many people. Small can be mighty in the game of Survivor.
And to our TWO departed players...
Jake: Departure seemed bit off
Like there was still some information we're not getting. Did his wife communicate to him that he hadn't had their baby, and used this "medevac" as an excuse to go home? Also, if Jake REALLY wanted to stay in the game, the smart thing would've been to lie and say the snake only brushed up against him, because it appears they did not get it on camera. But perhaps he was worried for his own safety.
Jeremiah: Another gay man fifteenth
The last FIVE players to be the fourth boot (or finish in 15th) have ALL been gay men, most of them non-white. From 45 on, it has been Sean, Bhanu, Kishan, Thomas, and now Jeremiah. If you're a gay man going to tribal that night, play your idol or shot in the dark!
And our new power rankings... we have a VERY predictable tribe swap next episode, so that'll affect things here a bit. I'm going to have to go with more of how they're being portrayed rather their current position on their tribes, since I don't know how the tribes will shake out.
14th: Sophie (-1)
13th: Sage (+2)
12th: Kristina (-4)
11th: Jason (+1)
10th: Jawan (+4)
9th: Matt (+2)
8th: Steven (-1)
7th: Nate (-3)
6th: Alex (+4)
5th: MC (+1)
4th: Shannon (-1)
3rd: Rizo (-1)
2nd: Sophi (+7)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Sophi (+7)
Biggest fall: Kristina (-4)
Alex and Sophi take huge jumps as they will no longer be considered threats, and it appears Hina and Uli will be going after each other. If it was just Alex and Sophie each joining a different tribe (like in Philippines), I would have them much lower, but it appears everyone is dropping their buffs and that is not the case. Most of Hina is near the bottom, because of the two tribes that have YET to go to tribal STILL, Hina is definitely not getting as much screen time.
AFTER EPISODE 4 FOUR WORD GAME
Sophie: Right to criticize food
Finally! Someone stuck their neck out and criticized production for not giving them food that will temporarily ACTUALLY fill their bellies. I guess this is why Sophie is getting a bad edit.
Sage: In temporary bad spot
With her and Shannon being the only two original Uli's, Sage could be in trouble. The merge is likely after the next vote, so she really only has to survive the next vote, IF they lose.
Kristina: Some in depth content
Good to see some in depth, emotional content for Kristina. I think that means she at least makes the jury. I don't think she wins because of her poor edit prior to this, but it's something.
Jason: Tribe has to win
Otherwise, he's a goner, right? At this point, they would not turn on Nate or Jawan, and Sophi has ingratiated herself well with her new tribe. Fortunately, odds are it ends in a puzzle since the last one didn't, so that gives them good odds with having Jason.
Jawan: Swap helps resolidify bonds?
Jawan was on the outs of Uli, which he even recognized and pointed out. Now that they're forced to work together to maintain majority, perhaps he will resolidify his bonds with Savannah and Rizo and Nate?
Steven: Introduction seen at least
We saw Steven introduce himself, interestingly not as a rocket scientist but as a progammer for a space company. I wonder if that's actually true and it's considered LIKE a rocket scientist or he is trying to lower his threat level. Sorry, that's all I remember from him this episode.
Nate: Held firm, stayed cool
Despite him and Matt being against each other, which surprised me. I'd have thought they would've bonded, given them both being on the older side of things. Nevertheless, Nate held his ground well. Including at the challenge lifting both Rizo and Savannah up.
Alex: Finally won a challenge!
Congrats to Alex! And I thought he did fairly well introducing himself to his new tribe. I think he'll be fine even if they lose the next challenge.
MC: Challenge MVP of season
Just, wow. I'm very impressed with MC's athleticism. The way she was able to lift up players on HER shoulders, usually something reserved for men.
Shannon: Fortune dropped real fast
She went from a majority alliance to the bottom real fast. Plus, these meditation things she's doing in the morning MIGHT be cause for the rest to vote her out.
Rizo: Found idol, now what?
What's his gameplan? Stick with Savannah and Nate and possibly Jawan? I want to see him intereact with more than them.
Sophi: Played post swap perfectly
We've seen some impressive post-swap games, but Sophi did hers VERY well. Connected with basically everyone, but the one that stood out to me was her connection to Savannah. I think that might last a long time....
Savannah: Still out there dominating
I don't know what to say. She's the winner. Unless she gets targeted like Rachel did and is unable to save herself.
And to our departed player...
Matt: Another twist screwed player
Whether's it's a swap, loss of a vote, advantage, there always seems to be at least one player screwed over in the pre-merge. I think Matt could've at least made jury if not for this, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.
New rankings! With the tribe swap, some definitely have to move a bit. Some might stay about the same.
13th: Jason (-2)
12th: Sage (+1)
11th: Shannon (-7)
10th: Sophie (+4)
9th: Kristina (+3)
8th: Jawan (+2)
7th: Steven (+1)
6th: Nate (+1)
5th: Alex (+1)
4th: MC (+1)
3rd: Sophi (-1)
2nd: Rizo (+1)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Sophie (+4)
Biggest fall: Shannon (-7)
Sophie rises, mostly because she got swapped to a decent position. If they do a "fake merge" and re-swap the "tribes", my pick is Sophie to be the one screwed over. Anyway, it was mostly just Shannon falling and everyone rising a spot. I swapped Sophi and Rizo, mostly because Rizo has an idol, but I'm also questioning Sophi's winning chances slightly.
AFTER EPISODE 5 FOUR WORD GAME
Sage: Won over her tribe
By telling them about Rizo's advantage and likely idol. Honestly, it's probably smart since Sage was not in their core four. She also was right to clock Shannon for being fake.
Shannon: Playing way too hard
I give Shannon credit, she is working her tribe, but it seems to be too much and with too many people. I don't think Shannon would've survived had they lost immunity.
Sophie: Only talks about food
Not saying it's her choice, but she only got to talk about chicken this week after talking about the fruit last week. Sigh. It must mean we're not supposed to get too close to her.
Kristina: Handed chicken for nothing
She sat out of the challenge because she's the most out-of-shape player on their tribe, and she does nothing to help prepare the chicken to be eaten. To top it off, she made an asinine comment in her confessional about being scared of birds but wanting to eat the chicken. Safe to say I don't like Kristina.
Jawan: Can't get social foothold
What I mean by that is a solid place in this game socially. I didn't realize Jawan would struggle this much socially, but it was clear at tribal that it's going to be tough sledding for him.
Steven: Upcoming social play important
There's going to be ANOTHER tribe swap it appears, and a merge soon after. How Steven plays those rounds will determine his fate in the game. I could see him fitting in somewhere or I could see him being a target since he is one of the figureheads of old Hina.
Nate: Incredibly smart journey play
To propose leaving one bag, and then deke MC into thinking there was hardly any time left. I'm surprised we didn't see her catching on to him. He prevented her from getting an advantage, which he knew he wouldn't find before her. He's very aware of people's abilities.
Alex: What is his strategy?
I'm not exactly sure what Alex's strategy is in this game right now. Has he bonded with those former Hina members? Sure, kind of. But who does he want to to go to the end with? I'm not exactly sure. It'll be interesting to see if he can make a bond with Nate (who he apparently gets swapped with) and if Sophi will bring him into that group alongside Rizo and Savannah.
MC: Should have gotten advantage
I think Nate and the journey may have worn her down a bit, but that advantage they had out there was MC's for the taking. She does still have her beware advantage, but she hasn't been able to search for it because she remains one of SIX players to STILL not have gone to ONE tribal council, now coming up on our sixth episode. Crazy.
Sophi: Struggling but staying alive
She has been to every tribal council. Crazy. Meanwhile, six players in this game have not been to one. Whatever production needs to do to even those kinds of numbers out in the future, they need to do. I hope after the swap she's not on the one team that loses next week.
Rizo: Hero spot but failed
Rizo had the hero spot in the challenge with shooting the baskets but failed and was beaten by Alex. I don't think that will come up in the future, but you never know. He also bonked Sophi on the head, which, man, poor Sophi.
Savannah: Center of the show
I feel like Savannah gets so much focus and time each week. She is going far in this game, no doubt. She is either the winner or being set up as the final boss. Time will tell.
And to our departed player...
Jason: No puzzles cost him
The two challenges post-swap both did not end in a puzzle, which cost Jason the game. Honestly, it's rotten luck when you combine that with the tribe swap that screwed him.
New power rankings! How do things shape up now? Let's see...
12th: Kristina (-3)
11th: Sophie (-1)
10th: Shannon (+1)
9th: Jawan (-1)
8th: Steven (-1)
7th: Sage (+5)
6th: Alex (-1)
5th: MC (-1)
4th: Nate (+2)
3rd: Sophi (0)
2nd: Rizo (0)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Sage (+5)
Biggest fall: Kristina (-3)
My top remains the same, but some notable movement, although not a ton. Kristina drops for me. I just can't stand her at this point. She has zero of the charm of Cirie, I'm sorry. So until she redeems herself for me, she might stay at the bottom. Sage jumps up; I like that she told people about Rizo's advantage. Nate jumps up as well a tiny bit, I think he's smarter then even he lets on.
AFTER EPISODE 6 FOUR WORD GAME
Kristina: Gets things for nothing
She got the chickens even though she sat out. She got grilled cheese even though she barely helped. She got immunity even though she almost cost her tribe by not being able to construct a steady wooden pole. I swear to God if in the post-merge people take her on a lot of rewards, I'm going to lose it.
Sophie: Smartly keeping options open
She didn't just stick to Kristina; in fact, it looks like she's willing to turn on her. Finally saw some strategy from Sophie in this episode, although she still hasn't been to a tribal. I like that she was willing to work with Nate and Alex.
Jawan: Keeps getting lucky swaps
Jawan got swapped with multiple original Uli's BOTH times they swapped tribes. He might be the only one that can say he got swapped with two original tribe members both times. As for this episode, he wasn't going to be the main target for anyone outside of Shannon, but Jawan is definitely going to be a name brought up post-merge. I can't see Savannah wanting to keep him around for too long.
Steven: Social game saved him
And that's what he needs! He had made bonds with Savannah and Sage on their previous tribe. He made a bond in this episode with Jawan. He was the obvious vote and didn't even get a single one. He may be better socially than a lot of people think. Problem is, if they notice, he's a goner.
Sage: From zero to hero
Sage has gone from a semi-annoying likely pre-merge boot to one of the best characters (if not THE best) this season. Her facial expressions, confessionals, god, so good. I hope she survives a good chunk of the merge, because she has become one of my favorites.
Alex: Will first connection help?
To Sophi, that is. Will she try to bring him in to her new group, or will he become a sitting duck at some point? That will determine his success in this game, I think. I think Alex is a very likely jury member, just if he's one of the first or last is up in the air.
MC: Challenge prowess her factor
Will other players consider MC a challenge threat and target her? Possibly. It would be wise for her to keep her advantage (and likely, idol) a secret. We could see a situation where she is always the target but keeps saving herself through immunities and idols.
Nate: Working back to group?
The original group he had with Savannah and Rizo (and Shannon, but she's gone). Will he work back to them? I think so. I'm excited to see him navigate the post-merge. I think he's one of the best strategic minds this season.
Sophi: Finally not at tribal!
And got food! She seems pretty solidified with Savannah and Rizo, so that's good. Will she bring in Alex? I think she should, but also be willing to turn on him when the time comes.
Rizo: Get rid of idol
Since everyone knows, he might as well use it at the first merge tribal council. He obviously doesn't have to use it on himself. He could use it to save someone else. But an idol everyone knows about is not a ton of power. It is definitely putting a target on his back.
Savannah: Disdain for Jawan hilarious
I caught her making a comment and face when Jawan was talking before the reward, and man, we haven't seen a beef like this in a while. How effectively/quickly Savannah is able to get Jawan out will determine how much power she has in the game.
And to our departed player...
Shannon: Too insufferable and spiritual
She rubbed people the wrong way, most notably Sage, who put up a great front in not letting Shannon on to the fact she couldn't really stand her. Shannon had zero chance of winning, but could've made it further with a better swap or winning that immunity.
New power rankings! Going into the merge, how do things shake up? These rankings will largely be based on how I think they'll integrate with one another.
11th: Jawan (-2)
10th: Kristina (+2)
9th: Sophie (+2)
8th: Steven (0)
7th: MC (-2)
6th: Alex (0)
5th: Sage (+2)
4th: Nate (0)
3rd: Rizo (-1)
2nd: Sophi (+1)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rises: Kristina and Sage (+2)
Biggest falls: Jawan and MC (-2)
There's not too much movement, but I think there will be after next week's episode. I think Jawan was saved by Sage, but she either won't or can't come post-merge. MC will have a decent threat level, and I don't know if she was able to make bonds with Savannah, Rizo, and Sophi. And I keep flip-flopping Rizo and Sophi, merely because I don't want the same exact top 3 every single week.
AFTER EPISODE SEVERAL FOUR WORD GAME
Jawan: "Bottoms Up" is top
As in, they're at the top now. Great move by them, I gotta say. Savannah, Rizo, and Nate did not sus out their story. Jawan, to me, was the leader of that, having been closest to the Uli three of the Bottoms Up alliance. Good for him.
Kristina: Complete joke, no shot
Breaking the hammock, losing the challenge, only wanting food but not having to work for it... yeah Kristina is a joke this season. She also still has zero shot of winning. But I unfortunately could see her skirting along like a Mitch last season.
Sophie: Probably safe without immunity
Given the Bottoms Up Alliance went with the original Hina, including Sophie, who was the original target. But good on Sophie to not only win immunity, but to get more screentime this past episode.
Steven: Will likely get credit
If he makes it far, he'll likely get credit for "pulling in" Jawan and Sage to the Hina's, which is essentially true, but it was more Jawan and Sage not wanting to work with the Uli's.
MC: Didn't earn winner equity
The way she found the idol (not being able to keep it secret) and playing it for herself when she didn't need to is not going to help MC if she makes it to the end.
Alex: Surprisingly quiet merge episode
Tied with the fewest confessionals (2), and I believe he went against his former ally in Sophi. That might create a rift between them. He wanted to be on the right side of the merge vote, and he was.
Sage: Playing well, but respected?
I wonder if Sage were to continue on like this and get to the end, if she would garner any votes to win. I'm not sure. She is playing better than I was expecting from the first few episodes.
Rizo: Having idol a curse
At least, a publicly known idol. If you hold onto it, you put a target on your back. You play it, it gets put back into the game for potentially one of your enemies to find. It's a lose-lose situation as Rizo illustrated. Not sure if he did the right thing by announcing he was going to play it then not. Shows you can't trust everything he says, but that's true of everyone in Survivor.
Sophi: Can't sink with ship
If her alliance is indeed doomed, she can't go down with them. Better to try to find some in roads with Alex and the others. But something tells me they aren't doomed.
Savannah: Villainy might prevent win
Savannah's villainy is being seen by others, notably MC, who I believe shared what Savannah did with others in trying to hinder her idol find. I no longer think I can say I see Savannah winning. I think she's like Joe last season, and will either be a finale loser or a final boss.
And to our departed player...
Nate: Ousted by his association
With Savannah and Rizo. He really did nothing wrong, just was associated with them and he was the one they were sure Rizo wouldn't play an idol for. At least he made the jury.
New power rankings! And these rankings ARE going to change. I believe there has been a big shake up in the game. I believe I have to move the trio of Rizo, Sophi, and Savannah down, but who moves above them and who stays below?
10th: Sophie (-1)
9th: Alex (-3)
8th: MC (-1)
7th: Kristina (+3)
6th: Jawan (+5)
5th: Rizo (-2)
4th: Savannah (-3)
2nd: Rizo (+1)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Sophie (+4)
Biggest fall: Shannon (-7)
Sophie rises, mostly because she got swapped to a decent position. If they do a "fake merge" and re-swap the "tribes", my pick is Sophie to be the one screwed over. Anyway, it was mostly just Shannon falling and everyone rising a spot. I swapped Sophi and Rizo, mostly because Rizo has an idol, but I'm also questioning Sophi's winning chances slightly.
AFTER EPISODE 5 FOUR WORD GAME
Sage: Won over her tribe
By telling them about Rizo's advantage and likely idol. Honestly, it's probably smart since Sage was not in their core four. She also was right to clock Shannon for being fake.
Shannon: Playing way too hard
I give Shannon credit, she is working her tribe, but it seems to be too much and with too many people. I don't think Shannon would've survived had they lost immunity.
Sophie: Only talks about food
Not saying it's her choice, but she only got to talk about chicken this week after talking about the fruit last week. Sigh. It must mean we're not supposed to get too close to her.
Kristina: Handed chicken for nothing
She sat out of the challenge because she's the most out-of-shape player on their tribe, and she does nothing to help prepare the chicken to be eaten. To top it off, she made an asinine comment in her confessional about being scared of birds but wanting to eat the chicken. Safe to say I don't like Kristina.
Jawan: Can't get social foothold
What I mean by that is a solid place in this game socially. I didn't realize Jawan would struggle this much socially, but it was clear at tribal that it's going to be tough sledding for him.
Steven: Upcoming social play important
There's going to be ANOTHER tribe swap it appears, and a merge soon after. How Steven plays those rounds will determine his fate in the game. I could see him fitting in somewhere or I could see him being a target since he is one of the figureheads of old Hina.
Nate: Incredibly smart journey play
To propose leaving one bag, and then deke MC into thinking there was hardly any time left. I'm surprised we didn't see her catching on to him. He prevented her from getting an advantage, which he knew he wouldn't find before her. He's very aware of people's abilities.
Alex: What is his strategy?
I'm not exactly sure what Alex's strategy is in this game right now. Has he bonded with those former Hina members? Sure, kind of. But who does he want to to go to the end with? I'm not exactly sure. It'll be interesting to see if he can make a bond with Nate (who he apparently gets swapped with) and if Sophi will bring him into that group alongside Rizo and Savannah.
MC: Should have gotten advantage
I think Nate and the journey may have worn her down a bit, but that advantage they had out there was MC's for the taking. She does still have her beware advantage, but she hasn't been able to search for it because she remains one of SIX players to STILL not have gone to ONE tribal council, now coming up on our sixth episode. Crazy.
Sophi: Struggling but staying alive
She has been to every tribal council. Crazy. Meanwhile, six players in this game have not been to one. Whatever production needs to do to even those kinds of numbers out in the future, they need to do. I hope after the swap she's not on the one team that loses next week.
Rizo: Hero spot but failed
Rizo had the hero spot in the challenge with shooting the baskets but failed and was beaten by Alex. I don't think that will come up in the future, but you never know. He also bonked Sophi on the head, which, man, poor Sophi.
Savannah: Center of the show
I feel like Savannah gets so much focus and time each week. She is going far in this game, no doubt. She is either the winner or being set up as the final boss. Time will tell.
And to our departed player...
Jason: No puzzles cost him
The two challenges post-swap both did not end in a puzzle, which cost Jason the game. Honestly, it's rotten luck when you combine that with the tribe swap that screwed him.
New power rankings! How do things shape up now? Let's see...
12th: Kristina (-3)
11th: Sophie (-1)
10th: Shannon (+1)
9th: Jawan (-1)
8th: Steven (-1)
7th: Sage (+5)
6th: Alex (-1)
5th: MC (-1)
4th: Nate (+2)
3rd: Sophi (0)
2nd: Rizo (0)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rise: Sage (+5)
Biggest fall: Kristina (-3)
My top remains the same, but some notable movement, although not a ton. Kristina drops for me. I just can't stand her at this point. She has zero of the charm of Cirie, I'm sorry. So until she redeems herself for me, she might stay at the bottom. Sage jumps up; I like that she told people about Rizo's advantage. Nate jumps up as well a tiny bit, I think he's smarter then even he lets on.
AFTER EPISODE 6 FOUR WORD GAME
Kristina: Gets things for nothing
She got the chickens even though she sat out. She got grilled cheese even though she barely helped. She got immunity even though she almost cost her tribe by not being able to construct a steady wooden pole. I swear to God if in the post-merge people take her on a lot of rewards, I'm going to lose it.
Sophie: Smartly keeping options open
She didn't just stick to Kristina; in fact, it looks like she's willing to turn on her. Finally saw some strategy from Sophie in this episode, although she still hasn't been to a tribal. I like that she was willing to work with Nate and Alex.
Jawan: Keeps getting lucky swaps
Jawan got swapped with multiple original Uli's BOTH times they swapped tribes. He might be the only one that can say he got swapped with two original tribe members both times. As for this episode, he wasn't going to be the main target for anyone outside of Shannon, but Jawan is definitely going to be a name brought up post-merge. I can't see Savannah wanting to keep him around for too long.
Steven: Social game saved him
And that's what he needs! He had made bonds with Savannah and Sage on their previous tribe. He made a bond in this episode with Jawan. He was the obvious vote and didn't even get a single one. He may be better socially than a lot of people think. Problem is, if they notice, he's a goner.
Sage: From zero to hero
Sage has gone from a semi-annoying likely pre-merge boot to one of the best characters (if not THE best) this season. Her facial expressions, confessionals, god, so good. I hope she survives a good chunk of the merge, because she has become one of my favorites.
Alex: Will first connection help?
To Sophi, that is. Will she try to bring him in to her new group, or will he become a sitting duck at some point? That will determine his success in this game, I think. I think Alex is a very likely jury member, just if he's one of the first or last is up in the air.
MC: Challenge prowess her factor
Will other players consider MC a challenge threat and target her? Possibly. It would be wise for her to keep her advantage (and likely, idol) a secret. We could see a situation where she is always the target but keeps saving herself through immunities and idols.
Nate: Working back to group?
The original group he had with Savannah and Rizo (and Shannon, but she's gone). Will he work back to them? I think so. I'm excited to see him navigate the post-merge. I think he's one of the best strategic minds this season.
Sophi: Finally not at tribal!
And got food! She seems pretty solidified with Savannah and Rizo, so that's good. Will she bring in Alex? I think she should, but also be willing to turn on him when the time comes.
Rizo: Get rid of idol
Since everyone knows, he might as well use it at the first merge tribal council. He obviously doesn't have to use it on himself. He could use it to save someone else. But an idol everyone knows about is not a ton of power. It is definitely putting a target on his back.
Savannah: Disdain for Jawan hilarious
I caught her making a comment and face when Jawan was talking before the reward, and man, we haven't seen a beef like this in a while. How effectively/quickly Savannah is able to get Jawan out will determine how much power she has in the game.
And to our departed player...
Shannon: Too insufferable and spiritual
She rubbed people the wrong way, most notably Sage, who put up a great front in not letting Shannon on to the fact she couldn't really stand her. Shannon had zero chance of winning, but could've made it further with a better swap or winning that immunity.
New power rankings! Going into the merge, how do things shake up? These rankings will largely be based on how I think they'll integrate with one another.
11th: Jawan (-2)
10th: Kristina (+2)
9th: Sophie (+2)
8th: Steven (0)
7th: MC (-2)
6th: Alex (0)
5th: Sage (+2)
4th: Nate (0)
3rd: Rizo (-1)
2nd: Sophi (+1)
1st: Savannah (0)
Biggest rises: Kristina and Sage (+2)
Biggest falls: Jawan and MC (-2)
There's not too much movement, but I think there will be after next week's episode. I think Jawan was saved by Sage, but she either won't or can't come post-merge. MC will have a decent threat level, and I don't know if she was able to make bonds with Savannah, Rizo, and Sophi. And I keep flip-flopping Rizo and Sophi, merely because I don't want the same exact top 3 every single week.
AFTER EPISODE SEVERAL FOUR WORD GAME
Jawan: "Bottoms Up" is top
As in, they're at the top now. Great move by them, I gotta say. Savannah, Rizo, and Nate did not sus out their story. Jawan, to me, was the leader of that, having been closest to the Uli three of the Bottoms Up alliance. Good for him.
Kristina: Complete joke, no shot
Breaking the hammock, losing the challenge, only wanting food but not having to work for it... yeah Kristina is a joke this season. She also still has zero shot of winning. But I unfortunately could see her skirting along like a Mitch last season.
Sophie: Probably safe without immunity
Given the Bottoms Up Alliance went with the original Hina, including Sophie, who was the original target. But good on Sophie to not only win immunity, but to get more screentime this past episode.
Steven: Will likely get credit
If he makes it far, he'll likely get credit for "pulling in" Jawan and Sage to the Hina's, which is essentially true, but it was more Jawan and Sage not wanting to work with the Uli's.
MC: Didn't earn winner equity
The way she found the idol (not being able to keep it secret) and playing it for herself when she didn't need to is not going to help MC if she makes it to the end.
Alex: Surprisingly quiet merge episode
Tied with the fewest confessionals (2), and I believe he went against his former ally in Sophi. That might create a rift between them. He wanted to be on the right side of the merge vote, and he was.
Sage: Playing well, but respected?
I wonder if Sage were to continue on like this and get to the end, if she would garner any votes to win. I'm not sure. She is playing better than I was expecting from the first few episodes.
Rizo: Having idol a curse
At least, a publicly known idol. If you hold onto it, you put a target on your back. You play it, it gets put back into the game for potentially one of your enemies to find. It's a lose-lose situation as Rizo illustrated. Not sure if he did the right thing by announcing he was going to play it then not. Shows you can't trust everything he says, but that's true of everyone in Survivor.
Sophi: Can't sink with ship
If her alliance is indeed doomed, she can't go down with them. Better to try to find some in roads with Alex and the others. But something tells me they aren't doomed.
Savannah: Villainy might prevent win
Savannah's villainy is being seen by others, notably MC, who I believe shared what Savannah did with others in trying to hinder her idol find. I no longer think I can say I see Savannah winning. I think she's like Joe last season, and will either be a finale loser or a final boss.
And to our departed player...
Nate: Ousted by his association
With Savannah and Rizo. He really did nothing wrong, just was associated with them and he was the one they were sure Rizo wouldn't play an idol for. At least he made the jury.
New power rankings! And these rankings ARE going to change. I believe there has been a big shake up in the game. I believe I have to move the trio of Rizo, Sophi, and Savannah down, but who moves above them and who stays below?
10th: Sophie (-1)
9th: Alex (-3)
8th: MC (-1)
7th: Kristina (+3)
6th: Jawan (+5)
5th: Rizo (-2)
4th: Savannah (-3)
3rd: Sophi (-1)
2nd: Sage (+3)
1st: Steven (+7)
Biggest rise: Steven (+7), also Jawan (+5)
Biggest fall: Savannah and Alex (-3)
Told you I'd shake it up. My new winner pick is STEVEN. Yes, he got votes tonight, but Yam-Yam also got votes around this point. He's just gotta make it through unscathed, which I think he will. I also really wanted a new #1. I might not keep it this way long at all; we'll just have to see how next week goes. Sophie remains at the bottom, I definitely could see her being screwed somehow in the game (perhaps Rizo plays his idol and she is idoled out?). Alex drops due to not having any close ties. MC drops due to her idol fumble. Sage rises as well. She is definitely like the Carolyn Wiger of the season. Entertaining as hell, but not a ton of winner equity.
AFTER EPISODE 8 FOUR WORD GAME
Sophie: Nearly ousted, needs alliance
Sophie's lack of good connections in this game almost cost her. It shouldn't have been an issue to begin with, but Jeff just loves splitting them up because heaven forbid we have more than 5 or 6 people voting. She also shouldn't have thrown out Jawan's name, which almost cost her as well. She needs damage control next episode.
Alex: Still quiet post merge
I mean we hear from him, but it's minimal and almost because we have to. But it feels like Alex is largely inconsequential post-merge. What moves is he trying to make? We don't know.
Kristina: Hardly has to work
She didn't have to win the challenge in order to enjoy the reward. She was first out, yet she still got the reward. DUMB. She also found the idol which was NOT well-hidden, and because it's post-merge, there is nothing she has to do to "unlock" it. She just has a free fully-fledged idol. Kristina may be our finale goat this season. I thought she might be Cirie coming into this season, but she is way more Cassandra in Fiji.
Jawan: Stayed calm, followed plan
Jawan heard his name thrown out by Sophie, which would make anyone want to go for her. First off, he kept his cool when he heard it. Secondly, the vote was leaning more MC, and he went with it rather than go against the group. Jawan is smarter than I originally thought. But I don't think he has much winner equity.
Rizo: Amazingly ran the vote
He was on the bottom, with an idol, and he got through the tribal unscathed, without a single vote. Amazing. He also got out the one he wanted in MC, who he said had more connections than Sophie. This was an impressive episode from the man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D, Rizgod baby!
Savannah: Next vote super critical
Savannah, Sophi, and Rizo are still on the bottom, it might appear. But they only need two for a majority. If Savannah uses her extra vote, they only need one to force a tie. Can they sway Sophie or Alex? This next vote is super critical to Savannah's game, and will determine if I vault her back to #1 or not.
Sophi: Quiet, but presence felt
I still feel Sophi has a better shot of winning than her former Kele tribemate, Alex. Yes, she's on the bottom, but I think if hypothetically Rizo and Savannah were ousted, she would not be the next target. I expect her to have a bigger impact next episode. She needs to use her Knowledge is Power before it's too late. Perhaps she will hear about Kristina's idol (oh please, hear about it!).
Sage: Never the target somehow
I don't know how others perceive Sage, but in a five person group, her name was never brought up again. I wonder if it's because others don't consider her a threat to win at all. Or is she playing THAT well? Unlikely... but you never know.
Steven: Needs an idol, advantage
If Steven skates on by to the end without ever finding anything, does he have a shot at winning? Eh... maybe? I was really hoping it would be him finding the idol, not Kristina. But, if he can convince Kristina to play it on him, that would be just as good. We shall see.
And to our departed player...
MC: Orchestrated her own demise
Running off to tell Jawan Sophie was throwing his name out? Big mistake. I can't remember what else she did wrong, but she certainly orchestrated her own demise. She had the numbers, they just had to vote Rizo and keep it quiet (which it looked like they WERE doing), but nope. Her lack of game knowledge hurt her, as she had only recently gotten into Survivor before coming on the show.
New power rankings! I think I gotta shake things up again.... right? Well, here's how they stack up for me:
9th: Sophie (+1)
8th: Alex (+1)
7th: Jawan (-1)
6th: Kristina (+1)
5th: Sage (-3)
4th: Steven (-3)
3rd: Savannah (+1)
2nd: Rizo (+3)
1st: Sophi (+2)
Biggest rise: Rizo (+3)
Biggest fall: Sage and Steven (-3)
Top 9 baby! A little shuffling with my bottom half, but not much. Sage and Steven drop, not really through any fault of their own, but I feel like I overreacted a bit last week. The top 3 is back to being Savannah, Rizo, and Sophi, and for the first time, Sophi as the #1. Because we know Rizo and Savannah are on Season 50, I really feel they would not immediately bring a winner back. I could be wrong. But no winner in the history of Survivor has come back to play the very next season. Again, I could be wrong. But for now, Sophi is my #1. I have my rankings bookended by Sophi(e)s.
AFTER EPISODE 9 FOUR WORD GAME
Sophie: Smart to switch sides
It was the right call. The rest of the majority didn't seem to want too much to do with Sophie. Good for her to vote with the other Sophi, Savannah, and Rizo. However, she can't just ride with them until the end. She'll have to make a big move that she can stamp her name on.
Jawan: Can we believe him?
He keeps saying he wants to take Rizo out (or at least flush his idol), but he keeps not doing it. He's had three opportunities now. It's almost as if we can't believe what Jawan says anymore. Good for him to get food and get an emotional backstory.
Kristina: Complete different opinion now
I was giving Kristina SO MUCH crap for all the things she's been given. And when I saw her win the reward again without having to do too much, I actually said out loud, "If she had honor and integrity, she's give her reward to Jawan" and what do you know, she did it! I have to say I actually like Kristina now. I still don't want her to win, but I'm ok with her staying til near the end.
Sage: What's her game plan?
I'm not entirely sure. I think she still wants Savannah out, but like Jawan, why isn't she doing anything about it? Their numbers are almost gone now. I still hope Sage sticks around, but I'm afraid it won't be for much longer.
Steven: He's a sitting duck
Steven is only two people left in the game who didn't vote Alex, the other being Kristina. My rankings will have to reflect that. He went from being in an amazing position to now being in a terrible one. My dude is one of the next to go for sure.
Savannah: Immunity run in her?
She has two, and I could see more. Perhaps she wins 4 or 5, and they brought her back for 50 because they want challenge beasts on 50. She's got a lot of the right skills to win the post-merge endurance challenges.
Rizo: Balls of freaking steel
I don't know how he's done it. My man has balls of freaking steel. I would've played the idol multiple rounds ago. It's definitely going to help his chance of winning at the end, should he get that far. He wanted MC and Alex out, got them both. Who's next on Rizo's radar? Steven?
Sophi: This season's social butterfly
She got Savannah to tell her about her former occupation as a news reporter. That's huge. She hasn't even told Rizo. Sophi is perhaps the best social player this season. If she gets to the end, she's got a GREAT shot.
And to our departed player...
Alex: Played like a politician
He worked both sides too much. In this game, you can't play like a politician, at least not anymore. You have to play more like a CEO. Be ruthless when you need to be and appease your underlings. Which is why I don't think anyone in politics will win Survivor anytime soon. It's why Jon Lovett had zero shot of winning.
New power rankings! How will things shake up with just 8 left? Only so much movement can happen at this point.
8th: Steven (-4)
7th: Sophie (+2)
6th: Sage (-1)
5th: Jawan (+2)
4th: Kristina (+2)
3rd: Rizo (-1)
2nd: Savannah (+1)
1st: Sophi (0)
Biggest rise: Sophie, Jawan and Kristina (+2)
Biggest fall: Steven (-4)
Steven falls for me. He's got few allies left, and he was left out of the vote. The bottoms up alliance has lost some momentum, and I think one of them is gone next episode. My pick is Steven. Sophie joined up with the power 3 in Rizo, Savannah, and Sophi, but she's playing with fire, and everyone still does not seem to like her, and they only took her in because they needed the numbers. Sage falls due to the quiet episode. Kristina is often ranked low by a lot of people due to her being so quiet pre-merge (two episodes in a row of zero confessionals), but I don't think that means she's going anytime soon. I think she's a Lauren or Heather type boot around 4th or 5th. Also, I have to add... after the jury has started with three African-American people, I highly doubt Jawan or Kristina is next. They might also be safe for the following vote as well.
Sophi retains the top spot for now, but I was tempted to have Savannah take her place. I kept Sophi there because I liked how Savannah confided in her. Plus, Savannah keeps getting referred to as a mean girl and a threat. Right now, I see a final three of Rizo, Savannah, and Sophi, with Sophi winning.
AFTER EPISODE 10 FOUR WORD GAME
(I am doing this Friday after the episode, so not the morning after, so my memory may be a bit spotty from the episode).
Steven: Man on the outs
He really is. Kristina is basically his only ally (I guess Sage a bit too), and he hasn't been on the right side of the votes. It's only a matter of time.
Sophie: Revealed flippers too quickly
Or perhaps she shouldn't have revealed them at all. The main trio this season was under the assumption Jawan and Sage were back with them, only for Sophie to tell them they weren't. According to the edit, this was done almost right away, when she really should've waited or not said anything to hold the power.
Sage: Hell... a woman scorned
Obviously, can't fit the whole phrase but "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is the full phrase, and that is Sage now. She lost one of her closest allies and still cannot get Savannah out. She likely isn't voting that way at the end.
Kristina: Has pity, not agency
Kristina showed she is breaking down mentally, and the rest of the cast certainly has pity on her. But she has zero game agency, and even if she gets to the end, her pity will not (and honestly, should not) be enough to garner her any votes.
Rizo: Multi-faceted idol bluff
Not only did he gauge whether the rest of the cast was upset at him potentially playing an idol (like Rachel did with her SitD in 47), but he "played" an Idol, which might lead some to believe he had a fake idol all along. Definitely something for his resumé.
Savannah: Should earn some respect
From the jury, should she get to the end. I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but she keeps surviving these votes despite being the #1 target and threat. That has to mean something, right?
Sophi: That KIP collecting dust
KIP being the Knowledge is Power, which Sophi still has. She even got wind of the rumor of Kristina's idol and still didn't use it. She is going along with her trio, not doing anything to stand out. She has to do something or she won't have a shot at the end.
And to our departed player...
Jawan: Some bad jury optics
First four players of 49's jury, all black. Yikes. The cast of 42 would be having a coronary over this. But about Jawan, he didn't build enough of a core, and when you flip, you gotta have more than 1 or 2 trusted allies. He didn't.
New power rankings! We're getting down to the wire, just several left! If the power trio has Sophie, they could now coast to the final 4 unscathed. Here's how I rank them:
7th: Steven (+1)
6th: Sage (0)
5th: Kristina (-1)
4th: Sophie: (+3)
3rd: Sophi (-2)
2nd: Savannah (0)
1st: Rizo (+2)
Biggest rise: Sophie (+3)
Biggest fall: Sophi (-2)
The man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D Rizgod, baby! Sorry, I had to. He is my new #1, and I think people might respect his game at the end. I know I've said I doubt 49's winner returned for 50. because no player in the history of Survivor has ever returned the next season after winning, but there's a first for everything. Plus, Russell Hantz thought he had won Samoa and returned right away. It takes a special level of ego to be able to do that (to say they think they can be the first back-to-back champ), and I think Rizo has it. Savannah's still up there. Sophi falls because I can't see her winning right at this moment. Sophie takes the biggest jump, despite me criticizing her move of telling the main trio about the flippers. I think she's doing all right. But I think they might snipe her before too long. Steven, Sage, and Kristina, are clearly on the bottom now, hence them being my bottom 3. Kristina is at the top of them as the least threatening player.
AFTER EPISODE 11 FOUR WORD GAME
Steven: Saved himself one round
Now what, though? He earned a block a vote, which apparently no one knows about, and they suspect is a steal a vote. If he doesn't use it correctly next tribal, he's got 0 chance of winning.
Sage: Needs coalition against Savannah
She got her revenge on Sophie. Now, can she get Savannah out, finally? However, even if Savannah doesn't win immunity, Rizo could play his idol on her. We could see a very interesting Final 6 tribal...
Kristina: Voted correctly, now what?
Kristina finally voted correctly, but now she's in a tough spot. Can she get Sophi, her, Sage, and Steven to work together to target one of the other two? And target the one who doesn't get an idol played for them? Or convince Rizo again not to play it? It's gonna be tough...
2nd: Sage (+3)
1st: Steven (+7)
Biggest rise: Steven (+7), also Jawan (+5)
Biggest fall: Savannah and Alex (-3)
Told you I'd shake it up. My new winner pick is STEVEN. Yes, he got votes tonight, but Yam-Yam also got votes around this point. He's just gotta make it through unscathed, which I think he will. I also really wanted a new #1. I might not keep it this way long at all; we'll just have to see how next week goes. Sophie remains at the bottom, I definitely could see her being screwed somehow in the game (perhaps Rizo plays his idol and she is idoled out?). Alex drops due to not having any close ties. MC drops due to her idol fumble. Sage rises as well. She is definitely like the Carolyn Wiger of the season. Entertaining as hell, but not a ton of winner equity.
AFTER EPISODE 8 FOUR WORD GAME
Sophie: Nearly ousted, needs alliance
Sophie's lack of good connections in this game almost cost her. It shouldn't have been an issue to begin with, but Jeff just loves splitting them up because heaven forbid we have more than 5 or 6 people voting. She also shouldn't have thrown out Jawan's name, which almost cost her as well. She needs damage control next episode.
Alex: Still quiet post merge
I mean we hear from him, but it's minimal and almost because we have to. But it feels like Alex is largely inconsequential post-merge. What moves is he trying to make? We don't know.
Kristina: Hardly has to work
She didn't have to win the challenge in order to enjoy the reward. She was first out, yet she still got the reward. DUMB. She also found the idol which was NOT well-hidden, and because it's post-merge, there is nothing she has to do to "unlock" it. She just has a free fully-fledged idol. Kristina may be our finale goat this season. I thought she might be Cirie coming into this season, but she is way more Cassandra in Fiji.
Jawan: Stayed calm, followed plan
Jawan heard his name thrown out by Sophie, which would make anyone want to go for her. First off, he kept his cool when he heard it. Secondly, the vote was leaning more MC, and he went with it rather than go against the group. Jawan is smarter than I originally thought. But I don't think he has much winner equity.
Rizo: Amazingly ran the vote
He was on the bottom, with an idol, and he got through the tribal unscathed, without a single vote. Amazing. He also got out the one he wanted in MC, who he said had more connections than Sophie. This was an impressive episode from the man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D, Rizgod baby!
Savannah: Next vote super critical
Savannah, Sophi, and Rizo are still on the bottom, it might appear. But they only need two for a majority. If Savannah uses her extra vote, they only need one to force a tie. Can they sway Sophie or Alex? This next vote is super critical to Savannah's game, and will determine if I vault her back to #1 or not.
Sophi: Quiet, but presence felt
I still feel Sophi has a better shot of winning than her former Kele tribemate, Alex. Yes, she's on the bottom, but I think if hypothetically Rizo and Savannah were ousted, she would not be the next target. I expect her to have a bigger impact next episode. She needs to use her Knowledge is Power before it's too late. Perhaps she will hear about Kristina's idol (oh please, hear about it!).
Sage: Never the target somehow
I don't know how others perceive Sage, but in a five person group, her name was never brought up again. I wonder if it's because others don't consider her a threat to win at all. Or is she playing THAT well? Unlikely... but you never know.
Steven: Needs an idol, advantage
If Steven skates on by to the end without ever finding anything, does he have a shot at winning? Eh... maybe? I was really hoping it would be him finding the idol, not Kristina. But, if he can convince Kristina to play it on him, that would be just as good. We shall see.
And to our departed player...
MC: Orchestrated her own demise
Running off to tell Jawan Sophie was throwing his name out? Big mistake. I can't remember what else she did wrong, but she certainly orchestrated her own demise. She had the numbers, they just had to vote Rizo and keep it quiet (which it looked like they WERE doing), but nope. Her lack of game knowledge hurt her, as she had only recently gotten into Survivor before coming on the show.
New power rankings! I think I gotta shake things up again.... right? Well, here's how they stack up for me:
9th: Sophie (+1)
8th: Alex (+1)
7th: Jawan (-1)
6th: Kristina (+1)
5th: Sage (-3)
4th: Steven (-3)
3rd: Savannah (+1)
2nd: Rizo (+3)
1st: Sophi (+2)
Biggest rise: Rizo (+3)
Biggest fall: Sage and Steven (-3)
Top 9 baby! A little shuffling with my bottom half, but not much. Sage and Steven drop, not really through any fault of their own, but I feel like I overreacted a bit last week. The top 3 is back to being Savannah, Rizo, and Sophi, and for the first time, Sophi as the #1. Because we know Rizo and Savannah are on Season 50, I really feel they would not immediately bring a winner back. I could be wrong. But no winner in the history of Survivor has come back to play the very next season. Again, I could be wrong. But for now, Sophi is my #1. I have my rankings bookended by Sophi(e)s.
AFTER EPISODE 9 FOUR WORD GAME
Sophie: Smart to switch sides
It was the right call. The rest of the majority didn't seem to want too much to do with Sophie. Good for her to vote with the other Sophi, Savannah, and Rizo. However, she can't just ride with them until the end. She'll have to make a big move that she can stamp her name on.
Jawan: Can we believe him?
He keeps saying he wants to take Rizo out (or at least flush his idol), but he keeps not doing it. He's had three opportunities now. It's almost as if we can't believe what Jawan says anymore. Good for him to get food and get an emotional backstory.
Kristina: Complete different opinion now
I was giving Kristina SO MUCH crap for all the things she's been given. And when I saw her win the reward again without having to do too much, I actually said out loud, "If she had honor and integrity, she's give her reward to Jawan" and what do you know, she did it! I have to say I actually like Kristina now. I still don't want her to win, but I'm ok with her staying til near the end.
Sage: What's her game plan?
I'm not entirely sure. I think she still wants Savannah out, but like Jawan, why isn't she doing anything about it? Their numbers are almost gone now. I still hope Sage sticks around, but I'm afraid it won't be for much longer.
Steven: He's a sitting duck
Steven is only two people left in the game who didn't vote Alex, the other being Kristina. My rankings will have to reflect that. He went from being in an amazing position to now being in a terrible one. My dude is one of the next to go for sure.
Savannah: Immunity run in her?
She has two, and I could see more. Perhaps she wins 4 or 5, and they brought her back for 50 because they want challenge beasts on 50. She's got a lot of the right skills to win the post-merge endurance challenges.
Rizo: Balls of freaking steel
I don't know how he's done it. My man has balls of freaking steel. I would've played the idol multiple rounds ago. It's definitely going to help his chance of winning at the end, should he get that far. He wanted MC and Alex out, got them both. Who's next on Rizo's radar? Steven?
Sophi: This season's social butterfly
She got Savannah to tell her about her former occupation as a news reporter. That's huge. She hasn't even told Rizo. Sophi is perhaps the best social player this season. If she gets to the end, she's got a GREAT shot.
And to our departed player...
Alex: Played like a politician
He worked both sides too much. In this game, you can't play like a politician, at least not anymore. You have to play more like a CEO. Be ruthless when you need to be and appease your underlings. Which is why I don't think anyone in politics will win Survivor anytime soon. It's why Jon Lovett had zero shot of winning.
New power rankings! How will things shake up with just 8 left? Only so much movement can happen at this point.
8th: Steven (-4)
7th: Sophie (+2)
6th: Sage (-1)
5th: Jawan (+2)
4th: Kristina (+2)
3rd: Rizo (-1)
2nd: Savannah (+1)
1st: Sophi (0)
Biggest rise: Sophie, Jawan and Kristina (+2)
Biggest fall: Steven (-4)
Steven falls for me. He's got few allies left, and he was left out of the vote. The bottoms up alliance has lost some momentum, and I think one of them is gone next episode. My pick is Steven. Sophie joined up with the power 3 in Rizo, Savannah, and Sophi, but she's playing with fire, and everyone still does not seem to like her, and they only took her in because they needed the numbers. Sage falls due to the quiet episode. Kristina is often ranked low by a lot of people due to her being so quiet pre-merge (two episodes in a row of zero confessionals), but I don't think that means she's going anytime soon. I think she's a Lauren or Heather type boot around 4th or 5th. Also, I have to add... after the jury has started with three African-American people, I highly doubt Jawan or Kristina is next. They might also be safe for the following vote as well.
Sophi retains the top spot for now, but I was tempted to have Savannah take her place. I kept Sophi there because I liked how Savannah confided in her. Plus, Savannah keeps getting referred to as a mean girl and a threat. Right now, I see a final three of Rizo, Savannah, and Sophi, with Sophi winning.
AFTER EPISODE 10 FOUR WORD GAME
(I am doing this Friday after the episode, so not the morning after, so my memory may be a bit spotty from the episode).
Steven: Man on the outs
He really is. Kristina is basically his only ally (I guess Sage a bit too), and he hasn't been on the right side of the votes. It's only a matter of time.
Sophie: Revealed flippers too quickly
Or perhaps she shouldn't have revealed them at all. The main trio this season was under the assumption Jawan and Sage were back with them, only for Sophie to tell them they weren't. According to the edit, this was done almost right away, when she really should've waited or not said anything to hold the power.
Sage: Hell... a woman scorned
Obviously, can't fit the whole phrase but "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is the full phrase, and that is Sage now. She lost one of her closest allies and still cannot get Savannah out. She likely isn't voting that way at the end.
Kristina: Has pity, not agency
Kristina showed she is breaking down mentally, and the rest of the cast certainly has pity on her. But she has zero game agency, and even if she gets to the end, her pity will not (and honestly, should not) be enough to garner her any votes.
Rizo: Multi-faceted idol bluff
Not only did he gauge whether the rest of the cast was upset at him potentially playing an idol (like Rachel did with her SitD in 47), but he "played" an Idol, which might lead some to believe he had a fake idol all along. Definitely something for his resumé.
Savannah: Should earn some respect
From the jury, should she get to the end. I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but she keeps surviving these votes despite being the #1 target and threat. That has to mean something, right?
Sophi: That KIP collecting dust
KIP being the Knowledge is Power, which Sophi still has. She even got wind of the rumor of Kristina's idol and still didn't use it. She is going along with her trio, not doing anything to stand out. She has to do something or she won't have a shot at the end.
And to our departed player...
Jawan: Some bad jury optics
First four players of 49's jury, all black. Yikes. The cast of 42 would be having a coronary over this. But about Jawan, he didn't build enough of a core, and when you flip, you gotta have more than 1 or 2 trusted allies. He didn't.
New power rankings! We're getting down to the wire, just several left! If the power trio has Sophie, they could now coast to the final 4 unscathed. Here's how I rank them:
7th: Steven (+1)
6th: Sage (0)
5th: Kristina (-1)
4th: Sophie: (+3)
3rd: Sophi (-2)
2nd: Savannah (0)
1st: Rizo (+2)
Biggest rise: Sophie (+3)
Biggest fall: Sophi (-2)
The man, the myth, the legend, R-I-Z-G-O-D Rizgod, baby! Sorry, I had to. He is my new #1, and I think people might respect his game at the end. I know I've said I doubt 49's winner returned for 50. because no player in the history of Survivor has ever returned the next season after winning, but there's a first for everything. Plus, Russell Hantz thought he had won Samoa and returned right away. It takes a special level of ego to be able to do that (to say they think they can be the first back-to-back champ), and I think Rizo has it. Savannah's still up there. Sophi falls because I can't see her winning right at this moment. Sophie takes the biggest jump, despite me criticizing her move of telling the main trio about the flippers. I think she's doing all right. But I think they might snipe her before too long. Steven, Sage, and Kristina, are clearly on the bottom now, hence them being my bottom 3. Kristina is at the top of them as the least threatening player.
AFTER EPISODE 11 FOUR WORD GAME
Steven: Saved himself one round
Now what, though? He earned a block a vote, which apparently no one knows about, and they suspect is a steal a vote. If he doesn't use it correctly next tribal, he's got 0 chance of winning.
Sage: Needs coalition against Savannah
She got her revenge on Sophie. Now, can she get Savannah out, finally? However, even if Savannah doesn't win immunity, Rizo could play his idol on her. We could see a very interesting Final 6 tribal...
Kristina: Voted correctly, now what?
Kristina finally voted correctly, but now she's in a tough spot. Can she get Sophi, her, Sage, and Steven to work together to target one of the other two? And target the one who doesn't get an idol played for them? Or convince Rizo again not to play it? It's gonna be tough...
Sophi: Her game is teetering
Right on the edge between a finale goat and the winner. She makes a big move against Savannah/Rizo and pulls it off, she is all of a sudden in the driver's seat to win. She sits on her hands like she has been, she might as well start accepting third place. Her Knowledge is Power is likely what will determine it. She has to play it to get Rizo's idol and turn on them. She cannot try to use it on Steven or just not use it.
Savannah: Winning game not visible
She's a huge target and threat, and even if she gets to the end, she's been called a mean girl and hasn't made a ton of close friends outside of Rizo and Sophi, who are both still in the game. I know all the stuff about Season 50, and how she was put on a tribe with no winners (making people think she wins this season), but I reiterate that no player has ever won and then played the very next season. I think Savannah just misses it.
Rizo: Game still idol dependent
If he allows Sophi to steal it, that will really hurt his chances. If he gives it to Savannah, who then plays it, that would be huge. Sitting on an idol is fine when you and your closest allies are fine. But we're getting to the point where he's got to do something with it, already. Yes, being able to sit on it the entire game and not have to play it is an argument he could make at the Final Tribal Council, but it's more impressive if he plays it and plays it correctly.
And to our departed player...
Sophie: Needed an idol, awareness
Sophie not only needed an idol, but awareness to know she was the target, which she didn't. Also, she tried playing the middle too much, which, as we've seen with Alex and Jawan, the other players don't like too much.
New power rankings! Second to last of the season. How will the final six shape up?
6. Steven (+1)
5. Savannah (-3)
4. Kristina (+1)
3. Sage (+3)
2. Rizo (-1)
1. Sophi (+2)
Biggest rise: Sage (+3), also Sophi (+2)
Biggest fall: Savannah (-3)
I'm taking a huge swing as we head into the final six. Steven is still at the bottom for me, naturally. Savannah, though, is now 2nd from the bottom. The one who I had ranked first for the first half+ of the season. She's got a huge target, and even if Rizo saves her with an idol, she still would be vulnerable the next vote. Sage rises a bit, as I think she could make a compelling case in front of the jury. And Sophi (for now) snags the top spot, despite still not doing much. It's more me expecting her to play her Knowledge is Power correctly and/or turn on Savannah and Rizo and take over the game. I do believe she's gotten a good underdog Kenzie-style edit. Next week will obviously determine if I keep Sophie their for my final ranking or move someone else up.
AFTER EPISODE 12 FOUR WORD GAME
Savannah: May win by default
I'm starting to get the feeling that we may have a winner the jury isn't fully behind, but they have to pick someone. If Savannah is there against basically anyone, they likely vote for her by default, being the only person there they think deserves to win.
Kristina: Not playing to win
Right on the edge between a finale goat and the winner. She makes a big move against Savannah/Rizo and pulls it off, she is all of a sudden in the driver's seat to win. She sits on her hands like she has been, she might as well start accepting third place. Her Knowledge is Power is likely what will determine it. She has to play it to get Rizo's idol and turn on them. She cannot try to use it on Steven or just not use it.
Savannah: Winning game not visible
She's a huge target and threat, and even if she gets to the end, she's been called a mean girl and hasn't made a ton of close friends outside of Rizo and Sophi, who are both still in the game. I know all the stuff about Season 50, and how she was put on a tribe with no winners (making people think she wins this season), but I reiterate that no player has ever won and then played the very next season. I think Savannah just misses it.
Rizo: Game still idol dependent
If he allows Sophi to steal it, that will really hurt his chances. If he gives it to Savannah, who then plays it, that would be huge. Sitting on an idol is fine when you and your closest allies are fine. But we're getting to the point where he's got to do something with it, already. Yes, being able to sit on it the entire game and not have to play it is an argument he could make at the Final Tribal Council, but it's more impressive if he plays it and plays it correctly.
And to our departed player...
Sophie: Needed an idol, awareness
Sophie not only needed an idol, but awareness to know she was the target, which she didn't. Also, she tried playing the middle too much, which, as we've seen with Alex and Jawan, the other players don't like too much.
New power rankings! Second to last of the season. How will the final six shape up?
6. Steven (+1)
5. Savannah (-3)
4. Kristina (+1)
3. Sage (+3)
2. Rizo (-1)
1. Sophi (+2)
Biggest rise: Sage (+3), also Sophi (+2)
Biggest fall: Savannah (-3)
I'm taking a huge swing as we head into the final six. Steven is still at the bottom for me, naturally. Savannah, though, is now 2nd from the bottom. The one who I had ranked first for the first half+ of the season. She's got a huge target, and even if Rizo saves her with an idol, she still would be vulnerable the next vote. Sage rises a bit, as I think she could make a compelling case in front of the jury. And Sophi (for now) snags the top spot, despite still not doing much. It's more me expecting her to play her Knowledge is Power correctly and/or turn on Savannah and Rizo and take over the game. I do believe she's gotten a good underdog Kenzie-style edit. Next week will obviously determine if I keep Sophie their for my final ranking or move someone else up.
AFTER EPISODE 12 FOUR WORD GAME
Savannah: May win by default
I'm starting to get the feeling that we may have a winner the jury isn't fully behind, but they have to pick someone. If Savannah is there against basically anyone, they likely vote for her by default, being the only person there they think deserves to win.
Kristina: Not playing to win
Who is her closest ally in this game? It wasn't Steven, she just voted him out. If Kristina gets dragged to the end, she certainly is not winning. She may get a sympathy vote or two due to her story, but I'm hoping the jury doesn't fall for it and give her multiple votes, should she get there.
Sage: Had to eliminate someone
There are, in most people's eyes, three people going into the Final 6 vote who had more win equity than Sage: Savannah, Rizo, and Steven. Savannah had immunity. Sage was under the belief Rizo was playing his idol. So that left Steven as her natural target, despite them being in the "Bottoms Up" alliance together. So much for that trio.
Rizo: Flashiness not impressing jury
I've noticed Rizo's non-idol plays are not impressing the jury. I think the jury is under the belief Savannah runs things in their group, so Rizo is going to have to make a move against Savannah in order to win, it appears. If he plays his idol correctly and negates a majority vote at Final 5, that would be a huge start. But if he coasts to the end against Savannah without a savvy idol play, he is not winning.
Sophi: Blunder not that bad
Many think Sophi should have used the KiP to steal Rizo's idol. But to take his idol and not vote him out would have been risky and foolish, because Sophi then very likely goes at 5 (and she loses favor with both Rizo and Savannah). The target was already Steven. Her main blunder was telling Rizo and Savannah about her KiP. She should've told Steven, Kristina, and Sage and had them target Rizo since he would have been vulnerable. In order to win Survivor, you gotta make moves like that. She didn't.
And to our departed player...
Steven: Nice, but no allies
Apparently, since Sage and Kristina were so willing to turn on him. But Savannah winning Final 6 immunity really sunk his ship. It was cool to see him shoot down Sophi's attempt to steal his advantage. And his block a vote had zero effect on the outcome. When's the last time an advantage (not an idol) had a legitimate effect on the game? It feels like every one of them fail and fall flat or have no effect.
Final power rankings.... are coming up! But first, as I do before every finale, I'm going to rank the remaining players on how much I think the jury likes them. I will give 5 points for them being 1st with a juror, 4 for 2nd, and so on all the way to 1 point for 5th. Also, I want to preface that this is just how I see the jury's perception of each player currently. Obviously, if someone makes a great speech at FTC they could jump ahead in someone's rankings.
Nate: Savannah, Rizo, Kristina, Sage, Sophi
MC: Kristina, Sage, Sophi, Savannah, Rizo
Alex: Rizo, Sophi, Savannah, Kristina, Sage
Jawan: Sage, Savannah, Rizo, Sophi, Kristina
Sophie: Savannah, Sophi, Rizo, Kristina, Sage
Steven: Savannah, Rizo, Kristina, Sage, Sophi
The point totals would then be:
Savannah: 24
Rizo: 20
Kristina: 16
Sage: 15
Sophi: 15
Fairly close after Savannah. Now let's rank what each of the final 5 thinks of the other players in the Final 5, and use 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, and 1 point for 4th:
Savannah: Rizo, Sophi, Sage, Kristina
Rizo: Savannah, Sophi, Sage, Kristina
Kristina: Savannah, Sage, Sophi, Rizo
Sage: Savannah, Rizo, Sophi, Kristina
Sophi: Savannah, Rizo, Sage, Kristina
Those points when added to the above points puts each of them at:
Savannah: 40
Rizo: 31
Sophi: 26
Sage: 24
Kristina: 20
Hmm... interesting. Well, if Savannah gets to the end, she likely wins it. Take that how you will, but I also had Joe squeaking out a win over Kyle last season. Now, my final rankings of the season, are:
5. Kristina (-1)
4. Sage (-1)
3. Sophi (-2)
2. Rizo (0)
1. Savannah (+4)
Last week, I definitely was counting on Savannah not winning immunity. It would've been interesting to see how the vote would've gone and if Rizo would've used his idol on her had she not won. But to me, Savannah is the frontrunner, with Rizo having the best chance if she is not there. I honestly could see Kristina getting a few votes and shocking us. The jury is predominantly black, and if she manages to get her story out about her mom (again), she could earn some sympathy. But let's hope the jurors vote with the heads and not their hearts.
AFTER FINALE FOUR WORD GAME
Kristina: Firemaking ability became downfall
Crazy how now in Survivor, if you are too good at firemaking, that can be a reason you are targeted and voted out. Kristina didn't have a shot at winning, but Savannah knew that could've meant she was gone at 4. Kristina obviously needed more on her resumé than being able to make fire.
Rizgod: Two huge glaring weaknesses
That cost him the game. One, is his challenge and puzzle ability. Dude could not win an immunity to save his life. Literally. He couldn't even put the puzzle together for the track for the ball to go down. And he was surprisingly bad at making fires. Seems strange a Survivor superfan and someone who thinks it's the best show ever would be so bad at those parts of the game.
Sage: Too emotional to win
One might say. Now I'm not saying she cries too much, but she played with her heart more than her head, which is not how you win Survivor. Case in point when she targeted Sophie for turning on her and Jawan rather than getting out the bigger threat in Savannah.
Sophi: Amazing FTC, not enough
Sophi had an amazing Final Tribal Council, but it was not enough to win. Whether it was her just going with the flow for most of the votes or incorrectly playing her Knowledge is Power, she just hadn't done enough going into FTC to win.
Savannah: Another dominant female winner
What can I say? She won when she needed to like Rachel, and she got two people to be her ride or dies like Dee. She dominated challenges like Kim. I'm not sure where most people are going to rank her game in the end, but she's likely top half, if barely.
Well, that is it for Season 49! All in all, not a bad season. I wish we could've seen a bit more competitive play from those on the jury, but that's why they ended up on the jury. Next up, Season 50: In the Hands of the Fans. Am I going to do a Four Word Game for each player after each week? Uh... maybe? It'll be tough to keep up with, but I think I'll give it my best shot. See you then!
Sage: Had to eliminate someone
There are, in most people's eyes, three people going into the Final 6 vote who had more win equity than Sage: Savannah, Rizo, and Steven. Savannah had immunity. Sage was under the belief Rizo was playing his idol. So that left Steven as her natural target, despite them being in the "Bottoms Up" alliance together. So much for that trio.
Rizo: Flashiness not impressing jury
I've noticed Rizo's non-idol plays are not impressing the jury. I think the jury is under the belief Savannah runs things in their group, so Rizo is going to have to make a move against Savannah in order to win, it appears. If he plays his idol correctly and negates a majority vote at Final 5, that would be a huge start. But if he coasts to the end against Savannah without a savvy idol play, he is not winning.
Sophi: Blunder not that bad
Many think Sophi should have used the KiP to steal Rizo's idol. But to take his idol and not vote him out would have been risky and foolish, because Sophi then very likely goes at 5 (and she loses favor with both Rizo and Savannah). The target was already Steven. Her main blunder was telling Rizo and Savannah about her KiP. She should've told Steven, Kristina, and Sage and had them target Rizo since he would have been vulnerable. In order to win Survivor, you gotta make moves like that. She didn't.
And to our departed player...
Steven: Nice, but no allies
Apparently, since Sage and Kristina were so willing to turn on him. But Savannah winning Final 6 immunity really sunk his ship. It was cool to see him shoot down Sophi's attempt to steal his advantage. And his block a vote had zero effect on the outcome. When's the last time an advantage (not an idol) had a legitimate effect on the game? It feels like every one of them fail and fall flat or have no effect.
Final power rankings.... are coming up! But first, as I do before every finale, I'm going to rank the remaining players on how much I think the jury likes them. I will give 5 points for them being 1st with a juror, 4 for 2nd, and so on all the way to 1 point for 5th. Also, I want to preface that this is just how I see the jury's perception of each player currently. Obviously, if someone makes a great speech at FTC they could jump ahead in someone's rankings.
Nate: Savannah, Rizo, Kristina, Sage, Sophi
MC: Kristina, Sage, Sophi, Savannah, Rizo
Alex: Rizo, Sophi, Savannah, Kristina, Sage
Jawan: Sage, Savannah, Rizo, Sophi, Kristina
Sophie: Savannah, Sophi, Rizo, Kristina, Sage
Steven: Savannah, Rizo, Kristina, Sage, Sophi
The point totals would then be:
Savannah: 24
Rizo: 20
Kristina: 16
Sage: 15
Sophi: 15
Fairly close after Savannah. Now let's rank what each of the final 5 thinks of the other players in the Final 5, and use 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, and 1 point for 4th:
Savannah: Rizo, Sophi, Sage, Kristina
Rizo: Savannah, Sophi, Sage, Kristina
Kristina: Savannah, Sage, Sophi, Rizo
Sage: Savannah, Rizo, Sophi, Kristina
Sophi: Savannah, Rizo, Sage, Kristina
Those points when added to the above points puts each of them at:
Savannah: 40
Rizo: 31
Sophi: 26
Sage: 24
Kristina: 20
Hmm... interesting. Well, if Savannah gets to the end, she likely wins it. Take that how you will, but I also had Joe squeaking out a win over Kyle last season. Now, my final rankings of the season, are:
5. Kristina (-1)
4. Sage (-1)
3. Sophi (-2)
2. Rizo (0)
1. Savannah (+4)
Last week, I definitely was counting on Savannah not winning immunity. It would've been interesting to see how the vote would've gone and if Rizo would've used his idol on her had she not won. But to me, Savannah is the frontrunner, with Rizo having the best chance if she is not there. I honestly could see Kristina getting a few votes and shocking us. The jury is predominantly black, and if she manages to get her story out about her mom (again), she could earn some sympathy. But let's hope the jurors vote with the heads and not their hearts.
AFTER FINALE FOUR WORD GAME
Kristina: Firemaking ability became downfall
Crazy how now in Survivor, if you are too good at firemaking, that can be a reason you are targeted and voted out. Kristina didn't have a shot at winning, but Savannah knew that could've meant she was gone at 4. Kristina obviously needed more on her resumé than being able to make fire.
Rizgod: Two huge glaring weaknesses
That cost him the game. One, is his challenge and puzzle ability. Dude could not win an immunity to save his life. Literally. He couldn't even put the puzzle together for the track for the ball to go down. And he was surprisingly bad at making fires. Seems strange a Survivor superfan and someone who thinks it's the best show ever would be so bad at those parts of the game.
Sage: Too emotional to win
One might say. Now I'm not saying she cries too much, but she played with her heart more than her head, which is not how you win Survivor. Case in point when she targeted Sophie for turning on her and Jawan rather than getting out the bigger threat in Savannah.
Sophi: Amazing FTC, not enough
Sophi had an amazing Final Tribal Council, but it was not enough to win. Whether it was her just going with the flow for most of the votes or incorrectly playing her Knowledge is Power, she just hadn't done enough going into FTC to win.
Savannah: Another dominant female winner
What can I say? She won when she needed to like Rachel, and she got two people to be her ride or dies like Dee. She dominated challenges like Kim. I'm not sure where most people are going to rank her game in the end, but she's likely top half, if barely.
Well, that is it for Season 49! All in all, not a bad season. I wish we could've seen a bit more competitive play from those on the jury, but that's why they ended up on the jury. Next up, Season 50: In the Hands of the Fans. Am I going to do a Four Word Game for each player after each week? Uh... maybe? It'll be tough to keep up with, but I think I'll give it my best shot. See you then!
