Oh the Super Idol. That thing gets people paranoid! So paranoid Debbie was sacrificed due to the paranoid girls. This week may be the most uncertain in where the power lies. This list could EASILY be flipped completely. It all depends on the swing votes. And that is a powerful position.
#1) Julia (1)
Julia is young but not naive. She's got a pretty good personality with a decent pulse. She knows that towing the line in the middle is a good move. Yes, she likely would have been blindsided at Tribal but she pulled out a victory and now has the power to pick a side. Aubry may want to target her but knowing that Julia did side with her, booting her would not be a good move. Julia needs to make a decision and be smart with it.
#2) Michele (2)
If Michele's voice doesn't bother you, you're a better person than me. But Michele is making a good name for herself in the game. Her voice is present in confessionals. And that's a sign of longevity. Or a sign of a next boot. There's no reason to get rid of Michele so I pick the former.
#3) Tai (7)
Tai is the most complex personalities in Survivor history. He was lovable and now he's despicable. Now that the Bash Brothers gave him the idol to hold on to, will he give it back? Probably. Tai will have to make a big decision, again. If Tai flips, it will be the end of him. But there's no reason for him to, unless he feels bad. He should keep an eye on Mark the Chicken in case someone gets mad.
#4) Jason (9)
You may hate this guy and his actions but he's playing the game the way he thinks he needs to. I don't like what he's doing but he's positioned himself into goat position. I see him in the end. He has power.
#5) Scot (8)
Of the trio, Scot is the one without the power of the idol. With only eight left, Tai and Jason could easily get paranoid and hold onto their own idols leaving Scot in the dust. But if he and Jason continue their reign of psychological warfare, Scot will continue to instill fear and force more paranoia.
#6) Joe (6)
Joe is powerful in the sense that no one will change plans because he won't go along with it. That is HUGE. And no one is picking up on it. He may not be steering the ship but his stubbornness is playing a big part. If the girls are smart they would use him as the next sacrifice. I just don't see the boys wanting Joe to go just yet. Especially if there are challenge threats still present.
#7) Aubry (4)
Aubry could easily have flushed out the Super Idol, secured her numbers, and paved a path to the end. That journey is much messier at this point. Aubry cannot play into paranoia or she will be axed.
#8) Cydney (3)
Seeing as Cydney was the target of the Super Idol, she is on the bottom. She is a threat and a smart player. With her still present, the boys should be scared. I will see them targeting her again. And again. And again.
And the first person voted out of the new merge tribe is...wait, Neal was medivaced. Well that was a shock! Mount Saint Neal, the puss monster on his knee, forced him out of the game. We didn't see a giant shakeup but we did see some tribal lines get drawn. Here's how things look moving into the first official Tribal Council post merge.
#1) Jason (1)
Jason seemed to get along with everyone once the tribes were merged. That being said, we didn't really have a need for conflict quite yet. Jason was reunited with Scot which seemed to boost his energy. We haven't really seen his dynamic with Tai but we see that he and Nick have some sort of bond. But how strong is it? With his target of Neal/Aubry almost eliminated, could he try for a bigger threat like Nick?
#2) Scot (2)
Scot gets his Jason back. But he also has Tai. And now Nick. He offered the Tai information to Nick. But not the Jason information. This was a smart move but no longer makes him the knowingest idol know it all as Jason knows as much as he does. Will this backfire or is his trust in Jason pure?
#3) Cydney (3)
Cydney is in a fantastic position. She has the boys to carry her but also take any heat. She just lacks the idol power that they both have. But if she gets ticked off knowing she's at the bottom of this three, all she has to do is slip a little info about Jason's idol to the wrong person and then back away. If there are shades of an all-girls alliance, Cydney has a backup plan.
#4) Julia (7)
Julia is sitting pretty. Just a week ago she was the easy victim of fate. But she let Peter take the heat and the Brains become the target. Julia is harmless. Let's continue to watch her coast on to the end.
#5) Michele (8)
Like Julia, Michele is harmless. But the slight tiff between her and Nick could make Nick use her as target practice. Michele has a great pulse on the tribe and needs to let the big dogs fit one another and just watch.
#6) Tai (6)
Tai has some buddies! But he doesn't know his buddy Scot spilled the beans on his idol. This puts Tai in a dangerous position. If Jason wants, he can target him or use him to his advantage. Either way, Tai will be blindsided. What Tai needs to do is listen to any offer that will further his game and just play the loveable guy card.
#7) Nick (10)
Nick has done so much better than he has the first half of the game. The trouble is he knows a lot but doesn't have the true loyal alliance. He has numbers but he is a challenge threat. Nick needs to keep his options open and maintain a good relationship with all of the former beauties.
#8) Aubry (9)
Aubry lost her number one ally in Neal. And she was distraught. But this opens up her game. She can play the free agent card and float with the numbers. The trouble is if the Brawns think Neal had an idol and might have slipped it to Aubry, they will try to target her once again. Her only safety net is to go right to them and prove her idol innocence.
#9) Joe (11)
Joe is not a challenge threat. So in a sense he's still harmless. He is in the minority and seems like the last target of the three brains. But if you let Joe slip too long, he will be forgotten until it's too late. Joe has no resume which would be cause to bring him to the end. He hasn't really made any waves so if it's a bitter jury, he could see a victory. A Pagonging of the Brains is the smartest move but this game has evolved where the logical move isn't always the best for each individual.
#10) Debbie (4)
Damn Debbie! That is not how to make new alliance members. Debbie is a perfect secondary target if flushing out an potential idol is the gameplan. But Debbie seems to be rubbing people the wrong way which could be an easy excuse to vote her off. If I were Debbie, I'd take a giant step back and shut up.
Trust is a huge part of Survivor. Just an inkling of untrustworthiness and your torch could be snuffed. Just ask Dr. Obama! Peter was just too wishy washy and ultimately paid a price. And in turn put Julia into a very powerful position. The person who should have gone is now an unassuming threat that come merge, could see a direct path to the end. But how will this Kaoh Rong merge fair? We shall find out soon! But here are the latest rankings!
#1) Jason (1)
Like him or hate him, Jason is sitting very pretty. He will soon be reunited with his long lost Bash Brother who now has an idol buddy in Tai. Jason knows how to work Scot. The trick will be whether or not Scot tells Jason about Tai's idol. If Jason is left in the dark, his stock greatly drops.
#2) Scot (2)
I fear Scot is loyal to a fault. With Brawn being a potential swing vote, Scot will follow the leader and the leader is Jason. Scot's biggest play will be whether or not he reveals Tai's idol to his buddy. If he were to keep it a secret, Scot is a power player. Should Jason learn of it and not come from Scot's mouth, he's screwed. Jason wants to win and will cut him for it.
#3) Cydney (4)
Cydney is a quiet beast and I love it! The reason she's not at the top is she lacks the solid number 2 that Jason has in Scot and Scot has in Jason. We've come to learn that Cydney is a true triple threat and is more personable that Jason. And that makes her a bigger threat. Cydney needs to find a solid side alliance. Perhaps that will be in Michele and Julia. They do need to replace their fallen leader.
#4) Debbie (5)
Debbie is getting dangerous! People outside her tribe are warming up to her! She's gaining trust in people. But they don't know her true crazy. Once they do, Debbie could be voted out just to save sanity. Debbie's game could also be derailed if Joe forces her to turn on her numbers or if people talk about her double dealing. If we lose Debbie, we lose our biggest narrator in confessional.
#5) Neal (3)
Neal has been mighty silent. And that could be good or bad. Neal has an idol that seemingly no one knows about. It gives him a solid week if he is viewed as a threat but looking at the make up of the merge tribe, Neal has a few buffers to throw shots at. Like Debbie, Neal will need to learn intel about Aubry's big move. He will need to make a quick decision to decide how that will affect his game moving forward.
#6) Tai (7)
This will be a telling merge for the fate of Tai Trang. We already know that Scot likes Tai but Jason has not met Tai yet. Depending on how Scot introduces the pair will determine how Tai and Jason bond. I fear that if Jason fells Tai has grown closer to Scot, he will easily target him. Jason needs Scot and cannot lose him to anyone. There's so much talk about Scot being the link to the two idols but wouldn't it be fascinating that rather than powering them together Tai and Jason use them AGAINST each other?
#7) Julia (11)
Julia should have been gone. That was the easy move. Peter just tried his power move a week too late. You have to credit Julia for laying low enough yet gaining enough incite on the tribe to stick around. In a merge tribe, Julia will coast far. Especially now that she'll be back with Michele and has a few new ally options. Julia isn't higher only because she isn't linked to anyone in a power spot. But expect her to move up next week.
#8) Michele (8)
There's no crying in Survivor, bro. This Jersey girl has a bite but we also saw her lose it. Showing vulnerability was not a good look for Michele. And there is a reason we saw her and Nick butt heads a bit. The trouble for Michele, and Nick, is they have yet to see a Tribal Council. They don't have experience in the half truths of Tribal. Michele moves up simply because she gets Julia back. Michele will need to trust Julia and whoever she has in her back pocket because those bonds have been tried. Michele's potential link to Debbie has not be tested. And that's scary.
#9) Aubry (6)
Abury's Tribal Council decision will be debated for a long time. Did she make the right move? Was crossing out the name a good idea? Should she switched on the revote? It doesn't matter at this point but I honestly think this move will bite her in the butt. I don't see Joe trusting her. Though Julia, and in turn Tai and Scot, should be thankful, simply thinking about voting off Julia proves she's indecisive. Aubry will need to save face and put out every fire that is bound to be set a blaze when the merge happens. The manner of her vote will be a great discussion and depending on who tells the story and how they tell it will seal Aubry's fate. I see Aubry out very soon.
#10) Nick (9)
While I'm slightly disappointed we'll never see the interactions of the two biggest egos in all of Cambodia, Nick is in trouble. Yes, Nick has a pretty solid read on the truth of Debbie and Jason. But Nick also thinks he has some control. If Beauty becomes a target, he has three people ready to throw his name out there. Nick is a perfect merge boot. Can anything save him?
#11) Joe (10)
Peter may have been blindsided by going home but Joe is probably the one with the biggest blindside. Not only did Aubry turn on their plan, she did it in grand fashion. Joe seems like a nice guy. We know he gets a little Hulk-ish when he's angry. Joe will most certainly go off on Aubry. Whether he does it privately or publicly will be his downfall. I could see him getting so moody that he just stops playing. And if enough targets see him give up, it's easy to want to vote Joe out. We haven't really seen Joe be worthwhile in the challenges so he's not a threat in that manner but the grandpa persona could garner votes down the line. If Joe goes in the next vote or two, it will officially be the demise of the Brains tribe.
Oh how a swap can truly change a game! Fate played a big part in Kaoh Rong as the odd number forced poor little Julia to be exiled alone on Brawn beach and caused the ouster of Anna, the girl set up for victory. Now that Julia will be taking her place, is she dead on arrival or can she maneuver her way back into the game?
#1) Jason (5)
How did Jason manage to steal the top spot? By showing a softer side and managing to have a everyone want him for a number. Aside from Cydney, no one on his tribe knows his dark side. Or that he has an idol. This puts him in a great position. But will this go to his head? Most likely. Jason should also be happy that his number two knows where another idol is!
#2) Scot (10)
Scot is in a powerful position but I don't think he knows just how to use his power. But for now, Scot is the only one to know where two hidden immunity idols are. It seems like we're being set up to see Scot try to link Jason and Tai together but who will get the super idol advantage? I wouldn't be shocked if Scot ends up being booted as a result.
#3) Neal (4)
Neal has an idol! And nobody knows! Neal is set up pretty well on the 2v2v2 tribe. He's strong and has some good ties. If a Brain is going to go, Debbie is making more waves than he is. Oh and he has the idol.
#4) Cydney (9)
Cydney is officially the underdog of the season. Cydney proved that she is a triple threat and she has a draw that people flock to her. Unless something drastic happens, Cydney has nothing to worry about until the merge. Then it's a different story.
#5) Debbie (6)
Debbie is making friends and adding numbers. Debbie has many hands in many pots. And that could be great. But if anyone cross talks, Debbie could be in some deep shit. If her tribe loses, Debbie must fade into the background or her big mouth will get her booted.
#6) Aubry (8)
When Aubry is the decision maker of the tribe, you know you're in deep trouble. Aubry has the numbers with Joe and Peter but both boys are quite awful players. What will happen when Julia comes to the tribe? She needs to keep her close in case the boys team up.
#7) Tai (7)
Tai made a power move by not playing the idol on Anna. But was that his choice? That's debatable. Tai gets to keep his idol but Scot knows about it. That could be dangerous. Is Scot trustworthy? Does he have Tai's best interest in mind? I highly doubt it.
#8) Michele (3)
Michele is gonna lose it when she finds out Anna is gone. With Michele gone and Julia on the bottom, Michele should be extremely worried. She not only needs to rely on Nick but she needs to find some other buddies, and fast.
#9) Nick (13)
If the Beauties become to target, Nick needs to be worried about Michele throwing him under the bus. With a merge on the verge, Nick is an easy target. But it looks like Debbie wants a piece of Nick. Feeding his ego is a scary thought.
#10) Joe (11)
Joe has still not made a decisive move on his own. Being a loyal soldier is fine but it will not win him the game. Joe needs to do something immediately. Even if it means turning on Peter.
#11) Julia (2)
Julia has a lot to be worried about. Coming in as Anna's replacement, she is immediately on the bottom. She will need to charm her way into some new alliances as well duck for cover and allow other people fight there way out of the game.
#12) Peter (12)
I worry that Peter has no clue how to truly play this game. I honestly wouldn't have been shocked if he went last week because he is so damn annoying. Peter needs to be thankful that he wasn't the target and lay low. If he voices his opinion, everyone will turn on him.
