A More Serious Look at the Players and their presentationNow that we've had the first episode of the truly merged tribe, let's look at the characters and see if we can make a prediction as to the winner.
Liz: her episode started when Tevin presented her with the plan to eliminate Soda. Liz almost jumped for joy because she had been wanting Soda out.
She felt it was like the Survivor gods smailing upon her.
No, it was Tevin...or was it Venus... well maybe Maria!
It seems Liz was only shown because her vote was crucial. She may have been the only one who was Soda all the way but it didn't feel like it was HER move
Ben: Ben had a panic attack but received calming aid from Kenzie.
Ben himself used the term and he has been an«entertainment monkey»in this game. Sure, he's had warm moments but it isn't about the game and it won't be for Ben
Charlie: Out of nowhere, Charlie came clean about his vote to Venus.
After being put in his place by Q, Charlie tells us: «Q is running this show and no one is allowed to have any other idea... I need to get Q out of the game.»
Is it a good idea to do this? There was tension in the air for Venus but now she knows which makes her path clearer.
Charlie recognizes his bad situation after the challenge. He tells us he isn't in the mood for a nap but would rather talk.
Soda was the first to pop and she came with good news: She was targeting Venus!
Charlie has some great points to his story but his main one is the connection he has with Maria.
He calls her his «ride or die» but Ifeel Maria would let him die to advance.
Q: He had all his eggs, it seems in the «Journey 6» alliance and he's the one that had to break it when he heard Tim was targeting Hunter.
Will he be able to convince Maria to stay in that alliance and replace Tim with Charlie?
She may actually like that idea IF she can be convinced that it was Tim who launched the first salvo.
Q was disappointed when he heard Charlie making his admission to Venus. «Having Venus thinking it was Soda...It was going to be the perfect plan...»
Q then put Charlie «in his place». The scene finished with a handshake between the two but, as we saw, Charlie had something to tell us.
Didn't Q compound the mistake?
After the challenge, Q reveals a secret: He had been more or less tanking the challenges to avoid being a target.
Talking to Tim, he realized that the only available target outside the «Journey 6», Ben, was not a consideration for Tim who wanted Hunter out instead.
That didn't sit well with Q at all who understood Hunter was a physical threat but that was ok with Q: It's those with skills off the gridiron that bother him.
Since Tim wasn't playing the «Q Game», Tim was going home tonight.
Even if he is a formidable opponent, this doesn't feel like Q's Game. Too many people are on to him so that will catch up with him.
Tiffany: She had a very small but important role in this episode: She told us that Q was overstepping his territory, telling everyone what to do.
I feel Tiffany will play an important role in deciding which way the game swings but it won't be to her benefit.
Hunter: The recap was quick to remind us the Hunter has an idol that is still a secret.
He had the interview after the challenge: Not only was he part of the group that would vote first but he was the only Nami in a group with 3 Yanu.
Hunter played the solitary game well, bonding with the majority to eliminate a strong player buty again, it doesn't feel that it is Hunter's game.
He is a supporting actor, not the star.
The Top 4 Contenders:
Kenzie: Along with Q, Kenzie was shown trying to play Yanu's position to infiltrate Nami which has cracks.
Her intervention with Ben made her once more very sympathetic in the viewers' eyes.
In her interview, she even admitted that, in this game, it might have been better to leave him in that state but it is second nature to her.
Kenzie won Immunity for her group and, soon after, we'd hear her happy to have checked something unexpected off her bucket list.
The credit that Q gave to Kenzie during Tribal council reminded me of what Erik said about Natalie that carried her to victory over the dreaded Hantz.
No doubt that if she makes the Final 3, Kenzie, who has received tons of doubt just by facing so many Councils, would be the favorite to win.
But will she make it? I feel her story is too human to be the Sole Survivor.
Tevin: Hot on the heels of the Venus and Soda argument, Tevin had a confessional «Watching (them) is the hottest Tea (?) tonight.»
For him, the two are toxic and they are showing it. He then had a million dollar Quote: «Hopefully... that takes me closer to the million dollars.»
From the star of the first episode, Tevin has grown into quite a cold, unsympathetic character.
These two are his tribe mates and he's throwing them to the wolves at a critical juncture.
A funny incident during the challenge: Tevin started a game but he was accused of making up the rules as he went along and no one actually played his game.
Does that mean tha later on, Tevin will propose a complex plan that will not be followed. Well we can say that it already happened in this episode.
He started thinking of that plan during the feast: It wasn't Nami vs Siga, it was going to be a blindside and he was going to organize it.
He didn't name his target but the cameras left no doubt, showing us Venus thinking about poor Hunter.
When Tevin heard Soda talking about voting for Venus, it was like she was pulling the rug from under his feet.
Tevin couldn't have that so he started talking about blindsiding Soda. because Soda «always talks, talks, talks, talks, talks.»
The way he says it, it sounds like a hen clucking! But seriously, Soda was going to be the first highlight of his résumé.
It might turn out to be the point that costs him the game!
After Liz, Tevin continued his round and tried to sell Maria and Charlie on the idea of eliminating Soda.
Of course they liked the idea. They liked it so much that they stayed with it even when Tevin backed out!
This was Tevin's show, this was his game but he has become cold and unfriendly in a group that seems to place Human Qualities well ahead of Outwit.
Wrong season for Tevin but hey! Even Boston Rob had 3 losses before finally gathering enough sheep to win!
Venus: When Q mentions the cracks in Nami, Venus and Soda are shown front and center. We know Soda fizzled out so where does that leave Venus?
Even before this episode started, we saw Charlie putting a vote on Venus.
The Canadian Cutie got the first confessional: «Seeing my name...it was terrible...» She goes on to say she thinks it's Soda but Soda denies it.
Is Venus rising or in retrograde? That seems to be the season's vital question.
Well a hint could come from the intro where we see a woman, presumably a Fijian native but who looks a lot like Venus, lets out a mighty scream
After Maria's short confessional, Venus had a much meatier one, where she laid out the first plan: Charlie was alone with Maria against four Nami.
Unfortunately, the plan was about to get more complicated thanks to Tevin and once more, doubt was cast on Venus.
Realizing no one was talking to her, Venus thought she should change the game so SHE approached Maria with the idea to eliminate Tevin or Soda, preferably Tevin.
Venus wanted to play with fire, she wanted to make big moves but she had the wrong target.
Venus didn't like the way Maria put her off but they had time to regroup before the Council.
I could see Venus having the winning edit but she isn't rising enough.
Like the planet Venus who, except during a total eclipse of the sun, cannot be seen very far above the horizon, I think Venus cannot reach her zenith.
Maria: She won immunity and reward for her group.
Her post-challenge interview was quick, just mentioning her win and the feast.
Maria had a confessional: «Poor Venus! Venus is trying very hard to get some footing in this game but she is... not reading the room.
She threw out Tevin's name and I think that's a mistake. Tevin and I are part of an alliance of 6 so tevin was never an option.»
Maria even gave a life lesson to the young Venus, telling her she comes at people.
The decision was up to Charlie and Maria.
From the beginning people have been corraling around Maria.
She must be radiating excellent vibes for everyone to seek her wisdom, her thoughts and her help.
She is the tribe's mom and not that the Dad has been shown the door, who else could stand in her way?
The Family Final 4 Theory is left without that dad that so often wins. Ben is more the crazy uncle than a dad and Tevin is too much like an overgrown teenager!
Maria will line up her kids, tell them to send the neighbors' children out of the game and show everyone what it takes to be the SOLE SURVIVOR!
Email this topic to a friend
Printer-friendly version of this topic
Bookmark this topic (Registered users only)
