Survivor 50 – Week Six Stock Ticker

The Merger Meltdown: Trust, Tactics, and Pre-Game Promises

The tribes are merged and that changes everything especially in a season where so much rides on previous relationships and bonds.

We have heard of Christian, Rick and Emily being friends outside of the game.

We have heard of Mike being pals with both Angelina and Ozzy outside of the game.

We have also heard of a “Zoom Alliance”, players who contacted each other about working together. Those players are Colby, Chrissy, Stephenie and Jonathan.

There are other friendships as well some more public than others. When you run in the same circles, stay close to a niche community, well, that kind of thing happens. If you are just really naturally close friends who have each other’s backs that is one thing but to improvise an alliance that isn’t organic? That’s where a lot of people draw the line it seems.

Genevieve encapsulated the situation the best. Speaking to me she said:

I think having positive relationships in the game of Survivor is not a bad thing as it’s a really useful thing. I wish I would have had friends on this season but I think there’s such a range of pre-gaming because I think genuine relationships, where just by virtue of having those friendships, you have an advantage going to the game. Then I think there is more calculated pre-gaming of, like, “Hey, we’re not friends. Let me reach out and let’s, like, make some deals.” So, they come from different places and I think because of that they have different amounts of value. A real, real friendship, like what you saw with Mike White where he was willing to give up his spot for Angelina. Those are very valuable relationships, whereas other ones, they’re kind of like pie crust promises.

I really feel for Jenna and Savannah because my understanding of the dynamics on that tribe really left it so that there were only three people genuinely vulnerable out of eight and those three people were Jenna, Savannah and Joe, and nobody’s getting rid of the big, strong guy at the beginning of the game, that’s for sure especially if you’re having trouble in challenges. So, that really means, out of a tribe of eight, it’s a 50/50 between two people and that would be really disappointing. I think it’s a real problem. I just don’t know how you solve it. I can complain about it all day but how do you have a returning player season and benefit from all of the drama and history that comes with relationships without losing some of the integrity of the game to those relationships? I don’t know.

According to several castaways, they were warned by production NOT to cross that line.

Kamilla told me:

We got an email shortly after I made it to a next stage which was like: We trusted you all to maintain the integrity of this game and we’re hearing rumors flying around. If we know this is from you, you will be cut. That email said “integrity”. I’m not making this up. I see integrity. My eyes go big because I’m like: Oh, be careful. Caution, caution!

I actually followed the rules. Now I will say pre-gaming in the sense of we’re friends outside of the show, right? I don’t really care about that. Everyone has that, except for people who are newer survivor players. I’m not bothered by that at all but we learned in the show on this journey that Mike, Savannah and Colby went on, we learned that there was a pre-game alliance that had actual calls together, like strategy calls and that three of those players ended up being on my tribe. I was like, oh s—t! I hope they’re aware that everyone is aware of this alliance and they need to cut one out to make it look like they’re not locked in. That’s what I was hoping for. I was hoping Jonathan was going to do that and then I was like: Damn, I should have just trusted Mike White!

Although it really does put some players at a disadvantage there really is no way to stop pre-gaming though. There is no way to monitor the players beforehand and there is no way to keep the casting choices secret from the players themselves.

Check out my interviews here:

Kamilla Sounds off on Survivor 50’s Pre-Gaming and Female Portrayals

Genevieve Mushaluk on the Aubrey Feud: “We’re Just Oil and Water”

Besides these pre-existing relationships the Old School, New School and Modern Era rivalry will heat up with the merger. One wonders which era will come out on top or at least have the most people left in the end game? Here is how the remaining castaways breakdown:

Old School (Seasons 1–20)

Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Palau, S10)
Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth (Cook Islands, S13)
Cirie Fields (Panama, S12)
Benjamin “Coach” Wade (Tocantins, S18)

New School (Seasons 21–40)

Aubry Bracco (Kaôh Rōng, S32)
Chrissy Hofbeck (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, S35)+1
Christian Hubicki (David vs. Goliath, S37)
Rick Devens (Edge of Extinction, S38)

The New Era (Seasons 41–Present)

Jonathan Young (Survivor 42)
Dee Valladares (Survivor 45)
Emily Flippen (Survivor 45)
Tiffany Ervin (Survivor 46)
Joe Hunter (Survivor 48)
Rizo Velovic (Survivor 49)

Here is what we will see on this week’s episode:

“That’s Not How I Play Survivor” – Feelings of betrayal hit an all-time high following a historic Blood Moon tribal that featured three eliminations. One person is selected to go on a journey with the potential to earn an advantage. Then, a schoolyard pick at this week’s challenge leads one team to reward and one individual to immunity.

On with this week’s Survivor Stock Ticker:

As soon as he was severely injured Cody’s stock went down in the game. It is hard to align with a challenge beast in hopes that they can keep you safe when they cannot perform.

Her past came back to haunt her. People didn’t trust her from the very start based on how she played before.

It is the same with Kamilla. She put all her eggs in Jonathan’s basket and he decided to shift his allegiances instead.

Jonathan is really impressing me more and more. Obviously, he is a challenge beast especially when it comes to strength but the biggest change is his strategic game. He really has identified his flaws and worked on them based on all we have seen thus far.