‘Survivor 48’ Contestants Chicken Out During Split Tribal Council
At this point in time, the split Tribal Council post-merge is not leaving Survivor. As I’ve written about it in the past, it’s just not true, classic Survivor, but alas, Jeff Probst continues to implement it. So, if it’s going to stay, how do future castaways navigate it? Play it safe or make a move? For Survivor 48, the split Tribal Council is a double whammy blow as the first group who attends, the individual voted out will not make the jury. The eliminations in this episode are crucial for the long-term game, but not everybody’s long-term journey is the same.
So, here’s how it works. Because it’s a random draw, the two groups can be mixed with allies on either side. Deciding who will not only benefit the long-term game but also not upset the others not in your group is essential. You can look at the individuals sitting next to you and vote for the easy option of the person on the outs, or you can utilize that number(s) and complete a blindside of a strong player. The latter is the more interesting option to watch, of course. The one advantage this season has over some others at this moment is the earlier tribe swap. This vote has more complications as it’s not divided by original tribal lines. Those few days as new tribes did support new alliances to be formed. Will it affect these two crucial votes? Spoiler: not a chance.
‘Survivor 48’ Took the Easy Path at Tribal Council
For Survivor 48, the remaining twelve castaways were divided into two groups where both groups would attend Tribal Council. Holding on for dear life, the castaways had outlasted the others. The player remaining the longest from both tribes would earn Individual Immunity. Then, whoever lasted the longest would earn their group a peanut butter and jelly reward and the chance to attend Tribal Council second, meaning their eliminated player would be the first member of the season’s jury.
On the orange team, it was Star Toomey, Chrissy Sarnowsky, Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, Mitch Guerra, and Sai Hughley, with Joe winning Immunity. On the purple team, it was David Kinne, Kamilla Karthigesu, Kyle Fraser, Cedrek McFadden, Shauhin Davari, and Mary Zheng, with David winning Individual Immunity, group reward, and the chance to attend Tribal Council second.
The dynamics from both groups were quite fascinating. With the original tribal lines blending a bit, it was just a matter of which player might impede each individual’s chance to reach the end of the game. Unlike a split tribal post jury, the first group’s decision is made in a vacuum, not setting the tone for the evening. For this cast’s first Tribal, it became clear that Mitch or Sai would be the easy vote. Mitch was a close ally to last Tribal’s fallen castaway, Charity Nelms, and Sai has targeted Mitch for writing her name down twice. Sai is a wildcard, and many have seen her as a liability. Plus, putting her on the jury could be detrimental down the line. So, would either of them leave? The excitement stemmed from Mitch utilizing his Block A Vote advantage on Sai, rendering her useless to target him. And that’s where it ended. While he may not have needed to waste it as the rest of the tribe had piled on her already, Sai was ultimately eliminated from the game, just shy of making the jury. The mystery of the ultimate decision allowed us to see two options of strong players who had the potential to win either through their extraordinary story, like Mitch, or through Sai’s exceptional ability to be that cat with nine lives.
The second group had things a bit easier in the obvious option department. Cedrek was the one on the outs. As a very emotional decision maker, removing him would ensure less conflict later. But how interesting is that decision? Cedrek isn’t necessarily a threat down the line. Shauhin was giving everyone, namely Kyle, some trepidation as his game strength as a social and strategic mind had been seeping through. Keeping him around could prove costly to those who forget his ability in teh game. With only six voters in this round, it would be a perfect opportunity to blindside him with more control over the vote count. Kyle had Kamilla in his back pocket. Cedrek needed to have a name to vote for. But did he have another person to swing to his side? Sadly, not. Instead, the easy option left. Cedrek was eliminated and became the first member of the jury.
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‘Survivor 48’ Is Relying on Old School Mentality
So, what’s the resolution? This cast opted to take the easy path. Tonight’s split Tribal was very reminiscent of old school Survivor. Rather than padding resumes and establishing themselves as threats, the alliances stood strong to give the ten remaining castaways a chance to fight another day on equal footing. As it stands now, they all have an easy target in Mitch next, while not ruffling any feathers in the process. This dual elimination was a short-term gain for long-term pain. As a viewer, it’s boring.
Understanding the old school mentality of Survivor, it makes sense as to why these players, especially the ones who have been vocal about wanting to play an old-school style game, want to maintain the status quo. The New Era of Survivor is fast, yet these vote-outs slowed the game down to allow everyone to reconvene. By the next morning, no one will be panicking and racing to pick up the pieces. If you take a look at who has been voted out during the split Tribals in the New Era, there have been some blindsides and shocking eliminations. Survivor 42 watched a battle of morality allow Drea Wheeler to remain over Tori Meehan. James Jones was shockingly blindsided over Owen Knight during Survivor 43. Three seasons later, Soda Thompson was the victim of an epic blindside. Many of these moves were meant to shake up the quicker game. The castaways saw Final Tribal Council in their sights in a way that this cast isn’t.
It’s fascinating to watch New Era contestants play with an old-school mentality. We’ve spent every season in this New Era watching Survivor evolve. Some of these players are openly defying that trend, vowing to eliminate the social and strategic players in order to get the physically strong players to the end. If you look at who were the last players standing, Eva, David, and Joe, it makes sense that their mindset is to battle it out among themselves at the end. It’s just a difficult formula to successfully brew. The meat shield alliance leading the charge should be worried that continuing down this easy path will not be sustainable. Someone is going to turn on them soon. For now, they ensured viewers watched a boring result for their immediate safety.
