The merge is here on Survivor 51, and we’re already getting a heaping dose of chaos. It was wrestler Brady Booker that went home this week, victim of a massive 13-player vote at tribal council. In the aftermath, it’s anyone’s guess as to who’s name is next on the chopping block.
After this week’s seventh episode, titled “The Girl at the Prom”, which names should fans be keeping an eye on going forward? Let’s take a look at who helped, or hurt, their chances at winning Survivor 51.
Survivor Power Rankings
- 1. Sharonda
- 2. Kristin
- 3. Thien An
- 4. Lewis
- 5. Jelly
- 6. Carter
- 7. Kilby
- 8. Maggie
- 9. Devin
- 10. Mike
- 11. Cristian
- 12. Eric
- Brady – Eliminated
- Ori – Eliminated
- Linnea – Elminated
- Alexis – Eliminated
- Jenna – Eliminated
- Patt – Eliminated
- Rob – Quit
- Ana – Eliminated
- Aaliyah – Eliminated
Biggest Risers
Sharonda (+1)
Kristin and Sharonda have been alternating the top spot on this list for weeks, and for good reason. These two women have the social capital and game savvy to make a deep run…if they can manage their threat levels. Kristin didn’t do quite as good of a job this week, having her name thrown out by players such as Maggie right before tribal council. It’s a different story for Sharonda, someone that has avoided being a target dating back to her time on old Savu. To boot, the merge reunites her with Helicopter Alliance allies in Devin and Jelly (more on her in a bit).
With all that said, the most important development for Sharonda this week was a hidden immunity idol. To be more specific, a tethered idol that Kristin gave to her as a show of trust. Instead of attempting to go at each other’s throats, these big threats seem to prefer working together over the long run. It remains to be seen how long this will last, but there’s still plenty of game left. The smart move seems to be Kristin and Sharonda pooling together all of their merge allies. Still, the latter’s acquistion of the idol gives her an upper hand compared to the rest of Survivor 51’s castaways.
Jelly (+3)
Speaking of Jelly, a nice bounce back for her and (to a lesser extent) top ally Devin. In many ways, it was nice to not hear from her for much of Wednesday’s episode. There’s always the risk of overexposure in a game such as this. Knowing when to force your will is just as important as knowing when not to. That was exactly the case for Jelly, who made her voice heard during this week’s pre-tribal council scramble without pushing things too much.
The more crucial development was Brady’s vote out, sending home a Toka frenemy and creating a strong merge alliance. This group, made up primarily of ex-Savu’s, has the edge for now. Once they start fracturing, Jelly and Devin can link back up with old friend Sharonda. Keep in mind, the three now possess two hidden immunity idols and an extra vote. That’s quite a bit of ammunition with just 12 players left in the game. Sometimes all it takes to move up in the power rankings is sticking with the majority and letting other players shoot themselves in the foot.
Biggest Fallers
Kilby (-2)
Since his shocking move in Episode 5, it’s been a mixed bag for Kilby. Separated from old Toka, he went from friend to foe of the Savu’s on the brand-new Dina tribe. Lewis and reunited merge members such as Carter and Maggie are nice to have in your corner, but burning bridges this early is never ideal. Nobody has felt more betrayed by the Canadian than Eric, who thought the two could form an alliance that goes all the way to the end.
Kilby had a bad read in this regard, believing during this week’s episode that his old “Lover Boy” buddy could be swayed back onto his side. That was far from the case; Eric even went so far as to try and convince Brady that Kilby was someone throwing his name out as a potential target. You could even argue that Eric was leading the charge to send Kilby home. If not for the majority alliance deciding on Brady, that would have been the case. Regardless, Kilby now finds himself outgunned heading into next week’s vote. Barring an individual immunity win, he’s at risk of getting his torch snuffed.
Mike (-3)
No player has seen their stock fluctuate more in recent weeks than Mike. It looked like things were finally looking up this week. He reached merge and found some safety in numbers with like-minded players such as Jelly and Sharonda. Even more important, the Yankees executive pulled off an impressive balancing act en route to this week’s individual immunity challenge victory. All the ingredients were there for a stellar start to Pinsky’s merge run.
Unfortunately, social capital is a two-way street. Mike garnered more respect from his fellow cast mates, but he also made a few tactical errors. He did a poor job of playing both sides, making his allegiance to the old Savu alliance all but obvious. Brady was tipped off to this, and proceeded to berate his former ally. In the span of a few hours, half of the merge tribe seems more than willing to vote Mike out. Even worse, he managed to offend would-be ally Kristin with his “or else” line during this week’s tribal council scramble. All in all, this was a pretty disastrous episode for him given the circumstances.
Survivor 51 FAQ
When does Survivor 51 Episode 8 Come Out?
The eighth episode of Survivor 51 comes out on Wednesday, November 11th, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will air every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET for the remainder of the season.
Where can I watch Survivor 51 Episode 8?
Survivor 51 Episode 8 will air live on CBS. It will then be available to stream on Paramount+.
