After months of anticipation, Survivor finally kicked off its 50th season on Wednesday night. ‘Epic Party’ wasn’t your normal premiere; this felt like a historic, 25-year celebration in the making. In terms of actual gameplay, we were treated to excellent strategy, intriguing new alliances, and a heartbreaking injury. All in all, it’s hard to think of a better way to kick off such a monumental season.
We’re less than three hours in, but already so much has changed. Based off of my preseason rankings, let’s break down which players helped or hurt their chances at winning this week.
Survivor 50 Power Rankings
- 1. Christian (+7)
- 2. Ozzy (+4)
- 3. Genevieve (+8)
- 4. Rick (+6)
- 5. Colby (+9)
- 6. Coach (-3)
- 7. Tiffany (-3)
- 8. Kamilla (-1)
- 9. Chrissy (-4)
- 10. Stephenie (+6)
- 11. Cirie (-8)
- 12. Jonathan (+2)
- 13. Rizo (-1)
- 14. Aubry (-13)
- 15. Charlie (-6)
- 16. Emily (+6)
- 17. Dee (+2)
- 18. Q (+6)
- 19. Mike White (+3)
- 20. Joe (-4)
- 21. Savannah (+2)
- 22. Angelina (-4)
- Kyle Fraser – Eliminated
- Jenna Lewis – Eliminated
Biggest Risers
Colby (+9)
There was some cautious optimism for Colby based off of his preseason interviews. However, I expected some of his old-school tendencies to get in the way of a potentially great game. So far, that doesn’t appear to be the case. If anything, his status as an elder statesman seems to be winning over the Vatu tribe. A change of heart with Rizo was nice to see, and that’ll be a pair to monitor going forward.
However, the most impressive aspect of Colby’s first few days was joining a majority alliance. After an immediate pairing with Stephenie, Donaldson found common ground with Genevieve, Q and Kyle. Unfortunately, the latter’s early exit casts a shadow over this group. To make matters worse, Colby lost his vote during a journey showdown with Savannah. Despite that, it’s hard not to feel good about this veteran’s chances. I doubt his name comes up anytime soon, setting up a clear path towards the merge.
Ozzy (+4)
A bit of a mixed bag for Ozzy in this one. He had a frustrating first hour on a number of different levels. Despite appearing to squash his beef with rival Coach, the latter stole a key during an entertaining supplies challenge. Then, Ozzy was forced to spend the night on Exile Island with Q. Granted, that did result in earning an extra vote, but Ozzy then returned to camp empty-handed.
To make matters worse, Ozzy’s aggressive push to keep Cirie nearly backfired. Emily and Rick floated the challenge beast’s name before the vote, although I’m not sure how seriously they considered it. With all that being said, Genevieve decided to gift Ozzy the Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol (say that five times fast). Assuming he doesn’t get blindsided with it in his pocket once again, this gives him and Cirie some powerful tools to work with. Will Ozzy, nay Oscar, be running the show at Cila? It’s certainly possible.
Genevieve (+8)
Speaking of Genevieve, it was great to see her making moves on the beaches of Fiji once again. This superb strategist had trouble forming emotional connections during her first outing on Season 47. That doesn’t appear to be the case this time around. As previously mentioned, the Kyle departure hurts, as he looked like a potential number one ally. In spite of that, Gen still has several avenues worth exploring on Vatu.
While Aubry gave the cold shoulder, Stephenie, Colby and Q look like a solid foursome. From there, pulling in one of Rizo or Angelina shouldn’t be too difficult. Reading too much into the edit this early can be a mistake. Still, it’s impossible not to recognize how much we saw of Genevieve in this episode. Already a terrific player, it looks like she now has more support than ever. That’s a scary thought for the rest of this cast.
Christian (+7)
For all the negativity surrounding Cila, three of my four current favorites reside on this tribe. That’s not by accident, either. Ozzy’s placement is largely due to his advantage ammunition, which has a chance at turning this game on its head. Christian is at the top due to his superb knack for building social connections. It helps that he has preexisting relationships with Rick and Emily. As things stand, this trio might be the strongest alliance in the game. Christian appears to be the fulcrum most responsible for bringing these three together.
Despite some rumblings of voting out Ozzy, the majority on Cila had to choose between Jenna and Cirie. While the latter is a challenge liability, I think they made the right choice. Keeping a bigger target around, while making sure Ozzy stays happy, feels like a smart move. Christian isn’t shy about showing off his smarts. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean he needs to surround himself with big-time players. In that regard, episode one was a success.
Biggest Fallers
Aubry (-13)
It’s early, so I’m hesitant to completely write off anyone. That’s especially true for Aubry, who topped my rankings last week. With that being said, oof. There wasn’t a ton of her on our screens, which probably isn’t a good sign for longevity in this game. The one major scene we did get was concerning, to say the least. Approached by Genevieve about a potential alliance, Aubry was hesitant to commit, and that’s putting it lightly. Miles away from Fiji, viewers at home could feel the tension. In a cast filled with gamers, that’s the kind of slip-up that could tank someone’s season.
Still, as I’ve already said, it’s early. Kyle’s med-evac, while unfortunate, opens up more possibilities. Q and Colby are both without votes, turning what was a five-strong alliance into a two-vote minority. If Aubry brings in Rizo and Angelina, that’s now the most powerful group on the Vatu tribe. For now, it’s hard not to be a bit down on this former runner-up.
Cirie (-8)
In Cirie’s own words, this was not one of her better days on Survivor. On top of blowing Cila’s chances at a challenge win, she became an early target in camp. Fortunately for this legend, her cast mates opted to send home the overly-aggressive Jenna Lewis. Still, it’s difficult to feel great about Cirie’s chances going forward. She’s clearly operating from the bottom, with only Ozzy looking like a strong ally.
Part of the concern from my end is that this is all somewhat new for Cirie. Fans are used to seeing her wheel and deal her way towards the top of the pecking order. Starting out this low, with an entrenched majority making all the decisions, is a precarious spot. She’ll have to make some connections fast with power players such as Christian, Rick and Emily. I’m not one to bet against an all-time great, but this was a disappointing premiere.
