Survivor 41: The Midgame

 

Since I started teaching, my school has had several administrators. Each one has made their own changes, instituting different systems, schedules and procedures. They've all been wonderfully communicative, frequently checking in with teachers to see how their changes are affecting life in the classroom. In my experience, none of these procedural changes have had much effect. One variable above all affects the yearly experience for a teacher: the students.

Survivor is the same. The show has gone through a thousand iterations. Every year there's a new gimmick, a surprise twist, unexpected timing, x-factors, new variables introduced out of nowhere. Each season's nuances have more impact on the castaways than the audience. What really affects the audience's enjoyment of the show is the castaways. When Mark Burnett and company cast intelligent, articulate and aggressive players, the show is more exciting.

41 has so many twists and gimmicks it's hard to keep them straight. Seemingly every week some new bomb gets dropped simultaneously on the castaways and audience. Many of these twists are retreads from previous seasons, while several brand new innovations have stirred the pot as well. For the first time, 41 isn't shown completely chronologically: producers are strategically using flashbacks to reveal key moves whenever they feel drama will be intensified most. I think this would be a fun season to watch meticulously, to pore over, discuss and rewatch. All sorts of brilliant little moves, subtle interactions and missed opportunities might emerge. Perhaps I'll rewatch some day and digest them. There have really been too many twists to evaluate. But I do know this is a good Survivor season, because the cast is terrific. 

The first castaways to fall are usually those with physical or personality flaws too severe to overcome - disqualifying defects that make them unfit for the intense strain Survivor places on its combatants. This season's initial exits appeared simply to be wrong place/wrong time scenarios: Eric, Sara, David and Brad. A handful of truly intrepid players have since fallen, players with the spirit and gumption to win the game if the chips had scattered differently: JD, Naseer, Evvie and Shan. You can question whether each of these players could have applied a little more finesse, but not their guile and guts. These are players who could have absolutely dominated if they'd washed ashore on a different season. I'd love to see each of them get another bite at the apple.

The group we're left with is actually a little under-representative of the acute cunning and determination that's defined the season. Xander is an overtly awesome player, persecuted for his awesomeness from day one but shrewd enough to navigate his way to the final seven with an idol intact. His athleticism, looks and competitiveness reminisce the likes of Malcolm and Joe, but 20 year-old Xander may actually possess more acuity than those veterans ever obtained. Xander has an opportunity to enshrine himself in the Survivor pantheon with an effective endgame. 

Deshawn is a powerful social player, capable of charming anyone into an alliance while maintaining a rigid allegiance to the man in the mirror. Should he slither his way to Final Tribal, the question for Deshawn will be whether the Jury views his backstabbings as belt notches or unnecessary emotional scarrings. Shan blasting him as a "snake" on her way out does not bode well for Deshawn's Jury prospects.

Liana has toed the line between authentic loyalty and dispassionate decapitations. Her confessionals reveal a thoughtful young mind grappling with the game's contradictions, particularly the dueling desires to forge meaningful relationships and win the game. Shan was Liana's most intimate ally, so recovering from her dismissal will be challenging. But Liana has displayed impressive resiliency throughout and now sees the finish line within spitting distance. 

Danny is a rather likable athlete, with straightforward ethos and intentions. His kindness and humility mask driven, discreet and attentive game play. Danny has quietly resided at the center of the game throughout, comfortably participating in and contributing to alliances without displaying the prerogative that got Shan and Evvie ousted. His morality is strong yet flexible to the pressures of Survivor. He'd be one of the game's most humble, understated champions.

Ricard is the last castaway standing from the ill-fated Ua tribe that garnered most of the early season screentime. Outlasting Shan was a major upset for the flight attendant, as she held an idol, advantage and alliance at the Merge that he did not. Ricard's social play has been edgy but impeccable. He's timed his moves perfectly, riding one wave after another then exiting right before termination at the shoreline. Though Shan was his primary Ua ally, Ricard managed to deftly pivot through the jumpy, fractured post-merge waters and preemptively cut her throat. His interactions tend to leave his competitors and audience with a sheen of slime, but a Jury may forgive his transgressions as necessary. Shan did.

Erika had to put her head down, swallow any bit of pride she had, bite her tongue and grind to get this far. Over the years, many players have fallen behind the 8-ball early and employed this approach. But most became so committed to the bit they lost sight of the end goal - crafting a resumé superior to other Final Tribalists. It appeared Erika was destined for this meek fate until the last episode, when she finally emerged from a cocoon of submission to shove a stick in the spokes of the African-American Alliance. Coattail-riding may have been a necessary technique for Erika to win this season of Survivor rather than a default strategy.

The only real coattail-rider here is Heather, and she knows it. There's probably not a scenario in which she can win. Still, Heather should be lauded for persisting this long in a hypercompetitive season.

Power Rankings

Updating the points as we progress has proven too grave a responsibility for me this season. I am eternally grateful to Doug for all the accounting he has done on this pool and others over the years. For the purpose of these power rankings, I am going to guesstimate how many points the castaways may be sitting on and evaluate accordingly.

 

5. Michal

2. Shan

9. Danny

13. Sydney

18. JD

25. Erika

26. Brad

Rough season for the Pickle, whose players edged too far to the poles in their ferocity. Shan and JD played with a little too much intensity, while Brad and Sydney could have used a little more. It remains to be seen if Danny and Erika played too passively or just right.

 

4. Eric

3. Evvie

8. Naseer

12. JD

19. Xander

23. Erika

28. Genie

Eric's top three picks failed to make the final eight, essentially eliminating him from contention. He found a couple diamonds in the late rough, but double-drafting means other teams with more accrued points have those players too. Without counting the points, it's hard to envision Xander and Erika scoring enough points to make up for the ground Eric's early picks lost.

 

3. Doug

4. Deshawn

7. Naseer

15. Liana

16. Sydney

22. Genie

29. Heather

The question for Doug is whether Shan's dismissal will drive a wedge between Deshawn and Liana or pave a road for them to Final Tribal. Doug's margin for error has shrunk because one squad has more players left.

2. Phil

5. Shan

6. Deshawn

11. Ricard

20. Tiffany

21. Xander

30. Tiffany 

Phil has three ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to realize lifetime goals of being crowned Sole Survivor. He held the lead last time we checked. The only reason I haven't ranked Phil first is he has one fewer player than us.

 

1. Melissa & Tom

1. Evvie

10. Ricard

14. Danny 

17. Liana

24. Brad

27. Heather

Nothing special about our four remaining players other than them outnumbering the other remaining teams. Ranking our team first isn't trash talk. I imagine it's close between the top three teams and just gave us the numbers nod. I'm excited to see how it all shakes out. I really have no idea who's going to win this Survivor (pool).