“The Tables Have Turned:” A Deeper Look At Survivor Game Changers Episode 4

We’ve had the chance to re-watch and digest the latest episode of Survivor. Let’s look back at some of the minutia — underrated strategy, notable production choices, and responses on social media — from Episode 4, “The Stakes Have Been Raised.”

How does J.T. recover from this?

Well, Tribal went about as poorly for J.T. as possible.

Rather than further cement his relationship with Nuku by voting out Sierra, or helping Mana blindside Sandra (achieving his ultimate goal), James Thomas managed to further alienate himself from his own tribe, lost an ally in Malcolm and came off as a turncoat to all involved.

How does he bounce back from such a misstep? Short of finding a Hidden Immunity Idol or praying for another tribe swap, J.T. better work his butt off in the next Immunity Challenge. J.T. doesn’t quite have the Ozzy-level “challenge beast” reputation, but his well-rounded athleticism will be crucial for the post-Malcolm Nuku tribe.

If he can sell his tribemates on his physical strengths, J.T. may be able to outlast some of Nuku’s deadweight. It’s clear that no one really sees Sandra as a threat to three-peat this game; otherwise, she’d be long gone. There’s a sweet spot for getting rid of the two-time winner, and it’s probably next time Nuku loses. Even with three of the top physical threats (Tony, Caleb, Malcolm) leaving early, a Michaela-Varner-Aubry-Sandra foursome probably isn’t winning many pre-merge challenges.

J.T.’s best chance at making the merge on Survivor Game Changers is winning Immunity Challenges. Beyond that, he needs to sell Nuku on this package: save J.T. from the boot, keep reaping the benefits of his physical strengths, and maintain numbers in the alliance even with a Sandra departure.