Malcolm leaving this early shows that the events behind Survivor Game Changers episode 4 are here to disrupt the traditional Survivor edgic.
This season of Survivor Game Changers has felt a little bit odd at times. It’s clear that there’s some huge event down the road that the editors are gearing towards with their oddly-timed highlights of certain characters, but it’s thrown the Survivor edgic for a loop early this year.
Inside Survivor has provided their detailed look at the edit for Survivor Game Changers episode 4, “The Tables Have Turned,” and it shows just how odd it is to see certain characters highlighted (and positively) over others. Eight out of seventeen players received a complex personality edit in the last episode, including the one person who’s received one each episode this season, Malcolm Freberg.
The man who got voted out in the last episode.
That’s partially the reason why it’s hard to discern the Survivor edgic so far and determine a clear cut winner; the editors could be leading us down a false path in the early going. However, there are some things that are clear at this moment.
Despite being perhaps the most legendary player in Survivor history, Sandra Diaz-Twine is getting a definite villain edit early. She’s not as outlandish or cartoonish in her villainy, but she’s been fairly cocky so far. Declaring that the other team doesn’t have an idol, resting on your laurels and being pompous about your position in the game only sets up an inevitable downfall.
To contrast that, the only other remaining player who had a negative edit in an episode, Michaela Bradshaw, has been under the radar for the past two episodes, only poking her head up to mention the possibility Mana could have an idol. It’s an oddly simmered take to a bombastic character, which makes it difficult to predict her late-game viability according to Survivor edgic.
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Characters with a complex personality rating in the past two episodes include Tai Trang, Ozzy Lusth, J.T. Thomas, Hali Ford and Brad Culpepper. Considering Malcolm was a CP for the entirety of his run, this could suggest a bunch of characters with late-game runs, with the exception of J.T. He’s on the outs after screwing over his tribe, and nothing short of a hidden immunity idol should be able to save him now.
Andrea Boehlke, Aubry Bracco, Sarah Lucina and Zeke Smith have had an under the radar or invisible rating the past two episodes, although three of these characters haven’t gone to tribal council. Aubry coming back so quickly after showing huge growth in Kaoh Rong and be so on the outs with her tribe does not bode well for her long-term viability as a winner. Zeke may have the opportunity to shake things up closer to, or after, the merge due to his allegiances, but Andrea and Sarah are complete Survivor edgic mysteries.
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With a quick series of challenges before a huge tribal council, former complex personality players like Cirie Fields and Troyzan Robertson went under the radar this episode. Troyzan still has an idol, and Ozzy is putting himself on a pedestal in an eventual battle with Cirie, so we’ll likely see some fireworks down the line.
The way Survivor edgic is built, it’s supposed to be able to predict who will either win or get to the final tribal council in any given season. As it stands at Survivor Game Changers episode 4, Brad Culpepper looks to be in the strongest position to make it really far post-merge. However, we’ve seen time and time again where titans go out for being a huge threat, so we could end up seeing Hali Ford sneak her way in late. She spoke about being a cobra hiding in the grass waiting to strike, and I don’t doubt the editors kept that passage in for a reason.
Still, as we have not made the merge yet, it’s hard to make any Survivor edgic predictions just yet. However, with so many complex personalities and players hiding under the radar, it’s clear that there is a method to this madness early on. Jeff Varner has been the only one who has sat right in the middle of the road all season, which contrasts his naturally entertaining personality. Sierra Dawn Thomas has sat there for the past two episodes, even though she was once invisible.
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We’ll see some of that madness boil over with Debbie Wanner in Survivor Game Changers episode 5, “Dirty Deed.”