Survivor: David vs. Goliath – Stories to watch for in episode 9

Tonight’s episode of Survivor: David vs. Goliath could very well determine how the alliances for the rest of the season pan out.

Last week revealed to viewers the truth behind certain alliances. The Strike Force Alliance; which seemed to be a brilliant plan has already crumbled with Mike wanting vote out a charter member in Christian. However, alliances still seem up in the air and ready to change. Here are three trends to watch for in tonight’s episode of Survivor.

1) Is there more than David vs. Goliath? The big question coming into the merge was whether or not original tribal lines would play a big role. The answer so far is yes. Last Tribal Council we watched the Goliaths meet together to determine the vote, and we saw the Davids consult each other about their plan to use their idol. Both tribes voted their own way.

Even the preview following last week’s episode showed the entire David tribe discussing their advantages. However, there does appear to be more happening than simply David vs. Goliath. Alec was so invested in his Strike Force alliance that he told Nick where the Goliaths were voting.

We know that Mike also has a strong relationship with Nick, and ever since her time on the Tiva tribe, Alison has been eager to align with David members. At this point, it seems like the Davids are tight and that the only people who are willing to shake things up are on the Goliath tribe.

2) Will Dan and Kara’s relationship affect the outcome of the season? In the preview following last Wednesday’s episode, it teased Kara getting frustrated at Dan to the point of turning on him. It’s hard to decipher the extent of this “breakup”, but it could shatter the Goliath alliance.

Kara is the only person aware of Dan’s second idol. If she feels that she can’t work with him anymore, she might even spill the beans about his idol. We saw last week how the knowledge of Dan’s idol really tarnished its value. If the news about his find reaches Alec, Mike or Alison, there’s a good chance that they will tell the Davids.

With Carl’s Idol Nullifier and Nick’s Vote Steal advantage, there’s no place to hide if the knowledge about an idol is out in the open. Although a lot has to happen, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Dan’s torch snuffed by the end of the night.

3) It’s idol hunt time once again on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. Now that two Hidden Immunity Idols have been played, at least one idol is going to be put back in play. The discovery of another idol might even happen tonight! At this point, the Davids have a slight edge as they possess two advantages and are content with using them to benefit their tribe as a whole.

So it will be interesting to watch who finds the idol and if they’re going to keep it for their alliance, or save it for their personal use. My wild guess is that Alec will find an idol and save it for himself down the line. Regardless of who finds the idol, it’s likely just going to add more layers to this great season of Survivor.