Survivor: David vs. Goliath episode 9 edgic: Emerged

In this well-edited season, our Survivor: David vs. Goliath episode 9 edgic discussion looks at some interesting winner contenders that buck the stats.

Another amazing episode led to a historic moment in Survivor, with the use of the Idol Nullifier successfully working as the slingshot rock that struck down Goliath. Within David vs. Goliath, it followed a narrative befitting a biblical tale, with the underdogs rallying together to overcome the mighty and flip the script in this game.

Most importantly, the biggest narrative of Survivor: David vs. Goliath episode 9 was Kara separating from Dan and stepping out as her own player. Her story was the driving force of the episode, even when she wasn’t on the successful side of the vote and it ended with a David victory. However strong her winner odds are, she does have some oddly specific caveats.

Let’s dive deeper into them as we begin our Survivor: David vs. Goliath episode 9 edgic discussion, starting with the chart below:

Nick Wilson (MOR3): It wasn’t until the TV block after the Immunity Challenge that Nick popped up, but it was a warranted semi-cooldown after being the most visible player in the game. He still showed strategic and social prowess, working with the Davids and using knowledge from Goliath allies to pitch the plan to overthrow Goliath.

To this date, Nick has offered up the most winner quotes, has fewer negatives working against him and he’s not the name on Goliath’s tongues for a vote against. My only concern is how gamebot-ty he’s become lately. He would benefit greatly from more personal content in the coming two hours this week.

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Betsided

Christian Hubicki (CP4): Once again, we got to see Christian’s personality shine through as he performed his breadth-first search of the island for a Hidden Immunity Idol. That and the relationships he shares with the Davids and former Brochachos continues to push him forward as one of the most visible characters in the game.

However, when finding the Hidden Immunity Idol, he admitted he would be a threat for the rest of the game. That’s the kind of ominous message that pays off in a future episode, setting him up for an ultimate downfall. He hasn’t gotten the journey edit, but could he be in the middle of the patented modern fourth-place “fallen chosen one” edit a la David Wright or Devon Pinto?

Kara Kay (CPP5): This episode saved Kara’s winner chances in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, from an edgic perspective. She told the story of how she was being weighed down by Dan, and how she needs to move on without him if she can win. Now she has her wish, as Dan has been voted out of the game without her getting any blood on her hands.

Now she’s in a prime position to make moves, play up her social charm and become her own player capable of maneuvering her way to the end. With the number of Goliaths set to be sitting on the jury (I can only imagine based on the season’s narrative so far), Kara’s ability to play both sides with a smile on her face may win her many friends on the jury.

Though many women have started under the radar, picked things up after the merge and run away with the victory (Sarah, Michele, Natalie, Denise, etc.), Kara has a huge flaw against her; she hasn’t been asked a single question at Tribal Council. Ever. She’s been to five, yet Jeff Probst hasn’t singled her out. Purple Chelsea from Ghost Island had three questions in her first five tribals. Why haven’t we heard from Kara at the most crucial theatrical stage in the game of Survivor?

Gabby Pascuzzi (CP3): While not as strong of a bounce-back episode for Gabby compared to Kara, it’s really hard to compete. She did, however, establish her roots within the Goliath alliance, as she’s the one with Kara and Alison talking to Nick about possible Goliath vote targets. She’s the one talking to Alison by herself in trying to convince her to flip over to the Davids.

She is unsuccessful at first, but with Alison’s approval at Tribal Council (she had her vote stolen), Kara and Alec voted against Angelina. That move alone, spoken without words, shows the social strength of Gabby’s game, even if it is subtly understated in the edit. She still has a slight chance to win based on the edit, but she’ll need to rally the warriors behind her like Mike said she couldn’t in order for his narrative hubris to truly pay off.

The merge episode used to be the deciding edgic factor in previous seasons. This double-length episode might be even more important in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, considering 40% of the field has a legitimate case to win after 9.5 hours of narrative shared with the audience.

Alec Merlino (CP4): Once more, Alec was playing the middle and offering up his insight on players at camp, who to vote for and where he stands in the game. He’s much a bit player in the overall narrative, but he still plays hard in challenges, won Individual Immunity and has been driving the action when possible.

Alison Raybould (CP4): From the perspective of a viewer that wants to see Alison take a big step forward, she had a frustrating runout this episode. She wavered on flipping to the Davids and talked about the strategic necessity of making a big move, but then ultimately fell back in line and stayed Goliath strong … until her vote was stolen, then she non-verbally okayed Alec and Kara flipping on Angelina.

Carl Boudreaux (MOR2): Carl’s story in Survivor: David vs. Goliath has been decidedly focused on how his power in the game is played. It was executed perfectly, as he managed to take out Goliath with his slingshot. Now what? He’s so invisible on the show overall but gets moments of spontaneous pop-offs and funny character moments.

Davie Rickenbacker (OTT2): Throughout Survivor: David vs. Goliath, Davie has been a player of contrasts. We’ve seen his small, social, strategic sessions when getting out of a jam complemented by his eccentric callouts in confessionals. Davie did pull off a big move and earned his confessional (and John’s jacket), but continues to bring spice and flavor more than talks about winning or his path to victory.

Mike White (MOR2): After the Reward Challenge, in response to how the food experience went, he stated, “It felt good, and then it quickly felt bad.” For the second time in as many episodes, Mike White offered up an innocuous statement that would later foretell doom against his wishes in the game, symbolic of the “Goliath strong” mantra starting out good for the episode, but quickly devolving after the Vote Steal was played.

Dan Rengering (OTTN3): You don’t need to be an edgic master to see the slow telegraphing of Dan Rengering’s downfall all season. His story exemplified the privilege that comes with the Goliath lifestyle; expecting everything to work out well for him because he works hard and feels deserving. The one-sided showmance, expecting others to bend to his will, pouting when things don’t go his way; all of it was leading to a point.

Kara, the showmance he valued above all others (to her, a strategy), was the person he shared info about his second idol with. That served as the pen of knowledge, which was mightier than the sword when it came to taking him out. Dan was a great character with a good season arc and was taken out with a spectacular finish.