Gavin Whitson has been keeping strong within Survivor: Edge of Extinction, doing what he can to progress. Can his floating style win the game in the end?
It’s hard to win multiple individual immunity challenges in Survivor and not be the biggest target at the Final Five. Gavin Whitson has played a relatively quiet game considering the moves he’s made, taking out some of his closest allies while not taking the brunt of the blowback. With few players left in Edge of Extinction, let’s take a look at Gavin’s winning chances.
Gavin’s chances of making Final Tribal
Right now, Rick Devens has one Hidden Immunity Idol on him, preventing him from receiving votes at either Final Six or Final Five. That means that at one of those two stages (depending on if Rick wins immunity again, it could be both), we have to look at who the biggest targets are left in the game.
Gavin Whitson’s resume is quite impressive to the jury, taking out big threats like Eric Hafemann while winning two individual Immunity Challenges. He’s been working with Victoria closely, and lesser so with Lauren who was okay with keeping Victoria out of the loop.
However, with Rick and Julie working together, Julie being someone to take to the end and the Final Six returnee wanting to work with whoever they can, Gavin has too many opportunities to be taken out. He’s just as capable of winning immunities near the end (he’s probably a top 2 favorite), but I think he’s too much of a jury threat to make it to the end.
Gavin’s chances of receiving votes at Final Tribal
Should Gavin make it to the Final Tribal Council, that’s when things take an interesting turn. It all depends on who sits beside him at the end that determines whether or not he can win. Pretty much in each of the scenarios, we assume that Rick Devens is not sitting beside him since he will win against any configuration of players.
Gavin’s best shot is if he sits beside Julie and one of most of the potential Edge of Extinction returnees. Julie is a likely goat for most players for playing an emotional, morally righteous game that didn’t control the votes, and with the exception of Kelley and possibly Eric, he has a better resume and more friends on the jury.
However, things get complicated if either Victoria or Lauren sit beside him. Lauren has a great underdog upside to hear game plus a Hidden Immunity Idol in her pocket needed to keep herself safe and, potentially, building up her profile. Victoria was more in control of the votes Gavin was involved with excluding the Aurora vote, plus she got out Aubry with a masterful plan early on.
If he does go on an immunity run, that could see him getting more respect from the jury and potentially earn a victory. There are paths for him to win, but they involve slim chances, miraculous runs and fortunate circumstances.
Verdict
Gavin Whitson has a very “make or break” Survivor: Edge of Extinction finale, in my mind. Either everything breaks his way and he earns a narrow victory, or he gets picked off early due to others being immune and taking him out as the next biggest threat. Considering we’re due for an “unpredictable” finale, maybe fortune favors the meek.