With only a few castaways left on the outs of the majority alliance, Survivor SA Island of Secrets is approaching a new stage in the game.
On the surface, Survivor SA: Island of Secrets is giving the appearance of one castaway; Rob Bentele, playing a dominate, runaway game. However, it’s easy to overlook the several strategic players still on the island, waiting for the right opportunity to make a splash. With Danté out of the picture, there aren’t many “easy votes” left, meaning the time to make a move is now, and this window won’t be open for too long if Rob continues to get his way. Here’s how the Final Nine stand heading into episode 13.
9) Laetitia Le Roux
Unfortunately for the oldest member of the season, Laetitia hasn’t found a strong position in this game. Although she’s still a part of the majority alliance, she’s not with the core group, and it doesn’t look like she’s making much progress with her social game.
8) Mmaba Molefe
Mmaba is the last clear outsider of the group. Her lack of any apparent allies might actually work to her favor. She’s the perfect person to use as a number to blindside a serious threat. At this moment, Mmaba is the easy vote, but these players are smart enough to know that the Final Nine isn’t the time to stick with an easy vote. If Mmaba can get behind one of these potential blindsides, perhaps working with Mike again, then her fate in this game could dramatically change.
7) Jacques Burger
One of the scariest Survivor situations to be in is having an idol that everybody knows about. Just ask Dan Rengering from Survivor: David vs. Goliath! Part of the reason Jacques is in this predicament is indeed because of his open attitude towards his advantages, but it doesn’t stop there.
Not only does Rob, the actual puppet master, want to vote out Jacques, but even Mike, another strategically-minded player, also voiced his eagerness to snuff Jacques’ torch. The walls are starting to close in on him, but anything can happen if he picks the right time to use his idol.
6) Cobus Hugo
Last week’s episode wasn’t a good sign for Cobus. Ever since the merge, he has been bent on sticking with the majority alliance. Cobus has succeeded, but it’s starting to look like he’s at the bottom of this group. The core alliance within the majority is beginning to lose trust in him, even considering him as a target for the last vote. With Jacques still in possession of an idol, Cobus might become the target again this week.
5) Steffi Brink
At this point, Steffi appears to be in a stable position within the majority alliance. She has Day 1 relationships with Nicole and Rob, and that might be enough for them to keep her around to the end. However, Steffi needs to show that she can use her strategic and social skills play this game because so far, she’s been merely riding a strong alliance.
4) Nicole Capper
Similar to Steffi, Nicole is in tight with the majority, even having some power over the final decisions the group makes. She still has an idol in her pocket, and although she had a shaky performance throughout the early merge, Nicole has recovered and has already proven the strength of her social game.
3) Durão Mariano
Nothing was funnier than watching Durão defend his memory skills after winning Individual Immunity with his secret advantage. He’s still in a good position thanks to his strong social game, but I’m a little worried about his alliance with Rob. Durão is trusting Rob more and more, which limits his options and just gives Rob greater control over the game.
2) Mike Ventor
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again; if there’s one person who could possibly blindside Rob, it’s Mike. The last episode showed how much Mike’s opinions factored into the majority alliance’s final vote. He has a sizable measure of power over the alliance, and keeping Mmaba in the game could prove to be huge for him down the stretch.
I’m sure that Rob has realized that he would rather take Nicole and Steffi to the end as opposed to Mike. As a result, Mike must find the opportunity to turn on Rob if he wants a shot at becoming the Sole Survivor. We might even get to see this opportunity arise in this week’s action.
1) Rob Bentele
Even without Immunity around his neck, Rob doesn’t have to worry. His dominant social game is ramping up, as now Durão is willing to share secret information with him. Also, allowing Mike to be a crucial part of the decision-making process was a brilliant way to keep him close enough to prevent him from getting any ideas of flipping. With only nine people left, Rob is getting closer and closer to reaching the end while playing a flawless game.