An opportunity wasted for the castaways on Survivor SA: Island of Secrets gives the Amigos alliance even more control over the game.
This past episode of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets showcased the brilliant gameplay of the dominant Amigos three-person alliance. Rob, Nicole and Steffi are playing on a whole nother level compared to the rest of the cast, thanks to their phenomenal social game. By pushing the loyalty card so hard, they were able to isolate Jacques, make two people vote for someone who was immune, and keep their threesome without suspicion!
Their ability to build trust with their social game has made the rest of the competition blind to the control that the Amigos possess. It’s come to the point where I can’t see anybody but one of the three Amigos becoming the Sole Survivor, barring an extremely bitter jury. Here’s how the Final Seven stack up heading into episode 15.
7) Jacques Burger
Did Jacques get a little too overconfident after making that great move to keep his idol? Yes, but it was definitely not deserving of the shunning he received. The strong influence of the Amigos allowed them to make the idea of talking with Jacques seem like treason. It was a great move for the Amigos, but it puts Jacques in handcuffs. He’s been making the most of his tricky situation, but it’s not looking good for him heading into this week’s episode.
6) Mike Ventor
You have to give props to Mike for at least attempting to blindside the biggest threat in the game. Unfortunately for Mike, he too was influenced by Rob’s strong social game, as he was deceived into calling off the blindside and even voted for Jacques despite his idol play. Not only did he lose a key ally in Mmaba, but his plan to betray the Amigos is now known to everyone.
5) Laetitia Le Roux
It’s funny how her name has been used as a decoy vote for several Tribal Councils. Laetitia is still in a relatively safe position, though; it’s just a question of how far the Amigos want to take her. At this point, her sway over a vote is very minimal. She just has to hope that others would want to sit with her at Final Tribal Council.
4) Durão Mariano
If anyone can infiltrate the Sa’ula 3, it’s Durão. He’s built solid relationships with all three Amigos and last week’s episode proved that fact. By starting to throw out potential Final Three pacts without being too forceful, Durão can squeeze his way to the end. He’s been playing a sneakily strong social game, and he might fare well against a jury that’s feeling bitter towards the Sa’ula 3.
3) Steffi Brink
Finally, we got to see Steffi make a significant strategic move. Her plan to blindside Mmaba after winning a special advantage on the Island of Secrets seemed a little over the top, but it worked out perfectly! Whether if it was intentional or not, Steffi also played a key role in isolating Jacques, which also strengthened the Amigos’ position. If Steffi can keep up this aggressive, strategic play, she might be able to put herself in a good position to become the Sole Survivor.
2) Nicole Capper
While Nicole has done a tremendous job inside the game, her biggest threat at this point is outside of the game, meaning the jury. She still has an idol for security and is part of a powerful alliance that can easily take her to at least the Final Four, so making the end isn’t the biggest concern for her. We’ve seen more and more how the jury scoffs at Nicole’s comments about loyalty, and that’s not a good sign at all. There’s still time for that to change, but as of now, Nicole is shaping up to be a runner-up.
1) Rob Bentele
What can I say about Rob that I haven’t already covered! He’s continuing to dominate this game because he’s mastered the art of influencing someone’s thinking. Rob was able to justify the idea of exiling Jacques in a fair and reasonable way. He was able to manipulate Mike’s trust in order to halt a blindside attempt and keep him as a number to vote with.
The brilliant moment of handing his idol over to Durão just put the icing on the cake. Everyone trusts Rob, and that enables him to influence how other people think and report back to him when they hear interesting news. When a Survivor castaway can control how other people think, watch out!