Survivor Winners at War finale: Can Sarah Lacina win the game?

Sarah and Tony have taken Cops-R-Us to new heights in Survivor: Winners at War by making it to finale night as a tight duo, but has she played a winning game this time around?

It’s exciting to watch strong Survivor partnerships dominate all the way to Day 39. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen several of these dynamic duos pull it off, including Boston Rob and Amber, Amanda and Todd, Amanda and Parvati, J.T. and Stephen, and finally Dom and Wendell. Could we be adding Tony and Sarah to this list after Wednesday night? Let’s take a look at Sarah’s potential for becoming the new queen of Survivor.

Chances of making Final Tribal

Sarah might have one of the hardest roads to the Final Three. Unlike the other big targets, namely Tony and Ben, Sarah doesn’t have a Hidden Immunity Idol to protect herself. Sure, Tony and Ben were willing to play their idols for her in the past, but that might change with there being only two Tribal Councils until the fire-making challenge.

Although Sarah is a strong competitor, she has a historically bad record when it comes to challenges. So far she has taken part in 18 Individual Immunity Challenges over three seasons without winning one of them. That doesn’t mean we can count her out when it comes to challenges, but it’s not something she can rely on.

With low odds of having an idol or necklace as protection, Sarah will have to find a way to survive without them. She has developed a tight alliance with Tony and Ben and has excelled at playing a strong social game without putting herself out as a big threat. That said, if Ben and Tony play their idols, Sarah could easily end up being a casualty. I’m uncertain about her fire-making skills, but the hardest part for her will be getting past the next two Tribal Councils.

Chances of receiving votes at Final Tribal

If Sarah made the end, the final vote would depend on the people sitting next to her. If Tony is with her, I can’t see her winning. They have made a great team, but Tony has been the face of their partnership, even making big-time moves behind her back. Sarah needs him out of the running if she wants any chance.

With Tony out of the picture, Sarah has the ability to beat anyone else. She’s built real bonds with many of the jury members and has proven that she could be in a position of power without being super deceitful. However, if she does play a key role in taking out Tony or the Edge returnee, then I think her case for becoming the new queen will be sealed. She’s just missing that one signature move that can sway a jury, but that’s a problem she could solve during the finale. The fact that she has made it this deep after being dubbed the biggest threat by the season 40 cast is amazing in itself.

Verdict

Sarah has played a strong game, establishing herself as one of the greats, but her trajectory isn’t looking good Sarah. She is in serious danger of getting her torch snuffed if the Edge of Extinction returnee tries to split up Cops-R-Us. With no advantages or idols in her back pocket, Sarah is in jeopardy of being a default vote when the idols do come out. If she can somehow survive the next few Tribal Councils, Tony will have to be sent to the jury in order for her to have a good shot at winning her second straight Survivor season.