With three episodes of Survivor 47 to go, there's already been a lot of talk about The Final Three. Who do they want sitting next to them at the end? Does that factor into the decisions that are being made right now?
Across the board, that answer is yes. Every player left is thinking about who they want to sit next to with $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor on the line.
With so few episodes left, including the two-part Survivor 47 finale, who are the favorites to make The Final Three? I have a few players in mind, and it's not always because I think they're playing a great game. Remember, the players are factoring in who they want to sit next to at Final Tribal and so do we.
Let's start with the favorite to make The Final Three in Survivor 47.
Rachel LaMont
Rachel LaMont is my top pick to win Survivor 47, and to me, Rachel has the best chance of any player to make it to The Final Three, mathematically and strategically. Rachel obviously has a hidden immunity idol and a Steal-a-Vote advantage. There are only two more tribal councils, so Rachel, unless all six or all five players vote against her, Rachel should be able to make it until the Final Five. No one else in the game has that protection.
Once it gets to the five players left in the game, very weird things tend to happen in Survivor. Usually, the player everyone thinks is going to win loses one of the last two immunity challenges and either gets sent home or has to make fire against another player to make The Final Three. We also tend to see a lot of challenges, like the one in episode 11, which has a puzzle, a game, or some equalizing component that isn't just brute strength or balance.
Who just won that challenge? Rachel. Very clearly she is not being treated with the level of respect she deserves from the other players, and it might already be too late for the rest of the players to wake up to the fact that Rachel is about to win.
I don't know about you, but to me, it sure feels like Rachel is getting the Survivor winner edit, too. Either she's going to crash and burn really hard soon or she's going to win the game. I can feel it!
Sue Smey
Sue Smey has a very good chance to get to The Final Three, and it's for a few reasons. First of all, she has a hidden immunity idol. Assuming she plays that for herself and Caroline Vidmar keeps it a secret, Sue should be guaranteed a spot in the final five. Plus, she's forming good relationships with other players, including Andy Rueda, who wants to sit with Sue at the end because he knows he can use her information and then beat her at the end.
On top of that, she still seems to be in a good spot with the other players. I don't think anyone is targeting Sue anytime soon because she's such a big threat, which has basically been the voting criteria since Rome Cooney was voted out and pretty much all game long. And, Sue is definitely not a threat in Survivor 47; let's get real.
It's not that I think Sue is playing a bad game. On the contrary, I think she's playing the best game she could possibly play. She's competing well in challenges. She's been in the strongest alliance in the game until it wasn't with Caroline and Gabe Ortis on her side since basically the first day on the beach.
Sue is a good player to take to the end because, while she seems to have good relationships with everyone, she's not playing the typical winning Survivor game. She's not steering votes, really, and she's basically relying on her alliances to forge her path forward in the game. She also might be the most unlikeable player in the game right now.
Sue could win! I'm not saying she can't, but it's only going to be against other players with a lesser resume than her at the end.
Teeny Chirichillo
And, the same can be said for Teeny Chirichillo, unfortunately. Teeny has struggled to find footing in the game after Kishan Patel was stabbed in the back by Genevieve Mushaluk in the early part of the game. Kishan and Teeny had a solid partnership. Had they been able to stay together, I think Teeny would have been able to make more of a strategic splash in the game. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet.
That's the main reason I think Teeny will make The Final Three. I don't think there are many players in the game who view Teeny as a threat based on the strategic and physical elements of the game. Socially, Teeny seems to be one of the most well-liked people on the show this season, and while likability is a great trait to have in Survivor, it's not going to be the reason someone wins $1 million.
Teeny reminds me of Ben Katzman from Survivor 46 in a lot of ways. Their journeys feel very similar. Ben did end up making a huge move at the end of the game. Ben won the final immunity challenge, and then, he picked Charlie Davis to join him in The Final Three. Kenzie Petty, who won the season, beat Liz Wilcox in making fire. It appears there were some jurors who wanted Charlie to make fire to add another feather to his cap. Instead, Kenzie earned her place in The Final Three by beating Liz, and then, she made a strong case for herself during the Final Tribal Council. Could Teeny impact the game just like Ben did? I think so, but we'll just have to see.
Like Sue, I do think that Teeny can win Survivor 47, but there are only so many opportunities to make moves with so few days left in the game.
So, those are the three players I think have the best chance to make it to The Final Three! Watch Survivor 47 episode 12 on Wednesday, Dec. 4, on CBS and Paramount+.