The Survivor 50 premiere was a great episode for a lot of players, but there were a few players who are definitely in a lot of trouble after the first episode, "Epic Party."
And, no, I'm not talking to poor Kyle Fraser, who tore his Achilles in the season premiere, or Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, who was the first boot. I'm talking about the other players, those who got a lot of screentime for, perhaps, not so great reasons.
As I was watching the premiere, it was so obvious that Survivor was playing the hits, but I couldn't figure out why they were playing the hits. We saw so many confessionals and scenes with the show's most well-known players. This is a TV show. Of course, there are fans tuning in for a reason, and Jeff Probst and co. knows that.
Still, it really felt like the show was getting its money's worth with some of these confessionals. The most likely answer is that these players will not be sticking around for a very long time.
I don't know why all these players are men, but hey, I can't change the way I feel about how this season is going to go.
Coach
Look, I don't care that Coach stole Ozzy's key or whatever during the challenge, but my guy is way too serious for the new era of Survivor. Mike White tried to make a funny joke about Coach stealing the key after he returned from the Journey, and instead of being like, "yeah, I did it for you, my tribe. You're welcome." Coach goes full Coach and achieves a level of self-awareness not seen on Survivor for a full 27 seasons and claims Ozzy has insulted his honor.
I'm not saying Coach has lost a step, but he's going to lose it at the first sign of adversity. There's no way he'll make the merge.
Ozzy Lusth
Ozzy is one of my favorite Survivor players ever. He's so entertaining, and it just feels right when he's in the game making things happen, winning challenges, catching fish, climbing trees and all that. Unfortunately, even after all these years, he's simply too big of a threat to keep in the game.
Emily Flippen and Rick Devens already made it very clear that Ozzy is going to be targeted sooner rather than later. Emily knows it's better for her game if he's out of it, and Devens, while happy with the sustenance Ozzy provides to his tribe, doesn't mind going hungry if it means Ozzy is gone.
Now, I don't think they're going to turn on him anytime soon, but it's clear Ozzy still has it. He's trying to play a cleaner social game and better strategic game than last time. He already has two advantages, but these other players are cutthroat.
For me, Ozzy is doomed, and it's not because of anything that happened in the game. We saw 19 confessionals with Ozzy in the season premiere, according to @justrategic on X. That was 10 more than the next highest player. Ozzy is getting way too much screentime to go far in this game, and CBS is going to make sure it gets what it needs from him before he goes out.
Colby Donaldson
Colby Donaldson is another player who got a lot of screentime in that first episode. Yes, he went on a Journey and lost, but I just think that it's a matter of time before Colby is voted out.
Colby has never been the best strategic player in Survivor. He has relied on his social game, strength, physicality, and ability to win challenges to stick around in the game. He looked to be in a strong position right out of the gate, but I don't think that's the case following Kyle's exit.
Now, Colby finds himself on a tribe with Q Burdette, a wild card, Aubry Bracco, Genevieve Mushaluk, Angelina Keeley, and Rizo Velovic. Colby has an ally in Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, and his tribe needs him for strength in challenges, but when things get rough, I have a feeling these masterminds are going to run circles around Colby. I know Aubry and Genevieve seem at odds, but if they combine forces, watch out.
Mike White
Mike White is easily one of the biggest stars of Survivor 50. He's obviously well known in the game for finishing runner-up in David vs. Goliath, but he's also the creator of one the most successful TV shows on right now, The White Lotus.
Mike had so many confessionals in the season premiere. We heard from him seven times, individually, in the season premiere. He went on a Journey, which gave him a little more screentime, but he's definitely doomed in Survivor 50. He's a terrific narrator, but it does feel like CBS is trotting him out a little too much for comfort. I would be very surprised that he gets this much screentime and sticks around much longer.
For me, Mike is just too big of a threat to keep around. He's potentially the smartest player out there, but he's also funny, charismatic, and charming. You don't want players like that to sink their teeth into the game.
So, those are the four players I'm very worried about after the Survivor 50 premiere. We'll have to see how it goes, but I would not be betting on any of these four players to make it very far in the game.