We're officially 12 episodes into Survivor 47! Now, there are only six players remaining head of the two-part season finale. It's the first time in Survivor history the season finale will be split over two weeks with part 1 dropping on Wednesday, Dec. 11, and part 2 coming on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
After episode 12 just aired, I ranked the six remaining players by how likely they are to win Survivor 47, from least to most likely to win the game.
6. Teeny Chirichillo
Teeny was one of the players Genevieve mentioned in episode 11 when talking about the players that everyone wanted to take to The Final Three. Andy was the other one. Sadly, I feel like that says everything about the game Teeny has been able to play in Survivor 47.
I don't think Teeny has played a bad game, but some of her closest allies have been caught in rough spots. Teeny put a lot of faith in Genevieve, and she got burned. That happens all the time on Survivor. One player has a very different idea of the relationship dynamic than the other. Now, Teeny is part of the major alliance, but she's definitely not in a power position there. It's going to take a lot for Teeny to win Survivor 47, and it might be too late for that to happen.
5. Sue Smey
Sue has a great chance to make The Final Three, but I don't think she has all that strong of a case to win the game. And, I don't think that's an indictment of her personally. She's done well in challenges. She found a hidden immunity idol. If she can make a few more moves, she could probably convince a few jurors to vote for her. She is the oldest person in the game, and she's more than held her own against players who are basically half her age.
It just doesn't feel like she's that respected among the players in terms of strategy. It seems like players like Andy and even Gabe have been able to tell Sue what she wants to hear or use information she doesn't want to hear against her. She was a huge reason, or so it seemed, that the move was made to vote out Kyle in episode 11, but that might not have actually been good for Sue's game. She would have had a much better chance keeping Kyle in the game because players like Kyle, Teeny, Andy, and others weren't playing a great strategic game. Sue needs to make The Final Three with other players like her to have a chance to win. If she's sitting next to someone like Caroline, Genevieve, or Rachel, Sue will lose every time.
4. Sam Phalen
I like the game Sam played in Survivor 47! Like some of the other players on this list, he found a top ally in Sierra Wright in the first few days on the beach. They stayed together in the game as long as they could, and they made some big moves together, especially the blindside of Anika Dhar, which actually might have been a good move if Sam thought Anika was going to stab him in the back after the merge.
Sam slipped up, though, by moving too quickly away from Andy. It's hard to say why Sam and Sierra were fine cutting Andy loose when they worked so hard to gain his trust. That's probably their $1 million mistake.
Since then, Sam has been on the bottom, but he's been good at deflecting the heat to Genevieve and Kyle. Now, Sam is in a tough spot, but we all love a good redemption story. If Sam can make a few big moves, he has a realistic chance of winning. I think he has and will have more players who respect his game on the jury should he make The Final Three.
3. Andy Rueda
On one hand, I do think Andy is a big threat remaining in Survivor 47, but it doesn't appear that the other players believe that Andy is a threat. That's what that matters in Survivor 47. Perception is reality, and if the players don't think Andy is a threat, he's not going to get the respect required to win Survivor 47 even if he makes The Final Three.
The things is, I think episode 12 totally changed the perception of Andy. Clearly, flipping on the major alliance to take control of the game in front of the jury is a winning move. Andy just did that at the right time. He's going to be public enemy No. 1 back at the beach, but he just made a strong case that he deserves to win.
We've seen Andy in the middle of a lot of the action for a while now. Is it enough to win? He's right where he needs to be. A few more moves, and Andy could be the Sole Survivor.
2. Genevieve Mushaluk
Genevieve was clearly a massive threat in Survivor 47 from the jump, but it took a few episodes until we got to see just how ruthless she was going to play. And, it's been ruthless! I would love for Genevieve to make it to The Final Three just to hear her speak about strategy and why she made the moves she did. She backstabbed Kishan Patel, made herself the key part of the Lavo alliance heading into the merge, used Rome Cooney as a shield. But, she never put her own game in jeopardy to try and save him.
I do think Genevieve slipped up with the Sol Yi vote. She needed to wait one or two more votes to take out Sol because, as soon as that happened, Genevieve quickly revealed just how good at Survivor she is. And, it allowed the Underdogs alliance to form. Game-wise, the move makes sense, but numbers-wise, Genevieve has been lucky to make it this far in the game.
Somehow, she's still alive after a major assist from Andy and Sam. Now, it's going to get really interesting. What tricks does Genevieve have up her sleeve.
She has a lot of work to do, but if she makes The Final Three, she would have as good of a chance to win as anyone and better odds than most of the players left in the game.
1. Rachel LaMont
Heading into the finale, Rachel LaMont has to be considered the favorite! While she's not dominating the game in just one area, she's playing a very well-rounded game, which should be a huge bonus for her should she make it to the end.
Rachel hasn't been on the right side of every vote, but she's been a crucial part of a number of crucial votes late in the game. She's won individual immunity. She's obtained advantages in the game, which is a lot more than other players can claim on their resume. Rachel is well-liked, and she seems like a genuine person. She has made connections with basically everyone since the merge, which is huge for what happens at Final Tribal. And, she's pushing Survivor forward with her gameplay. I don't know if other players know it yet, but Rachel's use of her Shot in the Dark was revolutionary.
So, those are just a few of the reasons I think Rachel is going to win Survivor 47, but there is a lot of game to be played!
Watch the first half of the Survivor 47 finale on Wednesday, Dec. 11!