The merge has arrived in Survivor 46! On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the Yanu, Siga, and Nami tribes will drop their buffs and merge into one tribe in the sixth episode of the season.
With 13 castaways remaining at the merge, six contestants have a better chance to win the game and title of Sole Survivor for season 46.
It's been an interesting game so far. With Yanu losing almost every immunity challenge, the rest of the tribes haven't truly been tested much when it comes to alliances. Nami has won every immunity challenge or finished runner-up. Randen was the only person eliminated from their tribe. Siga lost the final immunity challenge before the merge and eliminated Jem. Yanu, on the other hand, voted out Jelinsky, Jess, and Bhanu to open the game. So, we have two tribes who just started playing the strategy game so far and anothr tribe that's been effectively on life support without fire or food until right before the merge. It's truly a wild season.
Let's get the list of contestants with the best chance to win Survivor 46 started with Kenzie.
6. Kenzie Petty
Kenzie is in a very interesting position heading into the merge. She's in an alliance with Tiffany and Q, her Yanu tribe mates, and they have votd the same way every time at tribal council, although it's not really clear who exactly is pulling the strings. It seems like a pretty cohesive group effort.
Bhanu spilled the beans about Kenzie being a "mastermind," which could blow her game up at the merge before it even begins. She's not much of a challenge threat compared to, say, Q, Hunter, and Tim, though. There's a chance she won't be immediately targeted even with both tribes getting the intel that she's running the game.
It's not a great spot to be in, but look, we've all seen Survivor. It's all about the human connections. Kenzie has the ability to connect with every person remaining in the game. She's a smart and savvy player. All it will take is a few stragglers from Siga and Nami, of which there are several to link up with Kenzie to take control of the game.
Typically, the more physical threats are targeted immediately after the merge. Kenzie doesn't fall into that category, and I like how she's been interacting with her tribe. I see her going far in the game, and if she's around at the end, she has a good chance to steal everyone's votes just by forming all of those connections along the way.
5. Tim Spicer
Speaking of challenge threats, Tim is also in a great spot heading into the merge. Tim has performed well in pretty much every immunity challenge so far. He's the biggest physical threat from the Siga tribe, and we saw after the immunity challenge in episode 5, he formed a quick bond with Q and Hunter when they were taken to the island where Hunter lost his vote at the next tribal council after he couldn't solve the puzzle.
It remains to be seen if that alliance will actually come to fruition, but an alliance of the strongest players could be a huge turning point in the game, especially considering a few of his potential allies, Tiffany and Hunter have an idol or the chance to get an idol. That's huge!
Tim doesn't have a super strong alliance at Siga. He connected with Maria immediately, but he allied more closely with Ben and Charlie, who pulled Maria in to vote out Jem in episode 5. I really liked Tim's ability to work through the mystery of the beware advantage. He got bad vibes from Jem, who overplayed her hand, and he knew she was responsible for tricking the tribe. They also orchestrated the blindside on Jem to knock her out of the game with an idol in her pocket.
Tim has great instincts, and I think that, along with his alliance and physical abilities, will take him very far in the game. And, I hope so, too! He's playing for his family.
4. Tevin Davis
Tevin is in an interesting spot at the merge. From the first day at camp, it seemed like Tevin has been calling the shots and interacting in a meaningful way with almost everyone on the Nami tribe. Obviously, their alliances have not been put to the test yet, but I think Tevin seems to have a good grasp on how to play Survivor, how to make things happen, and how to work with others to keep progressing in the game.
Tevin is extremely likable, which makes him both a threat and someone who people will want to work with. I also really value that Tevin and Hunter seem to be well-connected. If they can align with Hunter handling immunity and Tevin helping shield him, there's a really good chance we'll see two of those players in the final 3!
3. Maria Shrime Gonzalez
I can't exactly explain what it is about Maria, but it feels like she's getting a great edit to start the season. She's a challenge liability, which is actually kind of a good thing at this point in the game. She won't be targeted for her ability to win challenges.
She's playing a great game so far! She allied with Charlie in the first few days of the game, inspired by Malcolm Freberg and Denise Stapley in Survivor: Phillippines. So far, it seems like a great move for Maria. I also really like how she's now working with Ben, Tim, and Charlie. If they can pull in a few more people, that is a great core four.
Overall, Maria seems to have a good knack for strategy, and it just feels like she's poised for a deep run this season.
2. Tiffany Nicole Ervin
Tiffany has played the most underrated game in Survivor right now. She's solid in challenges, but not solid enough to be targeted for her athleticism. Of all the contestants, her social game is better than pretty much everyone. She has a tight minority alliance with Q and Kenzie, and both want to work with her individually.
We all know is Survivor that it pays to be someone's partner. If Tiffany can continue to be allied with Kenzie and Q without picking a side, it's only going to take her further in the game.
On top of all that, Tiffany has a a hidden immunity idol that only small group knows about. That is going to be huge in this game. I can just feel it.
From a social perspective, Tiffany has everything it takes to get to the end, and I think she will!
1. Hunter McKnight
Hunter is in a great position heading into the merge. He's clearly the most important physical competitor remaining in the game, although Q has given Hunter a run for his money a few times in the more recent immunity challenges. There's a chance Hunter could roll off five individual immunity challenge wins and tie the all-time record if he goes deep into the game.
Hunter will also have a chance at a hidden immunity idol. We don't know what's going to happen because Hunter found the beware advantage, but he never lost a challenge, so he never got the opportunity to get an idol like Tiffany and Jem. If Hunter scores a hidden immunity idol, that's going to be a huge step in the right direction.
From a social perspective, Hunter is also playing a good game. His closest ally is Tevin, who is basically running things on the Nami tribe. They haven't had a tribal council yet, but it seems like Hunter is in a good place with his tribe. He also formed a quick strength alliance with Q and Tim while they were on the beach following the last immunity challenge. Obviously, we don't know how that's going to play out. We've seen alliances like that in the past and they rarely end up with the strongest players making it to the very end.
Overall, with Hunter's physical capabilities, great connections, and a possible hidden immunity idol, Hunter has a great chance to make it to the end of the game and win.
That's the list of the top six contestants from Survivor 46 heading into the merge. Let the games begin!
The sixth episode of Survivor season 46 airs at 8 p.m. ET on CBS on Wednesday, April 3!