After the unprecedented events of Survivor 50 episode 6, “Blood Moon,” the game should settle into Survivor's usual post-merge chaos.
During the last episode of Survivor 50, fans were treated to the biggest merge of all time (17 contestants), tribal councils (three), and eliminations (three). Now, with 14 players left, this season should regain a small amount of normalcy in comparison to past seasons.
Through all the crazy twists and legendary players, something surprising has been slowly happening. Four players who no one else wants to play with have slowly gravitated toward each other.
Survivor legends Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth, two players who haven't played well together in the past, have been working together as much as they can. Ozzy and Cirie, neither of whom has won a season, called a truce early this season and have tried to protect one another.
Two others have joined them in recent episodes. Dee Valladares, the only player left with a previous season win, and Rizo Velovic, who just played on season 49 and no one else has seen his game, have found themselves working with the two icons.
All four are misfits for this season. Everyone is wary of all four because of the reasons listed above. No one wants to work with them, and this has pushed them together.
How an alliance of Cirie, Ozzy, Dee, and Rizo could control the post-merge game
Cirie is the master of laying low when she needs to, and Dee has been pretty good at it this season. If they can remain under the radar for a few tribal councils, they could be strong enough to swing votes one way or another, especially if Stephanie LaGrossa Kendrick joins their ranks.
There are plenty of candidates for self-destruction left. The most likely to blow things up is Coach Wade, who is a complete narcissist who preaches honor and integrity while stabbing people in the back. He sees himself as a hero but repeatedly proves himself a villain. He should have been voted out instead of Colby Donaldson in one of the triple elimination tribals but somehow survived the night. He'll blow up his game eventually.
Rick Devens and Christian Hubicki are players fans will pull for because they are fun and quirky. Both are playing hard this season, and everyone knows they are a pair at this point. There is a lot of chaos around them, and it will eventually cost them.
Chrissy Hofbeck has been dodging tribal votes for a while now, and it doesn't seem many players trust her. She can be abrasive at times, though she is getting better. She doesn't appear to have a close ally, and that will cost her deeper into the game.
Joe Hunter and Jonathan Young are likable players, but they are not the most strategic players on the island. Both will become targets if they start winning challenges. Currently, they are numbers for voting blocks and should be safe in the immediate future, but it is difficult to see either of them making it to the end.
This leaves Emily Flippen, Aubry Bracco, and Tiffany Ervin. Emily has repaired his Survivor image, as she is not nearly as abrasive as she was on her initial season. Her biggest issue is she cannot keep a secret, which will make her a liability to any alliance from here on.
Everyone knows Aubry is a strategic threat, kind of a Cirie-light, but she isn't able to fade into the background as well. It did help her tremendously to get Genevieve Mushaluk out of the game, since they were at odds from the beginning. Still, it will be difficult for her to work her way into the final three, even with her not-so-hidden immunity idol.
That leaves Tiffany, who certainly has the wherewithal to win this game. She is strategic and physical, and most people like her. The biggest argument against her, however, is her edit so far. She has barely existed in the game up to this point. Zac Brown has more confessionals.
If Cirie and her coterie of four can let everyone else's chaos unfold around them, they could end up all getting into the final six. Stephanie isn't officially part of this group, but if she can avoid falling into Coach's orbit, she would make a fine addition.
The problem might be that both Ozzy and Rizo tend to cause their chaos. Ozzy doesn't ever mean to, but his lack of social acumen hurts him at times. Rizo is driven because he wants to be a legend himself, and he will eventually turn against his alliance. The question is only, will it be sooner or later? Dee is probably in the same situation, but she will likely be more patient and subtle.
What is great about this alliance and one of the reasons it could work is that between them, they have two idols (Ozzy and Rizo) and an extra vote (Cirie). If played strategically and correctly, they could eliminate the biggest threats to the alliance when necessary.
If these four players can trust one another, they can control the game, especially if they can bring in a strong and loyal fifth, like Stephanie. If they all make it to the final six, it will be a spectacular ending to this historic season, and one of them could win.