The Meat Shield alliance is dead! Survivor 48 featured the six most physical players bonding together to form an alliance, the first of its kind. Unfortunately, the alliance fell apart during episode 9.
David Kinne and his top ally, Mary Zheng, spent much of the last two episodes spreading paranoia around the camp. They openly tried to get Kamilla Karthigesu out of the game and were suspicious that Kyle Fraser opposed that plan. David and Mary have been planting the idea that Kyle, Kamilla, and Shauhin Davari were planning on something.
As a matter of fact, they were right to an extent. Kyle and Kamilla have been secretly working together for quite some time and are a strong pair. It’s just that no one knows about it for sure. David’s issue was that he was creating too much turmoil around camp, even though he was saying the right things during the last two tribal councils. He stressed that he was loyal to the core-six alliance, all the while subtly hinting that wasn’t true for everyone.
In the end, David’s (on-point) paranoia created too much tension around camp with his allies, and they took the opportunity to eliminate him. Now that cracks have splintered the season’s most powerful alliance, a new dynamic is at play.
8. Star Toomey
Star has become more likable as the season has progressed, but she still lacks any power so far. She had a great moment in episode nine when she tried to overcome her fears and learn how to swim.
She’s laid back throughout the game, as she’s been unable to form a strong alliance with anyone. She’s played from the bottom as a non-threat, and we’ve seen this strategy get players to the final three repeatedly. While it isn’t a path to victory, it is a way to reach the end.
7. Mary Zheng
Mary was only in the Meat Shield alliance because David brought her in. She is scrappy in challenges, but she isn’t nearly as much of a physical threat as the other members of that group. With David gone, she might be in danger. She certainly has lost whatever power she had unless she can rally the others in the tribe who aren’t part of the main alliance.
Mary’s game has been interesting. She was perpetually at the bottom of her initial tribe and had to dodge elimination early. After the merge, she aligned with David and had protection. It will be interesting to see if the remaining members of the alliance will keep her since she was right with David in spreading chaos and tension.
6. Mitch Guerra
Since the merge, no one has had their name thrown out more consistently than Mitch. No one wants to go to Final Tribal with him, and he could break through in an immunity challenge and end the hold the stronger players have on the necklace so far.
Mitch hasn’t been aggressive so far, but seems to realize he won’t win unless he can orchestrate a big move. If he can exploit the cracks developing within the big alliance and find his own allies, he might be able to work his way into at least the top five.
He doesn’t have any enemies and is generally well-liked. He has a path to the end, but will continue to be a target unless the Meat Shield Alliance completely implodes.
5. Kamilla Karthigesu
At some point in this game, Kamilla will have to choose: Does she ride out her secret partnership with Kyle, or does she align with Mitch, Star, and maybe Mary to start picking off the bigger threats?
She could assume a position of power, and she might now be able to use Kyle as the swing vote to break up some of his alliance if things begin to fall apart for Kyle and his power alliance.
The next episode will turn these rankings upside down, and if the Meat Shield alliance turns to dust, Kamilla might see her fortunes improve. She can flip the script, and it will be fun to see if she is the one to do it.
4. Kyle Fraser
Kyle and Kamilla have done an incredible job hiding their partnership, though David did sniff it out. Were David and Mary able to plant enough seeds of doubt with Joe, Eve, and Shauhin to make them suspicious of Kyle?
While the unique Meat Shield alliance was fun to watch, the Kyle and Kamilla secret alliance has been just as intriguing, and it has the biggest chance of success. If they both make it to the final three, Kyle will have the advantage because his overall game has been more open and public, while Kamilla has stayed in the shadows.
Kyle has to know he is fourth in the pecking order in his main alliance after Joe, Eva, and Shauhin. He might have to be the first one to turn on his friends if he wants to win.
3. Joe Hunter
Joe’s loyalty is admirable, but when push came to shove, he made the best move for his game when he voted out David. He is now playing the game strategically. As the Meat Shield alliance starts to crumble, Joe will become a bigger and bigger target. His allies know they allow Joe and Eva to make the Final Three.
Joe has handled himself quite well throughout the game, and his relationship with Eva since early in the game has made both of them heroes. No one wants to go to the end sitting next to heroes, so Joe’s time may be limited. It depends on how long his relationships outside of Eva will last.
2. Shauhin Davari
Shauhin has always seemed like a predator quietly sitting in the weeds. Now, the audience will see if he is as astute a player as he appears to be. He can't win if he’s sitting next to Joe or Eva. He hasn’t been the maestro of a big move yet, either. He has to come after his closest allies at some point, which he can’t miss.
He knows Eva’s Safety without Power advantage can be used when seven players are left. He also knows about her idol. The chances of taking her out are starting to dwindle. This could be the time to take her out, before all of those advantages come out to play.
To do so, he will either have to work with those who are unaligned or pull Kyle into his plan. Either way, Joe has to be kept in the dark, and it would end the relationship he has with Joe and Eve within the game.
Now is the time for a big move.
1. Eva Erickson
Whenever a player has two huge advantages this late in the game, they will be a target for those who can execute a well-planned blindside. If you add her history and story to the game, that target looms even more prominently on her back.
Yet, she is playing hard. From the edit, it appears as if Joe placed the decision on whether or not to take David out on her shoulders. From the looks of things, it isn’t hard to believe she was the one who made the final call.
Can she navigate the remaining days of the game? If Joe is the one taken out first, how will she react? Will she be able to navigate the shark-infested waters on her own?
With two advantages in her bag, she certainly has a path to the Final Four, if she can play them effectively. Her strength in challenges also gives her a chance to stay in the game. She has a lot of power in the game right now, and how she plays that power may determine her fate in the game.