New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Kalabaw

1. Jeff Kent

This week, we saw Jeff Kent cement an alliance with Jonathan and claim that he can “control some people." We’ll see how much control he actually has – or maybe we won’t, given the hints in this week’s preview. But until he is medically evacuated, or something game-related actually happens at Kalabaw, Jeff Kent is #1.

2. Jonathan

Hidden immunity idol + five fingers from Jeff Kent means he is no longer the tribe outsider. But one patronizing conversation with Carter notwithstanding, he still doesn’t have any form of relationship with anyone else on the tribe.

3. Carter

We know Carter is on board with Jeff Kent and Jonathan. That’s enough to shift him up a spot for this week. It seems that his alliance was with Katie and Dawson, and that he’s comfortable burning that to go with Jonathan and Jeff Kent. That just shows he’s a bad player. The smart move would be to keep the Kalabaw alliance with five members and be the swing vote within that five.

4. Dawson

We haven’t seen the fall-out from last week, and whether Jeff Kent and Carter have kept Dawson and Katie in the loop about what’s going on with Jonathan. But Jeff Kent referred to “people” he controls which is more than just Carter, while Dawson and Katie did not look thrilled at the prospect of an alliance with Dana. I’ll keep Dawson at #4 for now, but only because we haven’t actually seen anything happen.

5. Katie

Invisible Katie remains at #5.

6. Dana

Poor Dana.

Matsing

In Malcolm’s words, Matsing looks destined for complete annihilation. At this point, their only hope is an immunity challenge that combines diving and counseling. We will see what happens with merged tribes and whatnot, but I wonder if Matsing are safer staying where they are – competing in challenges and hoping they can come through with a win, or at least a non-loss.

If Matsing does get split between Tandang and Kalabaw, I don’t see it making much difference. Tandang has a majority alliance of four with two outsiders, so anyone new is just an extra. Kalabaw looks like it is five (or four and a medevac), and if that’s the case anyone joining that tribe is toast. If it turns out to be three and three, then whoever joins the tribe will instantly become very valuable. We’ll see if a tribe switch flushes these issues out, but for the moment we’ll look at Matsing as a still-intact tribe.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8