Survivor 48 Episode 1: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

Survivor 48 is here! And that means I’m writing more Survivor blog posts. This season, though, I’m making a change to my recaps. With the former episode Recap & Power Rankings, most of what I wrote you already saw. I want to hone in on my insights and analysis and focus less on just recapping the episode. 

The new format: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. I will choose three moments from the episode that best demonstrate the three pillars of Survivor and dive into them a bit more. Don’t worry, the Power Rankings aren’t going anywhere, either. Those will be in their own separate blog post. Check the first one out.

Outwit

There wasn’t much outwitting in the first episode. It was a straightforward vote and I didn’t find the solution to the cryptogram very difficult (those animals were neon). So what am I giving it to?

I’m giving it to both Kyle and Kevin. It is very difficult to go on that first journey and reintegrate into your tribe. They make bonds without you, and you also may come back without supplies. Both did it flawlessly, landing themselves in the majority alliance right away. Their charisma, composure, and savvy led to quick bonds. They both had to think on their feet, including Kyle coming back to camp without supplies and needing to lie about his profession from the jump. It was very smart gameplay, and they outwitted the Charity, Mitch, Mary, and Stephanies of the world by hopping them despite the late start.

Outplay

David is getting my Outplay title this episode. Yes, the entire Lagi tribe was amazing and won everything. If I had two Outplay awards, they would get the second. But David was the sole reason Civa didn’t go to tribal, and I value changing the fate of your tribe more than the overall strong tribe performance.

David pulled that sled up the ramp like a true superhero. You could see how heavy it was with how Vula struggled. He’s going to be a serious asset, which should protect him from elimination until his tribe expects a merge — and honestly, they may never go to tribal. There are puzzles and other aspects involved in challenges, but David will dominate every physical part to give Civa the edge, and they have very smart players to finish the puzzles, too. As long as they don’t fall apart at the end, they should at least place second each time, mainly due to David.

Outlast

For this one, I’m going to focus on the players who have set themselves up to outlast their opponents. I debated choosing the entire “California Girls” alliance (I love them), but I’m going to focus specifically on Joe and Eva.

This was the best moment of the entire episode. Joe and Eva’s connection, the raw honesty, the emotion — it was all so moving. Not to mention, they have a true number one bond. They are connected. Joe will protect her like his daughter, and Eva is going to put her full trust in Joe. They are both so strong, and both seem to be capable strategic players. I think this duo will go far, and it is the strongest bond we’ve seen in any camp so far. It may bite them in the very late game, but I think early and mid-game this will be incredibly powerful. The people with bonds that go beyond strategy are the ones that make it far and the ones that win this game. This is going to be a bond that lasts.

Predictions

I’ll also drop my predictions for the next episode at the bottom. I do believe that Vula (green) will lose again and go to tribal again. They have all the makings of the disaster tribe, and I think that will unfortunately be their fate.

This time, I think Sai goes home. She is blindsided by Kevin, Justin, and Mary. I’m not sure what Cedrek does, but they make Sai feel safe enough to blindside her. And may I say — good riddance!