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Survivor S40 Power Rankings (Top 18 + 2 EoE)

Feb 17, 2020 by PowerRankings101

This premiere episode was one of the most exciting in Survivor history, and I’d go as far as saying that this is already one of the best seasons of all time. Even with the Edge of Extinction, I think the producers found a way to not distract too much from the main competition, giving us these winners on our screens more often, and allowing for a new fire token component to bring a freshness and even playing field between the old and new school players. IN this first episode, we’ve seen Rob dominating in challenges, Sandra getting an idol, Jeremy losing his number one ally and kicking butt in the next challenge, Tony working with previous enemies Sarah and Sandra, Wendell building a shelter, Yul putting together an underdogs alliance against a “poker alliance,” Tyson flipping on the “poker alliance” at the speed of light, Kim being on the outs for the first time in Survivor history, Denise winning her FIRST team immunity challenge, and every contestant getting a confessional. It was an amazing opening, and I’ll dive into each players’ premiere episode more in these rankings. Stay alert for my edge of extinction ratings on the bottom, which is just Natalie and Amber, but will grow as the season goes on.

18. Ben Driebergen- Oh Ben. I love all these winners, and I’m enjoying Ben in one episode more than I did his entire season… but man oh man, did he royally screw up. He could’ve gotten Rob out and been in a majority alliance with a lot of the new schoolers, but instead, he united Rob and Danni, and basically saved Rob’s ass. This would be fine if Ben was included in the final alliance, but it seems that Ethan, Parvati, Rob, and Danni don’t have Ben in their plans. Adam and Denise are tight. Michele and Jeremy are tight, and free agents after being on the outs of the vote. I worry that Ben put himself in the worst position possible. Not only is he not in a tight alliance, but he is now known for being a bit of a blabber mouth. In a normal season, people would drag those people to the end. But in an All-Winners season, there’s too much on the line for a loose cannon like Ben to be spreading rumors like wildfire. Ben threw Adam under the bus when everyone was wondering who was missing, threw Danni under the bus when he was talking to Rob, and I worry three strikes will be it for Ben.

17. Tony Vlachos- Tony had a clear strategy in wanting to play it cooler and use bigger shields like Amber to mask his own threat level. He targeted Tyson because Tyson plays a similar game to him, just less chaotic. Unfortunately for Tony, Tyson is still there, and Amber is gone. Tony will always be a big threat, and unfortunately, I think his name will always be thrown out there. It doesn’t help that Tyson is against him, because Tyson seems to now want to work with Yul in some regard. Tony’s biggest help is that he has Sarah and Sandra out there, who will probably fight to keep him safe. I just worry that everyone will only see the crazy Tony and feel too threatened to take him all the way to the end of the game. I hope we see Tony get into a solid alliance so I can breathe, but right now, I’m still worried about Tony and his chances.

16. Kim Spradlin-Wolfe- Poor Kim. Sweet Kim. Kim was dominant in her first season, and this week, we saw a legend fall down in the sand crying. It broke my heart. I don’t think Kim is out. She has a lot of fighting spirit left in her, and I think she has big names on her tribe like Tony, Sandra, and even Tyson that she could potentially spin the vote onto. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of a free agent? She’s the perfect free agent right now. I just hope this doesn’t go the old-school route, and Kim just gets taken out for being on the outs of the core alliance. I’m rooting for Kim to bounce back. Cmon Kim!

15. Denise Stapley- Denise won her first tribal immunity! Yay! Unfortunately, her and Adam were shown as a powerful duo already (which is bogus considering it was one day, but whatever). The reason I think Denise is more expendable than Adam is because Adam seems to have an easier time getting out of a tough scenario. Denise is a good social player, but she got some votes in the first tribal, and I worry she could end up just being a safe boot if the Old-School alliance ropes in Jeremy or Michele and needs to target either herself, Adam, or Ben. She’s good in challenges, but still the oldest lady there, and between her and Adam, she’s going to have a tougher time keeping the votes from going her way as much as I love her.

14. Adam Klein- I have to give Adam props in two respects. One, he knew who he wanted to align with and solidified a strong bond with Denise. Second, when his name was thrown out, he immediately said “we’re not the biggest threats, go after the true pair of Jeremy and Natalie.” Natalie doesn’t go home if Adam doesn’t throw out that name. Sure, Ben had to spill the beans to Adam in the first place, but Adam, rather than freaking out, took a breath, and tried convincing people that Jeremy and Natalie needed to be split up. It was a smart move, and I think Adam is playing much stronger than anyone is giving him credit for. I worry that his alliance with Denise is still sticking out on his tribe, but I do think Adam showed his ability to adapt, and it can only help him going forward.

13. Tyson Apostol- My pre-game winner pick looked really good, then really bad, then good again. I think having his name thrown out at the beginning doesn’t bode too well for him, but if the name of the game is Survivor, he did just that. He adapted the way he needed to to keep the target off his back and pin it on Amber. He seemed to get some respect from Yul when he found out he was the target, and I think it’ll only help Tyson and maybe fare worse for Tony’s game, the guy who was targeting him. My only worry is that Tyson is still super tight with a lot of people in this game, and regardless of whether or not the poker alliance is true, Tyson still played on a season with Parvati, Rob, and Sandra, and he’s a likable guy as is. Tyson, if he can keep being adaptable, can make it deep, but his threat level is already high, so the fact that I predicted him as this season’s winner makes me a bit nervous.

12. Nick Wilson- Nick didn’t do much in this premiere, and he got a vote at tribal. I do think he’ll be okay, as he is in that alliance with Yul, Wendell, and Sophie. But I feel like Nick is going to start making moves soon, and whether this will help him or hurt him, only time will tell.

11. Rob Mariano- Rob may be the MVP of the premiere episode, being able to take his ginormous target and pin it to Parvati and create a dominant old-school alliance, roping in Ben by using his villainous threat tactics, and not getting a single vote at tribal. Rob killed it this episode, and was able to make an ally in Danni and Ethan as well. It’s also important to note that he’ll have lots of help from Amber being on extinction island, and may even get an idol or more fire tokens in the next few weeks. And he’s great in challenges. It seems like the Sele tribe needs him and Jeremy in challenges, and now that Natalie and Amber are out, I think both of their threat levels get minimized. Does Rob win the game? I don’t think he’ll get there. But I don’t think he’ll go next.

10. Parvati Shallow- Parvati came to play, and did a great job in keeping the target off her back. As long as Rob is there, I don’t think Parv’s name comes up. Nobody was really thinking of her as a target. I do think she may emerge as a bigger target later down the line, but right now, she’s playing the right hands, and is using the mom card to relate to others off the bat. My only worry is that Jeremy sees through her and Rob’s mischievous ways. He already did in the first tribal, it was just too late. Parvati is a schemer, and I think it may prevent her from making it to final three. But she may get damn close.

9. Jeremy Collins- Jeremy is on the outs in terms of numbers, but I don’t see anyone wanting to get rid of him. They need him in challenges, maybe even moreso than Rob. And with Natalie at Extinction, they probably aren’t worried that Jeremy has that powerful bond anymore, and they’ll use him as a number. Jeremy has always played a game about using meat shields as covers for himself, and I hope he can shield himself going forward, as he really is an exciting player, and he was able to read Parvati and Rob like a book. He’s not out yet, and I think he’s just starting to heat up now.

8. Sarah Lacina- Of all the winners on our screens, Sarah seemed to be the most in the background, though Tony and Sandra spoke a bit about her. I expected her to be way more threatening and way more egotistical going out there, so it’s nice to see her taking a bit of a backseat. Considering Tony and Sandra are much bigger threats than her, I don’t think they’ll take her out anytime soon as long as they’re still there. Sarah had a better premiere than I expected.

7. Michele Fitzgerald- Poor Michele was on the outs of the first vote, but she had a really great confessional about how she wanted to prove her worth as a winner. She feels like people don’t accept her win, as Aubry or Tai deserved to win. Michele got the votes, Michele deserves the win, that’s how I see it. And I think she wants all of America to see it too. I think Michele is going to use that first vote as a driving force and truly start to play the game harder than ever before. I actually see her doing super well. Nobody is worried about her or threatened by her, and if they want a safe vote, they’ll target a huge juggernaut like Rob or go after Ben, Denise, or Adam. Lay low Michele, it’ll help you in the long run.

6. Wendell Holland- I was wrong about Wendell. I expected his ego to be through the roof, but he was really good in keeping the mindset of laying low, even if his tribe praised his shelter building skills. I think Wendell is going to be just fine for a little while, as he’s not really a threat to anyone, and seems to be in the majority with Yul, Sophie, and Nick.

5. Ethan Zohn- Ethan had to adapt to a new style of gameplay, and he’s doing great. He found his footing in an alliance with two people much more threatening than himself. He seems to understand the pace, even if he’s still coming to terms with it and adjusting physically to the intense speed that this game is played. He’s also great in challenges. I think America is behind Ethan and wants Ethan to do well, and like America, the new schoolers are probably so in awe of Ethan that they’ll want to keep him around just to be in the presence of a legend. He’s safe.

4. Danni Boatwright- Danni could have been in a lot of danger had Rob approached her and she lied. But the fact that she was honest and upright, I think it only helped her. It got her an ally with Rob, and helped expose Ben as a more chaotic, unpredictable player by keeping calm and chill. Maybe wearing the Kansas City jersey is a sign, because I see Danni making a deep run in this game. Nobody is worried about her right now, and she’s in a majority alliance where she is easily the least threatening of the bunch. She’ll either play the Kimmi Kappenberg game where she’ll stay loyal till the end and just miss out, or she’ll pull off a Sandra-esque win where she goes to the end with a group who don’t find her too threatening, only to win the respect and likability vote from the jury in the end. Who knows? Either way, Danni is destined to go pretty far I think.

3. Sandra Diaz-Twine- I never imagined that two-time winner Sandra would be the only one with an idol after episode one. But alas, she has one, and while I don’t think she has a ton of longevity in this season, she’s safe for the next few votes. If she goes home with an idol in her pocket, her legacy may be tarnished, as J.T.’s was in Game Changers, so I think she’d be smart enough to play it when she needs to. The Queen stays Queen.

2. Sophie Clarke- Sophie was a more under the radar winner, but we saw a lot of material from her, and great material at that. She was able to make a strong bond with Yul, and be on the right side of the votes. The best part of it all is that nobody realizes she is playing the exact same game she played last time, being second in command to a much higher power. Last time, it was Coach. This time, it’s Yul and Sandra. If she rides the coattails and strikes at the right time, and sells herself as an equal who made many of the strategic decisions, I think Sophie could have a real shot at winning. I’d love to see it.

1. Yul Kwon- Yul not only created a great bond between Sophie, Nick, Wendell, and himself, but was able to pin a target on Tyson, Kim, Rob, and Jeremy (two people who aren’t even on his tribe) for playing a game of poker years ago. Yul has done his research, and is using his old school tactics to calculate his game moves, but doing so at a pace of a new school strategist. He had Tyson eating from the palm of his hand, and I think it’s a testament to how calm, cool, collected, and trusting Yul is. Everyone trusts him and while he clearly ran the game in the past episode, I don’t think people will be rushing to take him out because of it. The winner of the episode. Maybe not the season, but right now, I’ll keep him up here.

I think there are lots of easy targets on each tribe. Right now, it seems that Jeremy and Michele are on the outs for Sele and Kim and Tyson are on the outs for Dakal. The interesting thing is, if Dakal loses, I actually think Kim or Tyson could easily be taken out. If Sele loses, I think the tide switches, and we’ll see Jeremy and Michele be used to go after the duo of Denise/Adam or go after wildcard Ben. It’s a tricky situation. Who is definitely safe? I think Yul’s alliance of himself, Wendell, Nick, and Sophie should definitely be safe, and I think Ethan, Danni, and Parvati are safe behind Rob in their alliance as well. As threatening as Rob and Sandra are, I think Sandra’s idol helps her, and Rob will be able to either use his fire tokens from Amber or some other advantages and relationships to get out of any danger. All this being said, I think Ben and Tony are the people on either side that seem like the “safe vote” or the “they’re acting too chaotic” vote. And between Ben and Tony, I think we’re led to root for Tony more because he’s Tony, and Ben hasn’t gotten the best content. He’s funny and super likable, but the edit does not lead us to believe that he’s really a great Survivor player.

PREDICTIONS:

Going Home- Ben Driebergen

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And now for the EXTINCTION ISLAND rankings:

2. Amber Mariano- I think most people figured Amber and Rob would be split up sooner rather than later, but how it went down was unfortunate. Amber just couldn’t get her footing, and while it seemed like the boot that would create the least bit of chaos and mayhem in the tribe, I wish we had seen more of her. She’ll be able to give Rob some tokens and possibly an idol or two, so we’ll see how her Extinction arc goes. I don’t see her winning the challenge, however, so Extinction Island is where she’ll stay.

1. Natalie Anderson- Poor Natalie got the shocking first boot, just as her sister did on San Juan del Sur. I have to blame production for this. Yes, with all winners, it gets tough to separate two tribes based on who knows each other, but putting Natalie’s only pre-existing relationship on the same tribe as her makes a huge target on her and Jeremy’s backs. Getting rid of a challenge beast like Natalie was not a smart move, especially since she can get back in, and already has one fire token from selling Sandra an idol. I’m rooting for her, because I’d love to see her get a shot.

PREDICTIONS:

Quitting- None

Staying on Extinction Island- Natalie and Amber

#survivor

Comments

Stats:

1. Yul (+11)
2. Sophie (+9)
3. Sandra (+12)
4. Danni (-2)
5. Ethan —
6. Wendell (+10)
7. Michele (-4)
8. Sarah (+10)
9. Jeremy (+4)
10. Parvati (-2)
11. Rob (+8)
12. Nick (-8)
13. Tyson (-12)
14. Adam (-4)
15. Denise (-6)
16. Kim (-9)
17. Tony (-11)
18. Ben (-4)

Biggest Rise: Sandra (+12)
Biggest Drop: Tyson (-12)

Sent by PowerRankings101,Feb 17, 2020

Perfect #1 <3

Sent by Tester,Feb 18, 2020

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Survivor S40 Power Rankings (Top 18 + 2 EoE)

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