Survivor: David vs. Goliath

Next Time On Survivor – Episode 14

Steph Lauw makes her predictions for the season finale!

Photo: CBS

It’s the season finale of David vs. Goliath! This time last season, it was painfully obvious to many that either Wendell or Dom was going win. This time, however, there’s not that kind of gaping disparity amongst the remaining six players in the final episode. With the editors heightening the level of unpredictability this season, I’m sure the finale is going to end off the already top-notch season with a blast!

WARNING: the preview trailer does give away some spoilers on the remaining boots, and I’ll be writing about them below.

Typically, on a season with six left in the finale episode, there’ll be three immunity challenges. From the trailer, which reveals the challenge structures and clearly shows Mike, Davie, Kara and Angelina competing on the same course, as well as the episode description, we know that the first immunity challenge is one that ends with the “most competitive 63-piece puzzle challenge in Survivor history”. Nothing much to speculate here as it’ll likely all boil down to who can complete this new formidable puzzle.

Breaking down the rest of the challenge scenes previewed in the trailer, we can observe at least one other challenge. It looks very similar to the half-water challenge played at the Final 7 of Game Changers and Final 4 of Cagayan. And, we explicitly are shown Alison, Nick and Angelina competing in the challenge. Thus, this would mean that the three survive the first tribal council.

In the individual features of each player, it also seems that Angelina is competing in another different challenge, one that involves throwing sandbags. I’m not too sure if this is a separate challenge, but if it is, it would then mean that she survives two tribal councils. In any case, I predict she’ll be in the final three because it doesn’t look like she’s that big a candidate to win and hence not an urgency to eliminate.

As such, for the first boot of the finale, we can essentially only pick from three players – Mike, Davie and Kara. The previous tribal council certainly elevated Davie’s threat level, and his cumulative game, especially with two correct idol plays, makes him a clear target for elimination. Besides a quick shot of Davie snooping around camp and another visual with Nick on the beach, there isn’t any other particularly revealing moments with Davie in the preview. With his relationship with Nick perhaps soured, I think Davie will be voted out first if he doesn’t win immunity.

Part of me kind of thinks it might be Kara eliminated though, as it might explain why Alison is distraught, as she cries to Angelina that it might be her going home that night. Perhaps her closest ally Kara was eliminated the night before and she’s next to go? This arrangement harkens back to the Final 4 deal made by Nick, Angelina, Mike and Davie on the loved ones reward challenge two episodes back. While I can see the three former Jabenis staying together – also evidenced by the fist bump they share in the preview trailer – Davie is still notably not in the picture. I’m entertaining this prediction to varying extents, but I’m still leaning towards Davie being voted out first – maybe this plays out after Davie is gone?

Ange14
Photo: CBS

Another key shot revealed in the “Next Time On Survivor” segment is Angelina tying together a fake idol, with spools of string in the foreground of the shot. I’m not sure where these spools were from earlier this season, so could this be the fake idol kit advantage offered on Game Changers’ exile island? In any case, if she’s shaking things up with it, the finale episode is really going to be packed, and I’m all for it!

Finally, my last prediction is that we’ll see Mike in the final three, and he’ll be a swing vote of sorts in the second half of the episode, choosing between his ex-Jabeni tribemates, Angelina and Nick, and his former Goliath allies, Alison and Kara. I think he’ll recognize that Nick is ultimately more difficult to beat in the end – and so will the other ex-Goliaths remaining. I also think Nick wins if he makes it to the final tribal council, but the huge problem for him is whether he can make it there, with his prominence and level of threat recognized by the others. I won’t be surprised if he manages to pull it off.

Who do you think will be crowned the latest winner of Survivor? And how did your preseason winner pick fare? Feel free to share in the comments below!


Written by

Stephanie Lauw

Stephanie is an English literature and film graduate from Singapore who spends too much time analyzing her favorite TV shows. Besides patiently waiting for an Asian version of Survivor she can take part in, Stephanie enjoys dabbling with music, sound production, and writing, and would travel across the country for good Ayam Buah Keluak. Steph writes Inside Survivor’s weekly Next Time On Survivor feature.


2 responses to “Next Time On Survivor – Episode 14”

  1. Slightly confused me there but you also had a typo choosing between his ex-Jabeni tribemates, Angelina and Davie
    Pretty sure that is supposed to say Nick

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