Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance is underway and so are the Inside Survivor Power Rankings. In Week 1, Rob secured victory with 19 points with his low Vytas ranking. Shawn came in second with 15 points, and Jacob was trailing with 12 points. However, Week 1 was a freebie demo round and so no points were added to the overall tally. But now it’s serious business. From now on, points mean everything because there can be only one Inside Survivor Power Rankings champion. The game is afoot.
The Rules
Each week our three Inside Survivor contributors will create separate power rankings. The ranking of the player who is voted out of the next episode will determine the number of points the three contributors will earn. For example, if Kelley Wentworth was voted out in Episode 1, Rob would receive one point, Shawn would receive three points, and Jacob would receive fifteen points. At the end of the season, the person with the most points will be named the Survivor Second Chance Power Rankings Champion.
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| Score: 0 @brodeurr |
Score: 0 @ShawnSwaney |
Score: 0 @JacobDerwin |
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| 1. What a difference a new season makes! Not only did Kelley find the idol clue, but she boldly grabbed the idol at a challenge! She was on the right side of the numbers in the previous vote, and is in good with the “new schoolers”. | 1. Savage falls into the same role as he took on in the Pearl Islands. He’s the visible, yet unspoken leader of Bayon. Leading a group of Alpha Males, Andrew is in the majority and also has the luxury of not being perceived as overtly strategic yet. | 1. Monica was nearly invisible the entire first episode but as far as we can tell, she’s not on anyone’s radar. Also, I’ll be honest, my top 9 for this ranking all come from Bayon. I really don’t think they will lose to Ta Keo. Just in case, I will put one Bayon member towards the bottom though… |
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| 2. Jeremy is in a great position at Bayon. He’s aligned with all of the alpha males (which he said he’ll use as a shield) and he’s had chats with Tasha and Keith. I don’t see him being targeted at all any time soon. | 2. Jeremy seemed to have a “let’s go get wood” strategy talk with everyone before the A-frame on the shelter was built. He’s a strong worker and strong competitor, and his quick approach to strategy quickly gained him the trust of many. | 2. Though many a pregame interview labeled her as “annoying,” Kimmi has been given a subtle edit so far and the Savage sausage party alliance didn’t appear to be targeting her. She should be fine. |
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| 3. Jeff was definitely one of the stars of the first episode. He has this redemption story for himself and he’s willing to do what he needs to win. He already showed this by voting out Vytas with the new schoolers and turning his back on the old schoolers. He could still be in-between alliances and swing either way, but I doubt anyone will be quick to get rid of him. | 3. Kelley did a great job of bonding with people while being very subtle about strategy. She didn’t draw attention to herself. She seems to have a very good handle on the other tribemates and now has an idol. The only thing that could go wrong is that she might feel too safe and not use the idol when necessary. | 3. We as an audience know how savvy a social player Ciera can be. That said, she hasn’t been shown strategizing much in comparison to her male counterparts on Bayon. I think we’ll get our fill of Ciera as the season progresses, but for now, she’s laying low. |
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| 4. Joe really lived up to his “Joey Amazing” moniker in the first episode. He’s in a great alliance, he started fire, and he won the challenge for Bayon. Add to that his daily yoga sessions and friendly attitude, Joe has a good shot at making it far this season. | 4. In my preseason assessment, I said that Joe would originally be safe, only to be viewed as too threatening and then be under fire. This is exactly the case as Joey Amazing was labeled as a perfect “shield”. His value doesn’t go down just quite yet, but he needs to provide more depth than just a challenge performer and fire maker. | 4. I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously fall in love with anyone in my life. They all know he’s a threat. They all know they need to get rid of him. None of them are going to do it just yet. |
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| 5. Vytas went home mainly because of Shirin showing him to be a strategic and social threat. She managed to be on the right side of the vote for one of the first times in her Survivor career, and she’s finally able to play the way she wants. | 5. Wiglesworth falls from glory a bit as she ironically becomes the reincarnation of Sonja Christopher in Quest for Fire. While she was the visible weakness at the immunity challenge, her position is solid and will remain safe for a long time to come. | 5. Everyone respects Tasha and knows how strong a competitor she is in challenges. I don’t think anyone is going to target her until the merge. |
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| 6. Savage has started Second Chance almost the same way he started Pearl Islands. He’s a part of Jeremy’s alpha alliance, and he’s not really dealing with the females of his tribe. He’s targeting Stephen, and he’ll probably get his way. | 6. I’m not sold on Woo and that’s no secret. I do like how he’s remained on the quieter side, while working hard and performing at challenges. Woo will do well to subtly remind everyone that there are far bigger fish to fry, and his strength is vital to the tribal stage of the game. | 6. There’s no real reason to target Jeremy yet, right? Out of the “alpha males” on Bayon, Jeremy is seemingly, the least threatening. |
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| 7. Tasha is a strong female, so she’s able to sit and weave palm fronds with the girls, but also, she was singled out by Jeremy to be a part of his group. We didn’t see much from her in the first episode, but she should be sticking around for a while. | 7. I’m surprised that I put Spencer this high. He voted for a bigger target and set the precedent of removing strategic threats before they get a chance to maneuver. If precedent holds, Spencer is in trouble. Otherwise, he’s not the Charlie Brown of Ta Keo like he was in Cagayan and will probably be safe for a while. | 7. Only time will tell, but so far, Kass seems to be integrating herself into the tribe rather well. A secret scene online shows her talking about the “Mama Kass & The Hot Guy Alliance.” If she can work that right, it may be one of the most wonderful alliances I’ve ever seen. |
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| 8. Kimmi had such a great first episode! She’s fitting in very well with the rest of her tribe, and she called out Stephen for his idol hunting. You can tell she’s very thankful for being on Survivor again, and she’s coming off as very pleasant and helpful. | 8. Many people who return from very recent seasons face the dilemma of overcoming the previous stereotypes with little success. Shirin did an excellent job of being strong willed without being too zany. I think she’s shielded by bigger targets and will keep her name off of any ballots for a while. | 8. Keith being reliable and loyal shouldn’t really be questionable, and I think he’s going to be just fine. I do think, at some point, someone is going to say, “hey, does Keith actually know what’s going on or should we just cut the fat?” |
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| 9. Spencer is in a lot better of a position in the game than I thought he would be. He’s in good with the new schoolers and I feel like people aren’t as concerned about the Cagayan thing this early. | 9. I really don’t know how I feel about Kimmi. She wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t good. She was often in the right place at the right time for strategic purposes, but I think that she’s nothing more than a number right now. A poor challenge performance puts her on the hot seat. | 9. If you read my first “Next Time On… Survivor” article you would know that I think Stephen is way safer than his first episode edit might imply. In fact, I think he’s bound to find an idol. That said, in case I’m very wrong, I’m putting him closer to the middle of the list. |
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| 10. This first episode was not a good one for poor Kelly. She lost the challenge for Ta Keo, and she was on the losing side when the votes were read. Luckily for Kelly, she has the nostalgia factor on her side, and she’s a good worker at camp. | 10. Varner was a sight to see during the premiere. His narration of events is always spectacular, but I think he’s playing the game too hard around a group that is trying to pump the brakes. If he can meet up with the Conference Call alliance and shore up allegiances on the island, he’ll be in a great position. | 10. Now to get to Ta Keo. We have reason to believe that the alliance-in-power on Ta Keo is going to change based on previews for the next episode. If this happens, Terry would be in power both as a physical competitor and in the numbers. |
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| 11. He might have been on the losing side of the vote, but let’s be real – Woo isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. | 11. I loved seeing the permanent smile that seemingly was plastered on Terry’s face during the entire premiere. He’s back and wants to make the most of his second chance. He voted in the minority, but I think that his work ethic and strength will keep him around. | 11. See Terry. |
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| 12. Vytas being voted out is probably the best possible outcome from episode 1 for Ciera. She no longer has any obvious ties to people on Ta Keo, and she is laying pretty low on Bayon. | 12. I’ll put it bluntly- I am not a fan of Tasha’s. Her abrasive personality and strength got her on the good side of the Alpha Males, but will she ever be seen as more than just the bottom of the totem pole? The second she steps over the line, it will be clear that she is expendable and will be in danger. | 12. I’m starting to believe that Woo doesn’t really know what’s going on. That said – see Terry. I think he, Terry and Kelly are all in the same boat. |
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| 13. Oh Terry. Not only was he on the wrong side of the vote, but an interesting tidbit from Shirin (post-episode on Twitter) he apparently rubbed a lot of people the wrong way after dismissing Abi-Maria for her language barrier. He’s not off to a good start on his Second Chance. | 13. Keith is solidly sitting in the middle of the pack. To his advantage, he and Jeremy are apparently on a fresh start, but Keith lacks the strategic game necessary to ensure safety in the early stage of the game. I think there are bigger fish to fry, but he’s only safe because he’ll work hard and help at challenges. | 13. Jeff wants to shake things up and in doing such he will most likely control the majority of Ta Keo. Part of me fears his antics might draw attention from both sides of the tribe. It would just take a little collaboration between Terry and Spencer or Woo and Kelley to target crazy Jeff Varner. |
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| 14. Was she even in the first episode? Other than some passing shots of her, and a confessional about her being worried that she’s weak, Monica was completely missing from the episode. She’s not contributing to any of the narrative, so I could see her being an easy early boot. | 14. Peih-Gee is lower now, but has the makings to quickly end up at either end of the spectrum. I was very impressed with how she moved away from the abrasive and vocal personality that we saw in China. She’s seemingly in-between two alliances, so her fate lies in how the majority alliance wants to treat the people on the fringe. | 14. Still, we have reason to believe the tides are going to change on Ta Keo. This means a few fan favorites are in trouble. Shirin is paving her way as a strong, though visible, strategic player. |
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| 15. He’s in good with Jeremy, but I can see Jeremy not wanting to keep him around for long. Keith offers no strategic input, and won’t be targeted over Jeremy. Couple that with him almost losing the challenge for Bayon, and his game in Cambodia might be short lived. | 15. Ciera was able to make it far in Blood vs. Water because of social prowess and luck. The question in Cambodia, however, is whether Ciera can overcome the early stage and develop relationships within her tribe. | 15. She found an idol at the first challenge and it was awesome. The premiere episode was a great indicator of how good a player Kelley has the potential to be. That said, bad things sometimes happen to players with idols in the early game who just don’t see it coming. |
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| 16. I’m not sure if Kass is as screwed as previously thought. She is getting along well with the others on her tribe, especially Tasha. If Bayon goes to tribal council, she’ll probably be used as a vote, as opposed to being unanimously voted out due to her reputation. | 16. Kass plays the initial stage of the game very, very well. She embraces her situation and makes the best of it. I think she’s subtly proved herself more valuable than some of the others and would be taken along further than those below. | 16. I think Abi is safe, I do. But just in case all this hype about Varner’s switch-up is full of hot air, I’m putting her close to the bottom. No tribe is going to deal with someone actively working against them. |
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| 17. She doesn’t seem to be fitting in with her tribe and that worries me. Couple that with #braceletgate, and Peih-Gee might be an easy vote out at the next tribal council. | 17. Fishbach gained last name status from Probst, but also gained a reputation as being shady and weak. Without fitting into the Alpha Male alliance, Fishbach is in trouble unless someone performs poorly at the challenge or draws too much negative attention at camp. | 17. “Savage!?” Let me explain. Savage has made himself the obvious leader both of Bayon and his little alpha male alliance. All it would take is Stephen or Ciera to start planting that little seed in everyone’s ear to shoot down the leader. It’s a ten-person tribe and there’s more going on than Savage, Jeremy, Keith and Joe’s bro-down. If Bayon loses, I think he’s out. |
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| 18. The Brazilian firecracker is back, and not in a good way (for her at least). Abi was one vote away from possibly going home, and from the upcoming preview, she doesn’t seem to take it well. She really needs to reel herself in or she’ll be gone very soon. | 18. I was one vote away from having my week 1 prediction be correct, but that doesn’t mean that Abi is safe by any means. Sure she was trying to tame the “Brazilian Dragon”, but #BraceletGate painted a bigger target on her back. She only voted with the majority because she couldn’t vote for herself. | 18. A lot of Abi’s rage seems to be aimed towards Peih-Gee. If Jeff needs Abi’s vote to help build his “take two!” alliance, he might have to oblige her and take out someone she dislikes. |
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| 19. Episode 1 and Fishbach is already not fitting in with his tribe. He went off looking for a hidden immunity idol, and Kimmi mentioned how stupid it is for him to be off searching. Hopefully he finds a way to help out his tribe more and get in with some people, or they’ll be quick to vote him out. | 19. Monica at the bottom will most likely surprise a lot of people. With the Alpha Males seemingly bonded together, that leaves the supposed duo of Monica and Ciera on the outs. Monica is a challenge liability and the Alpha Males will not like that. The only thing that could save her is if someone decides that a bigger threat needs to go over a challenge liability. | 19. Pre-game, Jeff wanted Spencer out first. Instead of that happening, Jeff worked, loosely, with Spencer in the first vote. As I’ve mentioned above, we have reason to believe that Jeff is going to mix things up on his tribe and it may be with the sole intention to take Spencer out. |
Agree? Disagree? Let Rob, Shawn, and Jacob know on Twitter.
Photo Credit: jeffgunn via Compfight cc
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