Survivor: Thailand – Advice to the Remaining 12

The tribes are divided amongst themselves. Fractures are appearing, the battle lines are drawn, but it still comes down to one victim in the end. Is it better to avoid tribal council and let the factions battle on... or is it better to cut out part of the divisive factors that threaten the whole tribe? The Dear Abby of Survivor is back with the answers, and the advice for the remaining players in this cutthroat game.

All Players

Next time out, there is something that regards an individual choice. Could this be a third tribe? My track record is lousy on such things, but if it is, then each of you must decide if you are in the IN crowd or the OUTCAST crowd on you beach. Only make the jump if you are on the outs.

Sook Jai

You are a tribe on the rebound. After losing two straight challenges, you finally figured out that going to tribal council, well, sucks. It doesn't matter if you kick out somebody you don't like; it rips apart the tribe and forces the battle-lines into the open. So, here it is up front – never toss a challenge again. If nothing else, you have your pick of which people stay out of challenges when you are on the plus side of the ledger. Boiled down, it means the other tribe must field everybody, including their weakest members, while you have a luxury of sitting weak players out. One more piece of advice regarding your chickens. Kill the rooster first; it won't lay a single egg. Second, no matter how you decide to cook the chickens, save the bones and make chicken soup.

Stephanie. How blind are you? The tribe members who knew how to count to five tossed Jed because he was an outcast by choice. Now here you are, still playing outcast. You painted your dummy alone; that further isolated you and gave the others another reason to stick together and toss you out next time tribal council looms. Here is my advice, blunt and point-blank: make yourself a part of the TRIBE instead of an outcast, or if there is any opportunity to get a new deal, take it.

Robb. Surprised by tribal council? Nobody I know of was. It all came down to three people doing their own thing against five people who were working together. The most intelligent thing you've said or done so far is admit you were surprised nobody wrote down your name. Then again, the tribe members who could count to five were united in their decision. As with Stephanie, you must either be a part of the tribe or take any opportunity to escape your situation.

Shii Ann. The votes against you are not important. You have something better – an alliance of five that will carry you through the game. Political power is more important than strength, and you survived tribal council because you had your priorities straight. You must work to cement yourself in this alliance and freeze out Stephanie and Robb – they are your natural enemies at this point.

Jake. So far, so good. Your team is up 5-2 on challenges, and tribal council taught you a little something about tossing a challenge. You are right to not want to go back. Your alliance of five can take another few rounds, but why go if the enemy can go instead?

Ken. You've picked the right alliance, and know exactly where everybody stands on your tribe. Keep working hard, keep your allies, and you will go far in the game.

Erin and Penny. We haven't heard much from you two, but that is a good thing at this point. You are in tight with the alliance of people who can count to five. Stick with them; they are the ticket to the end-game and possible big bucks.

Chuay Gahn

Everything is catching up to you now. The tribe with the older, more mature people has lost that advantage due to the split over the Ted/Ghandia incident. The male/female split is a knife through the heart of the tribe. This tribe needs healing, and fast. A tribe divided will only fall.

Helen. You may have cooked your goose. You had your choice of the female alliance, or going out on your own. You went on your own. That is a mistake; you should always stick with your alliance unless you have a good reason to jump ship. Like Zoe from Survivor 4, you jumped without a safety net. This was at your peril.

Jan. You tried. It wasn't enough; Helen's defection means you are out on your own. You have a double challenge; you need to try to get into the main alliance of the country club boys, and fight off your physical weakness problem. Strike the deal before Helen does; it may be your only way out.

Clay. Tribal council showed you exactly why political protection is the name of the game. I don't know if you and your country club boys are too busy chipping golf balls to gather food and water, but the perception is there, and you might want to consider it. Stick with the men; it's your best chance at remaining in the game.

Ted. Your sparring partner Ghandia is gone, which might heal one big rift in the tribe. However, this game is getting more and more scary when examined from your position. Sook Jai is winning challenges and whittling down your tribe, and even a solid alliance of three can't stand a Sook Jai 5 alliance if you merge shorthanded.

Brian. It all comes down to this – salvaging your position. Losing challenges and members is never a good way to win in Survivor. You have a divided tribe, and face a mostly united enemy tribe. Keep up the male alliance, and look for the weak links on the opposing tribe once merge comes.

Ghandia. What went wrong? Face it, you overplayed your position. You had an issue with Ted, which became he said/she said, then divided the tribe. Unfortunately, you didn't win over all of the women; Helen swapped sides, and it spelled doom for yourself. He may be right; he may be wrong, but his torch is still alight.

Jeffrey Clinard lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with his kittens, Lam and Princess. He can be reached at jclinard@earthlink.net.

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