Survivor: Cook Islands – Advice for the Remaining 19

Survivor is back, starting with an interesting mix of people once again playing for a million dollars and the title of Sole Survivor. Dividing the tribes by ethnic background was certainly controversial, but that was the whole point. People are talking about Survivor again. By taking the risk, they got huge exposure. In terms of actual play in the first episode, it seemed like a complete non-issue. Outside of a few ethnic jokes about rice or paddling a raft to an island instead of away from one, the basic situation was unchanged. Besides, as several players noted, each tribe had a lot of diversity within it. Plus, each tribe has its own resident misfit.

The first real challenge came on the boat when each tribe had two minutes to grab supplies before the ship sank on them, at least in a figurative sense. I'm not quite sure how the grab worked, though it seemed like each tribe had some of their own supplies, while other items were up for grabs. Prioritizing what to grab from anything that was there for the taking was the first item of business. Machetes and Hawaiian slings were probably the top priority items. Staple foods, such as rice, were next, followed by water jugs, rope, fish traps, luxury foods (chickens and bananas), and lamps. Dead last was firewood. It isn't easy to see which tribe did the best, though Raro did end up with rope, two chickens, two Hawaiian slings, two buckets, a water jug, two machetes, and a lantern, which is a pretty good set of supplies for any tribe to start with.

Later, the reward/immunity challenge required puzzle solving skills, rowing, and teamwork. Both Puka and Aitu excelled at all aspects of the challenge, and came in first and second. Raro did a sloppy job in securing the braces of their boat, and seemed to have problems with the puzzle, though I will note that it appeared that the women sorted out the braces while Adam and Jonathan were doing the puzzle, as they had them ready in the correct order to assemble their ladder. However, that smart thinking was offset by them not having a plan on who was going to put the puzzle pieces in, which made them all look bad. As bad as their teamwork was, Hiki seemed even worse. They essentially lost the challenge because they were not able to assemble their boat by the time two other teams had already assembled it, rowed out, gotten fire, and rowed back.

Exile Island's first clue was probably half-correctly interpreted by Jonathan. I agree with him that the A shaped wreckage was the starting point. However, the second half of the clue clearly indicated a direction to face. The southern island needs to disappear. Depending on the orientation of the A frame, the player should face north, or as close to north as possible to remove the view of the southern island. My only other guess is that hidden immunity is probably somewhere in the ocean, but I can't be sure of that.

Still, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or any other factors, all 19 remaining Survivors need to understand their position in the game, and plot out their strategy to win. It's advice for the remaining 19.

Puka: Well done on winning the first challenge. Your camp looks to be in great shape, and more or less getting along for now, even if Cao Boi is a bit strange. If you had any faults, it was letting the chicken get away from you during the scramble for supplies, though that can be forgiven as it was pretty chaotic. So far, so good.

Cao Boi: You need to fit in with the group. If the others like your stories and Asian jokes, great, if not, you're in trouble when it comes time to go to Tribal Council. You already see yourself as a misfit in your tribe (a thought shared by some others). You need to do a better job of fitting in, or making yourself in disposable to the tribe. By the way, I'm not knocking your alternative to aspirin – I'm in big believer in going with whatever works.

Yul: If Cao Boi is a misfit, that's good for you. It makes him the target. However, having a target isn't enough; you need to develop a core group of allies within your tribe in order to keep playing, both now and when the tribes are inevitably shuffled. Start making the deals now.

Becky: We didn't see much of you, but so far you've fit in well with your tribe. You might want to start plotting with some of the others for an alliance that will carry you through any tribe shuffles or merges. However, so far, things are good.

Jenny: You've noticed the diversity among your own tribe. I'm not sure if you think it is good or bad, but at some point you'll want to be in a tribe with other ethnicities (otherwise it means you'll have been eliminated). You'll need to start connecting with your other tribe members to protect your own position.

Brad: Well, you may have a mark above your nose, but your headache is gone. It was probably a good trade. Like the others on your tribe, you'll need to start bonding with the people who are going to be your allies, and figure out which ones are disposable in the early game.

Aitu: Your tribe did a good job at the challenge, and also seem to have gotten things accomplished at your camp. If you have a fault, it looks like you came out a little short on the supply grab, though I'm not sure of the extent of it. Still, you have fire, all your members, and you seem to be getting along so far. That's always a plus.

Cristina: Not much footage of you was shown, which probably means you are safe for now. With Billy starting to paint a target on his own back, you should allow him to fail on his own. You should be safe enough for now.

Ozzy: You pulled a really good trick in gently taking the leadership role away from Billy without causing hard feelings. By showing you knew what you were doing and getting the first food for the tribe, you have immediately shown your value. You are in a great position right now. Don't blow it.

Cecilia: So far, you're representing your community well, as your tribe is getting things done, be it camp life or challenges. Your tribe did a great job in the challenge, and so far you shouldn't be worried about being eliminated. So far, so good.