Survivor: China, Ranking the Survivors – The Top 8

1. Amanda (1): Just write her the check now. Amanda is adaptable without being too shifty like her partner, and is still doing everything right to win. She and Todd were correct to get rid of either James or Jean-Robert, but Jean-Robert made more sense because he was on the fringes of their alliance.

When he found out that he wasn’t told of the immunity idol, Todd was sharp to realize this meant he could easily defect. Amanda was cautious to comply, but ultimately chose wisely and won back Courtney’s loyalty in the process. There may be an upset, but with so many dim players, it’s unlikely.

2. Todd (2): Todd’s a little scrapper, isn’t he? Some think he bungled the last vote, but I think it was actually pretty smart to vote out Jean-Robert. James is much less likely to align with the old Zhan Hu to counteract his plans, especially since they would be less likely to embrace his help when he let them down recently.

If he’s smart, he’ll go for Peih-Gee and then James, telling James it’s Erik they want out at seven. (If he’s really smart, he’ll divide up that vote, making sure that people like Denise, Courtney, and Frosti vote for James, and that he or Amanda convinces James to vote for Erik and votes with him, while the other votes for either James also or a dummy vote to Denise. That way, either James or Erik goes home, while still preserving his core alliance… it also doesn’t matter how Erik votes in that scenario.) Regardless, Todd does need to chill out a bit.

3. Courtney (3): Courtney’s win will in no way make her seem more threatening, although she does stand a decent shot at the last immunity challenge, which often involves motionlessness. Courtney must be enormously relieved that Jean-Robert is going home, and will set her eyes next on James. Unless she’s part of a major coup against Todmanda, Courtney has no chance to win the game. I don’t foresee a coup.

4. Denise (4): I feel really badly for Denise. She seems like a sweet lady, and it’s a shame she was not only left out of the challenge, but that she was also out of the loop for the vote. If she were smart, she would align with the appropriate people to change her fate, but I don’t see that happening.

Denise will likely feel ostracized from everyone, but Todmanda has more of a history with her and likelihood of winning her back into the fold for a few more votes. She’s an important vote for those who would like to turn the tables, but even if Peih-Gee was successful in converting Denise, she would still not make it to the end.

5. Frosti (5): Frosti feels empowered, but he’s still in a weak position. He’s a traitor to former Zhan Hu, and the most easily disposable to the old Fei Long. I expect him to vote with Todmanda for a while, and eventually lose immunity at an inopportune time and be voted off. His close ties to Courtney seem to indicate he will vote with her also, and this will be used by Todmanda to their advantage at first, and as a reason to cast him asunder at last.

6. Erik (7): Erik’s a nice guy, but not long for this game. He could pull a Dani, but that’s pretty rare. It’s more likely that Peih-Gee’s coup will be thwarted and Erik will straggle until Todmanda gives the word. At least he’ll have some nice alone time with Jaime at Loser’s Lounge…

7. James (8): James has the opportunity to make it much farther than 7th place, but he doesn’t seem bright enough to know when he may need to play the idols. He has every chance to make it much farther than this if he wins individual immunity or if he gets a clue by the way the last vote fell. I don’t think he’ll get it though, and be lulled into a false sense of complacency as the old Fei Long plus Frosti votes off Peih-Gee and James thinks it will be Erik next, saving his idols for another day that doesn’t come.

8. Peih-Gee (9): Peih-Gee is tenacious and gutsy, but unless she wins the next individual immunity, she’s outta here. If she can gather the misfits, she has a chance, but I don’t think she’s as astute of a negotiator as she will need to be.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: China articles here on RealityNewsOnline:

Asher Streets is a food engineer and musician who lives in Madison, WI. He has a love for all things Italian, most especially gelato, wine, espresso, and cheese. Asher appreciates your opinions too and can be reached via email: asher.streets@gmail.com.