Survivor: Cook Islands – Advice for the Remaining Six

Right now, the members of the Survivor: Cook Islands jury are all former Raro members, known for their emotional play. All of the remaining players need the right jury opponent for the right jury. Emotional juries can vote against somebody they hate, while rational juries will vote for the best player. It looks like this will be an emotional one. Jonathan was the logical person to take to the jury, as nobody likes him much. While the rest of the tribe may like sending him to jury duty, they should have wanted to keep him around as their bait for the money.

Oddly enough, it was Yul who “arranged the hit” on Jonathan, which goes against what we’ve seen of his sense of strategy and play. Having the right people in your sub-alliance is critical when the number of Survivors left is an odd number. Jonathan had already said he didn’t feel he could make it to the final four without the person who held the idol. Thus, Yul managed to get rid of a person who was sure to vote with him when the Aitu alliance inevitably cracks. Of course, Sundra and Ozzy should be delighted at the move. Their positions improved immensely.

Still, this change can be used by the remaining players to win the game. By voting out Jonathan, the remaining players can all try to leverage their positions. While the Aitu alliance has not yet cracked, it will when there are five players left. At that point, either the last Raro remaining or the cracked Aitu will be the swing vote. With Jonathan gone, that vote might be up for grabs.

I liked both challenges, with the loved ones challenge being rather close. If Jonathan had won, I think things would have gone differently. Of course, winning challenges at this stage of the game often means paying a political price for it. Oddly enough, this time while Parvati made the choice to exile Jonathan, her loved one got to pick the companions to enjoy the reward. I’m not sure I like that change much, as it adds someone outside the game to hold responsible for their choices.

Parvati’s dad created an interesting separation of the groups, and possibly had the intended effect of creating new bonds. Food (and deprivation of food) and isolation are classic tools to break people down and build them up in new ways.

Six people are left, and things will get interesting after the next vote. Who should each person want to vote out, and what should they be doing to win the game? It’s advice for the remaining six.

Parvati: Well done in winning the reward challenge. It gave you the ability to send Jonathan to Exile Island and change the game around. Your next job is to try to pry Sundra and Ozzy away from the Yul and Becky partnership. Together they are unbreakable, and if you can sell Sundra and Ozzy on breaking them up now, you’ll have a much better position in the game. If not, you’ll have seeded the idea for a break when there are five people left and you might control the swing vote that way.

Adam: Immunity or a crack is what you need to proceed, so you’ll need to play tag team with Parvati and try to break up the Aitu group. Stress the Yul / Becky bond and suggest the tribe take out Becky. If you can convince the other players that the bond is too strong, you can get the leverage you need to progress in the game.

Yul: You weakened your position considerably by voting out Jonathan. Unless you have that sure third vote when there are five players, the others are going to turn on you and Becky. If you sense that the mood might be swinging against the two of you, you might consider giving the hidden immunity idol to Becky, but I’d recommend against it. It’s still your best insurance to make the final three, where anything can happen. In the meantime, you need to find your third vote. One more thing: as the ringleader, the emotional jury might hold you responsible for directing the votes against them.

Becky: By tossing Jonathan, you lost the critical third vote for when there are five. You might be a target now, as everybody should consider you and Yul to be unbreakable as a pair. As Yul has the hidden immunity idol, your best insurance is to wear immunity yourself. Otherwise, you need to stress keeping control of the tribe by eliminating either Parvati or Adam next, and make a deal with whoever isn’t voted out. Survivor is about controlling the vote, and you need to ensure you have the numbers.

Sundra: Now is the time to strike and find the vote you need for you and Ozzy to make it to the final three. Agree to vote off either Parvati or Adam, but once a decision is made, make a deal with the other to vote off Becky next. It will help you maintain control, and even be prepared to stab Ozzy in the back at four if he isn’t wearing immunity. He’s too dangerous in challenges to be left around that close to the end.

Ozzy: You need to consider when and how the Aitu alliance is going to break, and make Sundra your partner in this game. You have the numbers at four against two right now, but whoever doesn’t go needs to be bargained with to take out Becky next. You might need an immunity win after that, but as Yul can’t be taken down until three are left, it’s your best chance to get there.

Jonathan: What went wrong? Well, Parvati separated you via Exile Island, and played on your personality. I’m sure you thought that the Aitus played rationally, but they didn’t this time. You paid the price for it.

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