I’ve been getting really into the latest installment of Survivor (set in Guatemala), and for quite some time now I’ve been pulling for Danni to make it all the way. The only other two characters I’ve wanted to see succeed are Bobby Jon and Gary, and they’re both gone now. Well, with them (and the already voted off Brandon) being Danni’s only true allies once they made the merge, Danni is definitely in a bit of a sticky situation. Now in the final six, what can Danni do to ensure that she makes it as far as possible?
My friend, Dave, and I discussed this issue at length. Right now, Danni has two potential strategies: She can befriend Lydia (who is also on the outs with the rest of the tribe) in hopes of creating a new alliance, or she can divert all of the attention onto Lydia, to make sure that she survives another week. Obviously, the latter of the two scenarios seems like the better idea. However, she needs to be careful about not being too overt about this strategy. People are smart enough to realize when they’re being played, and if Danni is too apparent about her urges to get Lydia voted off, it could easily blow up in her face (just look at what happened to Jamie).
Provided that Danni outlasts Lydia, her remaining competition is Stephenie, Judd, Cindy, and Rafe. From there, Danni has to be careful about how she handles things. The best case scenario (and this is what I would do to save Danni), would be for her to confront Rafe and just be open. Say “Listen, I know my head is next on the chopping block, so I know I’m not going to win.” Then offer him a deal that would benefit the both of them. Say “Listen, if you don’t vote me off next, I’ll vote with you and Cindy to eliminate Judd and Stephenie. Then, in the final three, it’s every person for themselves.” This will definitely be a tough sell, but hopefully Rafe will realize that with his constant immunity wins, Stephenie and Judd may already be coercing to eliminate him after disposing of Lydia and Danni.
Along with that, Bobby Jon hit the nail on the head a few weeks ago when he told Jamie that out of everybody left, Stephenie is the one he should be most worried about. Gary echoed this last week when he said that half the people are so star struck by Stephenie that they don’t see the hold she has on them. Take a look at Judd, who not only decided to share his meal with Stephenie, but also decided to show her the clue for the location of the hidden immunity idol. Stephenie is clearly the person in the power position, and a proposed alliance of Danni, Rafe, and Cindy would be beneficial to all three of them. Say what you will about her, but Stephenie is smart enough to realize that her best chance of winning it all is if she’s up against Judd in the final two. Therefore, the smartest course of action for all involved is to eliminate the two of them.
When Dave and I discussed this scenario, he noted that Danni is actually in a much better situation than people realize. I conceded that that may be true, but it’s only if literally everything goes according to plan. It is imperative that Lydia gets voted off next, and (barring some immunity victories, which she is yet to achieve) it is absolutely necessary that she somehow splits the already alliance of Stephenie, Judd, Rafe, and Cindy. I’d like to see Danni go all the way. Maybe it’s because she’s the underdog, or because she’s pretty, or because she seems genuinely likable (she is seemingly the only character left on the show who hasn’t gotten into a single conflict with a fellow tribe mate yet). Nevertheless, her survival is contingent on a number of factors that could just as easily not go her way. Nevertheless, this Thursday, I know who I’ll be rooting for.
