Survivor 41 episode 11 power rankings: 7 days, 7 players
We’re in the endgame now, as the Survivor 41 episode 11 power rankings look at the field after a bombshell tribal council.
Sometimes, it’s the most paranoid players in the game that will surprise you. Last week, I noted that Shan would have been a potential target had she not held an idol, as her paranoia would kick in to protect her game. However, despite knowing of plans to blindside her, Ricard ended up the victor.
Where does that leave us as of Survivor 41 episode 11? We now have as many players left in the game as there are days, so it’s anybody’s game!
Frontrunner
Deshawn Radden: Both in edgic and positioning, Deshawn seems to be the leader of the Viakana tribe. After dethroning Shan with a vicious (although somewhat telegraphed) blindside, Deshawn played for himself instead of the culture, and now he’s in the best position to win this season.
He has the loyalty of Danny and bigger fish to fry (like Ricard, Erika, and Xander) protecting him. He might conceivably have two or three votes for him already on a jury of four. He took out his biggest competition. It would take four of Erika, Ricard, Xander, Liana, and Heather to agree to vote him out before anyone else of those five; a tall task, if not impossible.
In the Mix
Danny McCray: Somehow, Danny is the biggest, strongest competitor in Survivor 41, yet he is the only player remaining without a vote against him. It’s pretty remarkable considering his threat level, as he has displayed a keen understanding of tribal dynamics and showcases great social play.
Can he win Survivor 41 from a jury of his peers? He’d need to have Deshawn, Ricard, Erika, and maybe even Liana voted out before the Final Three, but even then, I can only imagine safe votes from Shan, Deshawn, and maybe Liana. With a game as dynamic as we’ve seen so far, he’ll need to start making big movez if he wants to earn a winning resume.
Middle / Swing Players
Heather Aldret: Though she’s very much a bit player (and certainly not winning this game, barring CBS actively giving its audience the middle finger), she is doing her part to sew chaos and dissent in the Viakana tribe. She was present in conversations to solidify the vote on Shan’s name, and the vote split worked.
We’ve seen Heather make last-second attempts to make moves, so it makes sense that she’s positioned in the middle once more. Whether a Deshawn/Danny/Xander/Erika collective against Ricard forms or a Liana/Ricard/Xander/Erika collective pushes for one of the D’s, Heather seems primed to be a pivotal swing vote. Either way, nobody’s going after her.
Liana Wallace: Having voted for Erika last week, Liana is blindsided again after being exposed as a double agent. This time it wasn’t as public or as embarrassing as when she tried to steal Xander’s fake idol, but it does pose an intriguing question; how does Liana bounce back?
The enemy (Xander) of her enemy (Deshawn/Danny) may become her friend. She could also remain adamant in trying to get out Xander. Either way, after being blindsided by members of the alliance of Black players (while attempting to blindside them first), Liana is poised to become a pivotal free agent.
In Trouble / Potential Targets
Xander Hastings: I believe Xander’s winning potential has faded away to the point where he’s … just there. He was tangential to Shan’s elimination, and he doesn’t seem to be on the top of anybody’s radar but Liana’s (which might no longer be the case).
He’s more “in trouble” due to his ability to be targeted for simply outlasting rounds of being a voting target, plus he still has an immunity idol and extra vote. His path to the end exists through twists, immunity trinkets, advantages, making fire, and following the votes set out by others.
Ricard Foyé: Shan made a point to let Ricard know a plan was formulated to vote him out, to the extent of saying the time was “not now” for them to go after one another. Ricard thought differently, as he was instrumental in blindsiding his closest ally.
Now he has accrued a ton of credit, winning potential, and heat from the rest of the tribe, all while losing out on people he can trust. He doesn’t even have Shan’s idol to protect him, meaning he likely needs to rely on immunities to make it to the Final Four. Thankfully, he’s the most prolific at it this season!
Erika Casupanan: The Luvu power players have been targeting Erika all season long due to her “sneaky” smarts. That problematic description of her reputation followed the merge, where she was deemed “dangerous” and a “mastermind” despite … doing almost nothing to sway the game's flow.
With her split vote mechanics on the Shan blindside, we are now starting to see Erika emerge from her UTR edit to form what might be the best winning edit left, on one condition; if she is responsible for getting Ricard, Danny, and Deshawn eliminated.
She has one week left in the game to power through the powers the be while avoiding their combined wrath; it’s the true underdog story of the season.
