Survivor 41 episode 2 power rankings: These frontrunners are leading the pack
One player from each tribe is an early favorite to win Survivor 41, but it’s (almost) anybody’s game as we look to the episode 2 power rankings.
With the Survivor 41 premiere airing last week, the excitement for the competitive reality show is at a fever pitch. It was the number one rated television show on Wednesday night, staying at pace with the season 39 premiere in viewership two years later while holding firm in the ratings.
More importantly, we finally got to see the 18 castaways in action, bringing their stories and hardships of the past year and wearing them on their sleeves. We laughed, cried, and relished the gameplay that brought so many of us to this show.
In just two days out of twenty-six, we got a good picture of who the movers and shakers of this game are. That’s why it’s the perfect time to dive into the Survivor 41 episode 2 power rankings, looking at those who hold power, those who are treading water, and those kicking to keep their head above it.
Frontrunners
Shan Smith: With the exception of Brad (a player strategically inept enough to tell a player, to their face, that they’re a target), Shan is in the middle of every strategic conversation and has people coming to her for information and to further the Ua tribe. Get ready to hear the mafia pastor’s Shanthem for a long time.
Danny McCray: Danny had a great debut, earning trust in his tribe by sweating for fire and protecting his vote (and being forthright about his trip to Extinction Island). He didn’t even really get in trouble for looking for an idol, as Sydney let him know Naseer ratted him out. It shows that the tribe trusts Danny right now and looks to him as a leader.
Evvie Jagoda: The early story of the Yase tribe centered around the idea of “keep the tribe strong” versus the notion of loyalty. Evvie illustrated the ability to levy relationships to counter an established narrative that suggested women don’t keep tribes strong, getting out Abraham and entrenching people into her camp. Everybody on the tribe trusts Evvie deeply.
In The Mix
Sydney Segal: With Luvu not visiting tribal council, most of their focus went toward the water-fillers and Naseer. However, we received a substantial amount of Sydney insight into both camps, letting Deshawn know he was being targeted. She was a top highlight of all players that didn’t receive a background video package, and she looks to be an essential swing on the Luvu tribe.
Tiffany Seely: The previvor showed resilience and confidence in her standing on the tribe despite being targeted as weak by the outgoing Abraham. Though she didn’t earn an advantage, she has earned enough trust where tribe leaders want to go deep in the game with her.
Liana Wallace: A close confidant of Evvie’s, nobody seems to be targeting Liana, and she is holding various strategy conversations with everyone on the tribe. This bodes well for her long game.
Ricard Foyé: Many view Ricard’s positive editing and confessional count as an indicator of a potential win, but at this stage of Survivor 41, he didn’t get his way. He doesn’t trust JD and wanted to get JD out, but Sara went home. He even received a vote and could have been voted out if Sarah played her die and won safety! Still, he’s in the tribe’s brain trust right now.
David Voce: A great character can cut loose a bit in the confessionals while still thinking strategically. Voce not falling for the “keep the tribe strong” mentality showcased his ability to schmooze, although not getting his way with the “Savvy or Sweat” challenge is a tad bit concerning.
Middle of the Road / Swing Players
Erika Casupanan: She highlighted the future concerns of Danny and Deshawn finding an idol and picking off the “weak players” and got some early intro confessional highlighting (and a question from Jeff on the mat), but not enough substantive content. I hope she gets a significant boost in Survivor 41 episode 2!
Genie Chen: Huge backstory sold Genie as a great character you should root for, but her strategic content was severely lacking. I can only speculate she voted Ricard in case Sara earned safety last week, but we didn’t get much of her gameplay insight.
Xander Hastings: What looked to be the Golden Boy heir apparent, Xander seems to be viewed as (and is) the “good ol’ boy” of the tribe. He earned an extra vote and told his tribe about it; it shows that he’s thinking of the game too much as a team sport, especially when it comes to secrets.
Heather Aldret: I don’t know who this person is yet.
In Trouble / Potential Targets
Deshawn Radden: We didn’t get to see much of Deshawn other than him partnering with Danny and targeting Naseer in retaliation. However, I can see the tribe split down either Naseer or Deshawn right now, with both receiving votes next at the next tribal council.
Naseer Muttalif: Naseer picked the exact wrong situation to point out players hunting for an idol on Day 1; when two players are busting ass to earn fire for the tribe. Making Final Four alliances and ratting others out doesn’t work if you don’t earn trust in the tribe. He might be Luvu’s first boot.
JD Robinson: If this were Millennials vs. Boomers vs. Zoomers, JD would have represented the typical Zoomer edit. He pumped himself up with overconfidence as he played for power, told his tribe a lie of a coverup, nobody believed him, and he called for an open tribal. He’s on everybody’s radar.
Brad Reese: Brad was playing like it was the year 2000 by telling Sara and Shan they were his targets. Then he turned around and told JD Shan was targeting him with Shan standing right there, right before telling Shan he’s with her to the end. Brad is a hot mess, even though his heart is in the right place.
