Hello all, welcome back to the Edit Bay! This weekly feature takes a dive into the edit of the latest Survivor episode, analyzing the key stories, main characters, and top winner contenders.
For those new to The Edit Bay, it is a condensed version of Edgic, highlighting some of the stand-out story beats from the most recent episode. It also includes my weekly Edgic ratings for each castaway at the end of the article.
I’m going to do something a little different this season, and for each episode, I’ll highlight each player’s best/most substantive confessional and how it ties into their overall character/arc/story.
VULA
MARY
This game is so much fun. I get to evade people chasing me. I get to play this mind game and be a version of myself that I never am. Like, this is why I came out here. I’m so glad that I’ve gotten to play with Sai, because it’s just hella fun.
In this episode, Mary continued her underdog arc, and most of her confessionals played into that. But it was her confessional about Sai that felt the most crucial. She mentioned having respect for Sai, as well as having “hella fun” playing against her. Seeing as Sai shared similar sentiments, do we have the start of a ‘from enemies to allies’ storyline developing?
With the way the episode ended, with Mary and Sai still in the game, plus Cedrek destroying his trust with Sai, the stage is set for Mary and Sai potentially working together. In a season of pairs, this would certainly make for the most dynamic duo yet, and it could very well become the defining story of the season.
This was also the first episode where I considered whether Mary could be a winner contender. I still lean to her arc being mostly the underdog that scrapes through, but the way she was presented here, as someone cool under pressure, calculated in her moves, and respected by her tribemates, painted a picture of strong contender. It will be interesting to see where her story goes from here, especially with a swap incoming.
SAI
Mary is going to work for this idol, and I have nothing but respect for that. She’s a scary player because she is a good player. And I wouldn’t be going after her if I didn’t think that was the case.
Sai’s confessional here was a companion piece to Mary’s. She returned the respect, describing Mary as a “scary” and “good” player. As I said above, it makes for a fun, dynamic pairing, one that looks set to be a central part of the season now that both have made it through the third tribal council.
I don’t see as much winner equity in Sai as I do Mary. She seems much more of a character edit. I have no doubt she will continue to be a major presence so long as she’s on screen.
CEDREK
I believe him. Justin’s, like, my number one dude. And I know that I can trust Justin at this point. However, Sai wants to vote for Justin. If Mary has something, that means my number one dude would be going home. But will she play her shot in the dark or an idol? I don’t know.
This latest episode established Cedrek as an emotional player. He’s perhaps too trusting, as he believed Justin’s lie, which ultimately put him in a tough spot at tribal council. And yet, he was talked into saving Sai when she pleaded her case, again, showing he goes off emotion.
I think this is setting up Cedrek’s downfall. His going off emotions has caused wishy-washy gameplay and, in turn, has potentially damaged his working relationships moving forward.
LAGI
JOE
Because of my job as a fire captain, you got to sense morale on the team. You got people working for you, hard. You got to take time to give ’em a break. You got to take time to relax and be chill. At the end of the day, I want to be a great dad to my kids, and I want them to always see me out here as a good man. And even on the hardest days, I want to handle it like I would want my kids to handle it. And I want them to look at me and say, “I’m proud of him.”
The episode went heavy on the “Joe is the tribe’s dad” angle in this episode. In the noted confessional, Joe talked about wanting to care for and look after his tribe, comparing it to how he takes care of his team at work, as well as how he is as a father to his children.
This fatherly side has been focused on in his relationship with Eva across all three episodes so far. However, this was the first time we saw some real pushback from the other Lagi tribemates. When Eva made Joe a bracelet for his kids back home, both Shauhin and Thomas clocked the Eva/Joe partnership as potentially dangerous.
I still see a big part of Joe’s story as how he navigates his close personal bonds (especially with Eva) in addition to his strategic alliances (with Thomas and Shauhin currently). He can only be the tribe dad for so long, and how he manages the situation when his “kids” are fighting could define his success in this game.
SHAUHIN
Joe is my number one right now. He’s so funny, and we have the same sense of humor. And then I also have Joe, me and Thomas in the California girls alliance. And then we have the California girls plus Bianca for Thomas. And then we have the California girls plus Eva for Joe. Eva and Joe are on that athlete tip, that jock tip. They speak the same language and in the same way. And that leaves Star on the outs. Star found the beware advantage, and she runs off by herself all the time, trying to figure out the puzzle lock. So, if I was betting on who’s gonna go home, I would bet that it’s Star going home first.
Shauhin is still waiting on that true breakout episode. So far, he’s been a consistent presence, and we understand his alliances, but his content is very narrational. He also pointed out the duos on his tribe (Joe/Eva and Thomas/Bianca), yet we didn’t hear how this impacts him as a player, especially as he called Joe his “number one.”
I still feel like Shauhin has contender potential with this slow and steady edit, but at some point, we’re going to need to see a little more, both in terms of personal content and his individual strategy.
EVA
I’m from Minnesota, and we have a cabin that’s in Chippewa national forest. And so, me and my dad always build these huge fires that are so big that people come across the lake, thinking that our cabin’s on fire. And so, Joe making this massive bonfire makes me feel super close to my family. And I’ve made such a tight connection with him in this game that I wanted to give him something to show my gratitude.
Eva’s edit reemphasized her relationship with Joe while giving us a little more personal background. The confessional I’ve highlighted played into her father/daughter dynamic with Joe, showing us that Joe’s attempts to be the dad of the tribe are working.
However, as mentioned earlier, Eva’s closeness with Joe is becoming a worry to the other tribemates. This episode, as a whole, didn’t shy away from Eva’s struggles with the strategic side of the game. In particular, the way she approached Star about potentially working together backfired, with Star running back to Bianca and Thomas with the info.
This, however, plays into Eva’s story arc of how her autism affects her gameplay. She’s made it no secret that she has trouble telling when people are lying to her. And, from what we’ve seen so far, it feels like she is going to learn this lesson the hard way. But that gives her a goal, an obstacle to overcome. All the elements of a growth arc, and, who knows, when all is said and done, perhaps the ruthlessness of the game will have helped Eva pick up on social cues.
STAR
Eva’s never talked game with me. She never gave me a vibe that she wanted to work with me. We’re not friends, she’s not on my side, and I know I’m not on her side. I trust Bianca and Thomas, so, let me go to my puzzlers and let them know, “hey, somebody’s pitching one of your names, and I want y’all to know it’s Eva.”
In a season of partnerships, there are also some fledgling pairs of rivals, and Star versus Eva has been consistent across the first three episodes. In this episode, we got to see the momentum swing to Star’s side as she clocked Eva’s attempts at manipulation and threw her under the bus to Bianca and Thomas.
But will Star win the war? It’s looking questionable. Her edit overall isn’t as fleshed out and nuanced as Eva’s, which suggests Eva has more longevity. What I will say is, I don’t expect this to become an ‘enemies to allies’ story like Mary and Said, as there have been no signs of mutual respect between Star and Eva.
THOMAS
Can I trust Star in the long term? I have no idea. I think Star is a bit of a wild card and not someone that we can control. So, it’s a little risky, but it’s Survivor, right? And I’m not gonna get to the end by being safe.
Thomas has been a fun character so far, and he had a few notable confessionals I could have picked in this past episode. However, the short one above, I think, summed up his edit the best. Thomas doesn’t want to play a safe game, even if he realizes this is a risky stragegy.
We’ve seen signs of Thomas’ “risky” gameplay already, such as in the second episode when he told Shauhin to destroy Star’s advantage. And it continued in Episode 3, with him describing how he wasn’t telling anyone about his own advantage, including his number one, Bianca.
I can see a world where Thomas is a contender, but I’m also starting to get slight “villainous” vibes (in a fun way!) that could suggest his risky behaviour might come back to bite him.
BIANCA
I didn’t tell my tribe that I lost my vote, but it did kind of make me wonder who to tell the truth to. And I don’t trust anyone… in real life and here, but I need to trust someone.
Bianca finally got some decent screen time in this episode, even if most of it was due to her going on the Journey. But we also got to hear her have some strategy talks with the likes of Star and Thomas, and we understand her position within the group.
She is aware that you can’t trust anyone on Survivor but also noted how you need to have someone. That led to her telling Thomas about losing her vote, though he kept the truth of his own Journey to himself. Maybe not the best look for Bianca, but overall, her edit is still an open book, and it’s difficult at this stage to pinpoint where exactly her story is going.
CIVA
DAVID
There’s nothing more I want in this life than a family. It is. I’m fighting for a future family, absolutely. I’m here for the experience. More importantly, that million dollars – that’s a guarantee for me to start a family. That’s my ultimate dream.
This was a big personal episode for David. It started off with the usual OTT heroics and Kamilla calling him a “Chad,” but then we delved beneath the surface. David opened up about his living situation and how he needs the money to get married and start a family. It not only gave him a goal, but it showed the audience another side of him.
Does this now make him a contender? I suppose mentioning the money in such a way should put him in the conversation. But there are still others I’d place ahead of him currently. It reminded me of Joe Anglim’s edit somewhat in Cambodia, which was about wanting his dad for the loved one’s visit, a goal he eventually achieved. If the loved one visit was still a thing, I’d be expecting David to propose to his girlfriend. Perhaps there will be something along similar lines in the loved one’s letters.
MITCH
I feel like we’re beginning to fire on all cylinders. Everyone’s clicking as a tribe. I want to go deep in the game with, obviously, everyone on my tribe. But if push came to shove, I really want to work with Charity.
The dynamics of the Civa tribe were fleshed out a little more in this episode, particularly in regard to where Mitch and Charity sit. Until now, we’ve been led to assume David/Chrissy/Kamilla/Kyle are the majority, with Mitch and Charity firmly on the outs. However, this episode saw Mitch reaching across the divide to Kyle, perhaps hinting at a new foursome with himself, Kyle, Charity, and David.
It’s hard to know how this will shake out when Civa haven’t been to tribal and are now about to be swapped. But these could be plot points reserved for somewhere down the road. What I will say is that Mitch has been given a positive edit so far, and so I believe we are meant to be rooting for his success.
CHARITY
It’s exciting to start playing the game, and it feels good to be in this place where I’m really solid with one person. I feel like Mitch genuinely has my back.
Like Mitch, we saw a little more of Charity in terms of her gameplay in this episode. She reemphasized that Mitch is her number one, and, from all accounts, Mitch has backed this up. We’ve also seen these consistent scenes of her working her social game, like last week with the humble traits stuff and this week in her one-on-one with David.
The question is, is she one step behind everyone else? She said it’s exciting to start playing the game when others have been playing from the moment they hit the beach. And she said it feels good to be in a place where she is solid with one person when there is a majority of four already formed in the tribe. I just wonder if this could be a case of Charity playing catch up for here on out.
KYLE
The first group is the Civa four alliance, which is myself, David. Chrissy and Kamilla. Conversely, I also have the option of Charity and Mitch plus David. It feels great to be in the middle of a tribe that’s winning challenges, with two separate alliances who want to work with me. And, oh by the way, I got an idol in my back pocket. It’s-it’s… it’s incredible.
I felt really good about Kyle after the second episode, but Episode 3 gave me some pause for thought. And it wasn’t particularly anything he said in a confessional, even if the one above did have a sense of “too good to be true” about it. The main red flag was his conversation with David.
When David opened up about living in a trailer in front of his dad’s house, Kyle’s reaction was… weird, to say the least. The way he played it as a cool thing came across as disingenuous, and David obviously recognized this. It made me think of what Kyle previously said about needing someone else (Kamilla specifically) to be his strategic mind. Maybe he also needs someone to help out on the social side.
I’m not wondering if Kyle’s story will be about starting fires and Kamilla following him around putting them out.
KAMILLA
Coming back to camp, I wanted to, like, be honest with my tribe and show them the extra vote, because that’s what Mitch did when he came back from his journey. I told myself, coming into this game, “don’t share your advantages with anyone,” but, unfortunately, my tribe is too damn honest with each other. And I don’t get to hide anything from them, which kind of sucks.
As with Bianca, a lot of Kamilla’s content in this episode came due to her going on the Journey. But I liked the above confessional for how it showed her as an adaptable player. Similar to Bianca, she was aware that being too trusting and sharing info in this game is dangerous, but she also recognized she needed to go with the flow of tribe. Because Mitch shared his advantage, Kamilla felt forced to do the same, and from what we saw, her decision to do so was the right one.
I think a throughline for this season might be whether sharing info or keeping it a secret is the way to go. This episode saw Justin lying about what happened at the Journey, which ultimately backfired on him. We also saw Mary keeping schtum about whether or not she had an idol, which caused paranoia among her tribe. Meanwhile, we had Bianca telling a lie and a truth, depending on who was listening, and Kamilla being totally open.
Which strategy will work? Will Kamilla come to regret sharing her advantage with everyone, especially with a swap approaching? Or will her honesty earn her brownie points?
CHRISSY
Sadly, no confessionals at all for Chrissy in this episode. After a pretty solid premiere, Chrissy’s edit has taken a nosedive. On the plus side, we at least know she’s part of the Civa majority. However, she needs some solid content soon!
EARLY CONTENDERS
Top Tier: Joe, Kamilla
Second Tier: Eva, Shauhin
Third Tier: Thomas, Kyle
EDGIC CHART
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