New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Previously on Survivor, everyone's favorite pirate (besides Jack Sparrow...and Keira Knightley) was finally voted off after what seemed like a month's worth of episodes where he should have been voted off but wasn't. We are left with these five remaining contestants:

Sandra: Hooked up with Boston Rob from the start and seemed to be in complete control of the game right up until Tyson's epic mistake prematurely ended their entire alliance. She showed tremendous tenacity in surviving the past several votes despite having no allies since Courtney's elimination. Sandra made the right plays early on and received no reward for her efforts; nonetheless, she has picked up a lot of steam as she has made move after move that reminds people why she's one of the craftiest Survivors ever to play the game. Jury members and remaining players respect her.

Parvati: She said early on this year that she didn't ride coattails and then spent the body of the game proving it. She has been unexpectedly strong in challenges, while running a tight shift with the dominant Villains' alliance. We said at the merge that she was in the best position to win the game, and despite the elimination of her most trusted ally, Danielle, that still seems to be the case. We've run through all the permutations, and while we believe Sandra has played a slightly better game, Parvati is the odds-on favorite to win tonight...but it's very close between these two women. We'll be disappointed if Survivor does not feature a repeat winner tonight, because Sandra and Parvati have earned it more than anyone remaining in the game.

Jerri: We said earlier this year when she betrayed Boston Rob that the move could not be judged until much later in the season. Much as we predicted, Jerri suffered buyer's remorse with her choice, particularly when Coach was voted out. Still, here she stands in the final five with a strong argument about why she should win. While others can point out various ways they may have carried Jerri further in the game, the undeniable truth is that three of the final five players are there because Jerri chose Parvati's alliance over Boston Rob's. To her credit, she learned from past mistakes, dialed down the drama, remained low-key, and has positioned herself to win the game without alienating any of the other players. In a season where a lot of great players disappointed, Jerri has been the most pleasant surprise.

Evil Loser Russell: We thought this little troll would be eliminated almost immediately, because, well, people would get to know him. And yes, that almost happened. Had Tyson been able to follow the simplest of instructions, an entirely different game would have unfolded this season. Think of this as the Lost: Alternate Universe version of Survivor, where Boston Rob and Sandra have been in control instead of Parvati and ELR. Yes, the producers of the game propped him up a bit by making the hidden Immunity Idols readily available once more. Viewers of the show see him as a bigger threat and give him more respect than the actual players seem to. The actual players seem to see him as more of a Randy type, a creepy dude who is socially inept and kind of a jerk. The one thing we cannot take away from ELR is his indomitable will. He wants to win Survivor more than any other player we've ever seen. Since everyone remaining in the game as well as on the jury hates him, a lot would have to happen for that to even be a possibility. He's just not good at the social aspect of the game at all.

Colby: He also played this season.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6       7