Survivor Season 48, Episode 10
"My Enemies Are Plottin'"
Cast: Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson, Kyle Fraser, Mitch Guerra, Joe Hunter, Kamilla Karthigesu, Star Toomey, Mary Zheng
The revolution was fun while it lasted.
Last week, the Strong 5 (or maybe 6) broke apart and voted out one of their own when David had his torch snuffed. There is still hope for the end game, but the idea that all the underdogs might come together feels like a long shot. Instead, I think the power dynamics are shifting into two clear pairs: Joe and Eva, and Kyle and Kamilla. Everyone else appears to be trying to reach the end with one of those teams, and there is a real possibility that both pairs could make up the Final Four.
This week showed how those on the bottom (see: Mitch, Kamilla, Star and Mary) put too much trust in at least one person in the majority, making a rebellion nearly impossible to pull off. In the end, Mary decided she was better off aligning with the Strong 4 than risking the chaos of a new world order.
We begin the episode with Mary reacting to being blindsided. Her closest ally is gone. Surely then, she'll be ready to spark a revolution and seize control of the game (spoiler: she doesn't). The real theme of the episode becomes whether Star, Kamilla, Mary, and Mitch can hold strong enough as a group of four to force someone in the majority to flip in order to avoid rocks. That seems to be their best hope, given how unlikely it is they will flip someone outright.
Like me, you may have wondered, "Kamilla, why not just ask Kyle to flip with you?" We get our answer, and it makes sense. Kyle and Joe have bonded, and after just one week of working together, Kyle is not eager to break another promise. His plan is to convince Kamilla that there is room to maneuver within the Strong 4. She is not so sure.
Both Kyle and Kamilla play this round very well, in my opinion, and they are the most compelling pair in recent Survivor history. Neither is willing to cut the other, but both are clear-eyed about where they stand in the game. I think each believes they have a strong argument to make at Final Tribal, even if they end up sitting next to each other. The usual problem with a strong duo is that one player absorbs most of the credit. Here, though, Kyle is earning trust within the majority while Kamilla is keeping them protected from outside threats. I would love to see both of them reach the end, as they offer a fascinating case study in a dynamic duo that the rest of the tribe doesn't fully perceive as a threat.
The Strong 4 begin to map out their ideal boot order. Star and Mary are both floated as potential targets, but since Mary has already burned her Shot in the Dark, Star starts to look like the more likely vote. What is notable in this post-David world is how hesitant players are to appear in control. Star seems like the obvious boot, but no one wants to be seen as the one calling the shots. There is a lot of "either one of them could go" talk, but the direction is clear.
The reformed Strong 4 seems locked in when Kyle wins the reward challenge and brings Eva, Kamilla, and Shauhin with him.
Back at camp, Joe is briefly concerned about being left out, but quickly realizes his role: he is there to play babysitter and prevent Mary, Mitch, and Star from forming a rebellion in his absence.
Joe uses the time to do some jury management, but Mary sees through the effort. I honestly feel for Mary. I think she is a solid player stuck in a situation that is more clearly a losing one from the outside than it appears to her on the inside. When the rebellion begins to fracture, Mary is absolutely justified in making sure she is not the one voted out. Her social exchange with Joe demonstrates her awareness of the game. She is just cornered in a way that feels impossible to escape.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff offers rice to the tribe if three players agree to sit out. No one does. Joe goes on to win after a long endurance challenge, the one where players stack blocks on a plate held up by a rope.
Joe had been the underdogs' target, and while his win did not guarantee his elimination otherwise, it definitely took him off the board if things had fallen apart.
Star attempts to pivot to a Shauhin vote, but the effort does not gain enough traction. It ultimately comes down to which of the bottom four will go. Joe, Eva, Kyle, and Shauhin can vote out Mary and keep Kamilla, Star, and Mitch satisfied, or vote out Star and keep Mary loyal. They choose the latter.
This season is not shaping up to be one where the majority alliance is completely overthrown. Still, there is plenty of potential for compelling endgame moves. Shauhin continues to be viewed as a strategic threat, Kyle and Kamilla may yet shift the power structure, and Joe and Eva remain a steady, unbreakable pair. If anyone is willing to take a shot, Mary and Mitch are still viable numbers waiting to be brought in.
But make no mistake: this week was a warning to anyone hoping for another insurrection. The chaos that followed David's blindside briefly made the game feel wide open, but Episode 10 reminded us that last week was a spark, not an inferno. The alliance at the top may not be flashy, but it is stable, and stability in Survivor is a powerful thing. For now, the door to revolution has been firmly shut.
If you haven't already, consider supporting worker-owned media by subscribing to Pop Heist. We are ad-free and operating outside the algorithm, so all dollars go directly to paying the staff members and writers who make articles like this one possible.
