Welcome to the weekly Survivor: Winners at War breakdown and award ceremony! After a very entertaining two hour episode, we have a lot to talk about, including our winner picks for the finale next week. Let’s get right into it!

Most Valuable Player: Given to the player who contributed the most to this episode

Reims: Tony is just racking up the accolades at this point, fully in control of everything happening. The most telling moment of this episode was after Michelle (correctly) explained to Sarah that she could not beat Tony, and Sarah, instead of even considering that information, immediately took it to Tony and basically laughed about it. The grip that Tony has on these people is truly staggering. Nick went out because he believed Tony was his “number one”. Sarah and Ben aren’t even thinking about betraying him. Denise wants to wait until fire, and it seems as if Michelle is the only one who sees him for the threat he is. Keep in mind, in the seven times Tony has both attended tribal council and not had individual immunity, he still has zero votes against him. Tony Vlachos, master of chaos, is still unscathed. Incredible.

Pant: Although we had another great Tony episode, my MVP vote this week goes to Sarah, who gained a lot of respect from me this week. The way that she was easily able to convince Ben to vote out Nick and dictate the vote is amazing. Additionally, Sarah was stone cold and did not fall for Michelle’s mind games at all, proving to be loyal to Tony. think the fact that she even survived this double elimination is ridiculous, considering she is the second biggest threat on the island.

Least Valuable Player: Given to the player who receives significant screen time and performs the worst

Reims: Yeah, it’s Nick. One of my favorite recent winners from probably the best season of the 30’s, Nick is getting a lot of flak for how he’s played so far. Although I think the majority is unwarranted, there were definitely some issues with his game this week, all of which Michelle perfectly encapsulated when she asked just what his plan was, exactly. He got a bit screwed by the edit, which really highlighted his comfort in his position, but nonetheless he still did go home. Most important, he joined the pantheon of legends (Tyson and Sandra) who managed to effectively vote themselves out. All in all, not the best episode for Kentucky Nick. 

Pant: Although you may expect me to choose a person that got eliminated, my LVP of the week is Ben. First of all, Ben got played by Sarah into believing that he was dictating the Nick vote. Secondly, Ben continuously making an enemy of Jeremy all the way to the bitter end is not good jury management, making it unlikely that he will win even if he makes the final three. Additionally, Ben appears to be a threat during the final four, considering how good he is at firemaking. With all this said, Ben is probably in the worst spot because he now has the worst resume among everyone left. He has dug his own grave, and will need a miracle and bizarre jury to win it all. Honorable mention to Nick, who screwed himself by voting out Jeremy. 

Most Improved: Given to the player who boosted their stock most from last episode

Reims: Michelle improved the most in my opinion, if only because she’s one of those players that functions the best with her back against the wall. She seems to be the only person left who thinks Tony is dangerous, and she made a valiant effort to sway Sarah to her side. Additionally, she won the pivotal immunity that kept her alive for another day. She does get docked points for that iffy coin “flip” though. That was a toss.

Pant: For me, Denise is the most improved player in the episode. She managed to survive two tribals where I thought she should have been on the chopping block, while also proving how good she is socially. My favorite move was buying the rice, which might have saved her from elimination. I think that the people on the island have forgotten her outstanding resume, probably the second or third best on the island right now. If she or Michelle are able to turn the tide in their direction, I could seriously see Denise having a wild final episode run and winning it all. Honorable mention to Michelle, who actually had a pretty good episode and saved herself more than once. 

Current Godfather: Given to the player who is pulling the most strings and in the best position to succeed

Reims: Other than maybe Sarah, nobody comes close to touching Tony for this spot. He is running everything. He has basically everyone left firmly in his pocket, and nobody is really seeing him as a threat. Nobody is in a better position heading into the finale. He still has an idol too! There’s really nothing more to say.

Pant: I really don’t see how I can change my pick at this point in the season. Besides the first episode, Tony has voted correctly in every tribal council he has participated in, including every elimination after the merge. His core alliance also makes up the majority of the tribe. Up to this point, he does not have a single vote cast against him. I haven’t even brought up the fact that he has an immunity idol, along with his close ally Ben. He has to be my godfather heading into the finale. 

Look out for our preview of the finale, coming soon!