"This, However, Is Not The Hidden Immunity Idol"

I love Jeff Probst and the non-chalant way he tosses fake idols in the fire. Sorry, Ozzy. All those hours painting a face on a stick are now burning up in the flames. But, I feel that the experience of it all for Ozzy was more than worth it.

This week on Survivor, the tribes merged and strategy changed. Parvati was very clear that the line between favorites and fans is gone and it is now everybody for themselves. The merge left Eliza out in the cold and desperately seeking anyway to stay in the game. When your sole alliance member is Jason, you know that you've got something to worry about regarding your position in the game. Eliza really didn't have much chance, but at least she left the game memorably and gave a little jab at Ozzy by exposing him for having the real idol. Here are the revised rankings after how strategy played out this week:

9. Ozzy
Yes, I know, it is sad to put Ozzy in last, but I'm really afraid for him. On the previews, it seemed pretty clear that there was talk of getting rid of Ozzy. Ozzy is too powerful and too much of a threat to everybody. The odds are stacked against him. This episode also proved that he has fierce competition when it comes to challenges. So, as soon as he loses, the tribe is going to be anxious to get rid of him. Also, I think him having the idol might actually work against him because it makes him an even bigger threat than he already is. I'm really rooting for him, but I'm a little nervous at the moment.

8. Jason

I put Jason last before this episode, and I still think that he is at the bottom. He made it very clear that he is as out of the loop as Eliza was. He also proved this week that he isn't one of the smartest contestants thats ever been on Survivor. He did show, however, that he can give Ozzy a run for his money when it comes to challenges, but once again this puts a target on his back. Having no alliance and being a challenge threat is a bad combination on Survivor. His days are numbered.

7. Erik

Erik was not featured very much in this episode so he didn't move much in the ranking. It seems the best strategy for him right now is to blend into the background and be loyal when it best serves him. That being said, as a fan in a game dominated by favorites, I don't think that he has much more time in the game. He doesn't seem to have any solid alliance, so things aren't looking great for him.

6. James

James is lucky right now because all of the focus is on Ozzy and how much of a threat he is. This leaves James in the clear at least for a little while. But, I think James is too powerful and too likable for the tribe to keep him around to too long. To win Survivor you have to take with you somebody who is unliked so that you can beat him, as James agreed during tribal council. With this logic, James can't be taken to the finals because he is too liked and too hard to beat. So, I think the remaining contestants are smart enough to get rid of him before he gets too close to the end.

5. Alexis

Alexis is in a pretty good position because she is in an alliance with Parvati. It is a little shaky, though, because Parvati has said she is not positive if she is going to stick with Alexis and Natalie. Also, there is friction between Alexis and Amanda because of their relationships with Ozzy. This may make Amanda try to get rid of Alexis early. But, as it stands, Alexis got outed as a triple threat, and I think she is doing fairly well.

4. Natalie

Natalie is doing a good job of just staying in the background and not doing anything that makes her a target. I think she'll stick around because she is so low on everybody's radar. So, as long as she can continue doing what she is doing, I think she'll be around for a long time.

3. Cirie

Cirie is a smart player and is willing to do whatever she needs to to stick around. She revealed a bit of her strategy in this episode by saying that she is willing to vote for anybody as long as its not her. Cirie seems to have a strong bond with Amanda and that seems to be helping her along, so I think she'll be around for a while.

2. Amanda

Amanda seems to have some measure of control in the group. Only one person seems to have more influence- Parvati. Amanda was upset that Parvati would agree to an alliance without her, and she is upset with Alexis for trying to sneak up on her "boyfriend". So, if Amanda can suck it up and not let emotional connection with Ozzy get the best of her, I think she is going to go far. She is smart to want to get rid of Alexis since Alexis is likable and a motivational speaker- but she needs to think of her end game and how she will get there.

1. Parvati

Parvati is trying hard this time around and it seems like she has the most amount of say in the tribe. She wanted to get rid of Eliza, and so it was done. Parvati is good at wrapping the men around her finger to do her will, and she's good at forming alliances. Her fault is that she is promising too many people different things and is going to end up dissapointing someone, and this might lose her votes in the end.

So, things didn't change much in my mind. I still think that girls are going to form up together and kick off the guys. Tune in next week to see who the next fallen Survivor is and how the rankings change.